Safety footwear must have certain features to ensure that it is suitable for the work environment in which it will be used. Understanding the structure, design and construction of safety footwear is crucial when you are shopping for safety boots.
Our safety boots are only made of quality materials like leather, rubber, polyurethane and TPU that not only provide stability, traction and protection but are also comfortable to wear and long-lasting.
Safety shoes consist of an upper portion, toe cap, insole, midsole, outsole and shank. Each part comes with a specific safety feature that is appropriate for foot safety and protection.
The upper part: This part is important for safety as they cover the whole foot, particularly the toes, the top of the foot and the sides of the foot and the back of the heel. To protect the toes and upper part of the foot safety boots come with toe caps that are made of steel, aluminium or composite materials. When something is dropped or rolls over your feet, the safety toe boots feature absorbs the impact and protects your toes from being crushed or severed.
Insole: Also known as the footbed, the insole has an important function. It has to improve the comfort of the wearer that will indirectly increase employee satisfaction and performance. Injecting, sewing, or gluing the sole to the upper and sanding the final product removes any imperfections like excess material and the shoe last.
Outsole: The outsole is that part of a shoe that comes in direct contact with the ground. Our safety boots are only made of quality materials like leather, rubber, polyurethane and TPU that provide stability, traction and protection from on-site slips and falls. The outsole has other properties including heat and cold insulation.
Midsole: The midsole is the part between the insole and the outsole. This part provides shock absorption and support for the wearer. Midsoles are made of materials that protect your feet from sharp objects penetrating from beneath. Materials like Polyurethane (PU), Composite materials, Kevlar and steel give extra protection to your feet.
Shank: The shank is found between the insole and outsole and protects the arch of the foot. Made from a variety of materials including steel, plastic, fibreglass and Kevlar, the shank not only provides rigidity and stability but also stiffens the outsole for extra stability.
Safety Boots Manufacturing Methods
The three main construction methods used to make safety boots are explained below.
Moulding: This method involves injecting liquid sole material like PVC, PU, or EVA into a mould and infusing it with the upper part to produce a seamless joint. Moulding is also done by applying uncured rubber and using heat and pressure to fuse it with the vamp.
Welting: This method is performed by stitching a piece of leather, also known as welt, to the shoe upper prior to stitching the whole shoe to the sole. By stitching a welt, you can easily replace the sole when required. Welted shoes offer more torsion control.
Cementing: This method involves gluing the sole to the upper part. The glue that unites the shoe vamp and sole must be very strong.
RS Components have a wide variety of high-quality safety boots from some of the leading manufacturers in footwear. To know more about our safety boots, visit our website.
