Rubber work boots are used in a truly diverse range of working conditions, providing reliable foot protection from water, damage, dirt and harmful agents and substances wherever necessary. Long and short uppers, a variety of sole variants, different types of rubber used in production - the elements that provide rubber boots with their reliability and protective properties are also the ones against which we will distinguish them. What types of rubber work shoes can be found on the market today, and from what angle should they be selected for a particular job?
Waterproof rubber boots
Without a doubt, the most important feature of rubber boots, for which they have become so common both in industry and in everyday use, is that they are waterproof, or at least have a very high level of protection against getting wet. The high quality of the rubber used in the production of professional rubber work boots and the welded seams guarantee maximum protection in case the boot comes into contact with water, making it possible to wade through water in them without the risk of getting your foot wet.
Among the more important materials used in the production of waterproof rubber boots appear primarily PVC, nitrile and polyurethane, although, of course, various types of lining and insulating inserts and metal elements are additionally used to strengthen and insulate them. Among the simplest models of waterproof shoes, we recommend, among others, the classic white wellingtons.
If we are talking about protection against water and getting wet, it is impossible to ignore the fact that in many cases the upper of the shoe may be too short to properly protect the worker's legs from water. Firefighters, water rescuers or fishermen, therefore, use additional protection on a daily basis in the form of above-knee-length waders with built-in wellingtons in the leg and special reinforcements in the knee area that guarantee safe work even in a squatting position, as well as full ones.
Working rubber boots - protection against damage
Work in industry usually carries a considerable risk of damage to the foot, so it is the duty of employers to provide workers with adequate protection. Shoes that guarantee foot safety do not, of course, have to be rubber, but in many cases the protective properties must be combined precisely with waterproofness. To ensure both, a very popular measure today is to install metal, steel or composite insoles in rubber work boots, which guarantee adequate protection for the worker's toes. In case of necessity and work in extremely harsh conditions, it is also possible here to use adequate support and metatarsal protection, such as in the PVC S5 M metatarsal protection boot FD85 PORTWEST completely metal-free and suitable for heavy industry, chainsaw-protected chainsaw boots, or puncture- and crush-resistant boots.
Rubber boots in the food industry
Protection against fats, oils, various chemicals or, finally, solutions specific to the food industry is a special category of requirements that rubber work boots often meet. Among the more popular boots intended for the food industry, we can distinguish first of all FILE BF-PCVCZS W boots meeting the requirements of EN20347, made of non-woven felt trimmed with waterproof material and adapted to resist typical food industry chemicals: dilute solutions of acids and alkalis, table salt solutions, vegetable oils, ethyl alcohol or lime milk. Shoes of this type can also be successfully used in laboratories, chemical and pharmaceutical industries or factories, where the risk of contact with the aforementioned substances is very high.
Rubber work boots - reliable protection for workers
Rubber boots enjoy great popularity in industry, which is due not only to the watertightness of this type of footwear, but the very versatile and reliable protection offered by the boots of the largest manufacturers of health and safety accessories. Wherever workers are exposed to hazardous substances, wet ground, bodies of water and even muddy terrain, the use of rubber boots may prove to be the only effective protection.
Properly fitted to the foot, wellingtons should not cause discomfort, abrasions or flare-ups to the worker - the inner padding of this type of shoe today provides all the walking comfort and support the foot needs. Can rubber work boots be described as reliable safety shoes? As long as the mere use of rubber is not a contraindication for a particular industry, yes, it can. Rubber can withstand more than many leather-based materials - used properly, it offers a long lifespan of work shoes that will make workers feel safe.
