How comfortable you are safety shoes or safety boots also sit, after a long hard day at work you probably prefer to kick them off as quickly as possible. But please don't leave them in a corner. Take some time to 'pamper' them. Good maintenance extends the lifespan considerably. They will then remain beautiful, comfortable and waterproof for longer, ultimately costing you less. Here are some tips to make your safety shoes last longer.
1. Use a shoe horn
When putting on, always open the closure as far as possible and use a shoe horn. This prevents the heels of your safety shoes from becoming weak and wearing out quickly. You can buy a shoe horn for a few euros, but it can help you prevent your safety shoes from wearing out quickly in essential places. When the heel breaks due to incorrect putting on and taking off your safety shoes, it is often cheaper to buy new safety shoes than to have them repaired. So grab that shoe horn and put on your work shoes with a little attention, after all, you have to walk in them all day.
2. Use safety shoes for their intended purpose
Only use your safety shoes for the purpose they are intended. So do not use them as a hammer or for heavier working conditions than they are suitable for. This may sound like a slam dunk but you have no idea how often we get customers in the store with broken safety shoes due to incorrect use. Safety shoes with incorrect standards for the conditions also cause problems that can easily be prevented. The most sold standardized safety shoes are S1P work boots and S3 work boots. View an overview here standards for safety shoes.
3. Buy 2 pairs of safety shoes
Preferably buy two pairs of safety shoes at the same time. This seems more expensive but in the end it actually works out cheaper. Now you can let one pair of safety shoes be repaired and dried at a time. It takes at least 24 hours for your safety shoes to dry completely after a day of work, so this should be taken into account. If your safety shoes have become very wet, it will take even longer for them to dry.
4. Allow safety shoes to dry thoroughly
Your safety shoes will last longer if you let them dry for at least 24 hours after each working day. If you do not let sweaty safety shoes dry, they will turn white and start to smell due to the accumulation of bacteria. Ultimately, the inside of your safety shoes becomes hard and uncomfortable. You will undoubtedly agree with us that smelly safety shoes are not exactly a calling card for your company or the company you work for.
5. Use shoe trees
While drying your safety shoes with shoe trees in them, let them rest in a shoe box in a dry place for 24 hours. Your safety shoes can take the right shape again and the use of shoe trees also prevents tearing in places that bend a lot when walking and kneeling.
6. Never wear wet safety shoes
Did your safety shoes get wet? Then let them dry thoroughly before putting them on again. If you do not do this, the material may eventually tear or show dry spots. It's a shame, because your safety shoes won't last very long and wearing wet shoes is also uncomfortable for your feet.
7. Do not dry near a radiator or in the sun
NEVER place safety shoes near a heat source such as a radiator or in the sun. This direct heat dries out the leather and can cause your safety shoes to tear. If you want them to dry faster, fill them with wads of newspaper. First get the insoles and laces out. Replace the plugs until your safety shoes are dry.
8. Choose breathable lining
Do you quickly suffer from sweaty feet? When purchasing, pay attention to the lining of the desired safety shoe: shoes with a full leather interior, Gore-tex® or Cambrelle® 'breathe' better and therefore you will experience less moisture and sweat accumulation. The safety shoes in our range include: Grisport and Redbrick are made from the best materials.
- Gore-Tex® is a kind of wafer-thin membrane that makes safety shoes highly water-repellent and breathable. Safety shoes with a GoteTex® lining are often insufficiently maintained because people think that you are not allowed to apply anything to them. Over time, the Gore-Tex membrane can become clogged by salt crystals from your sweat and need to be cleaned. You will notice this because you will feel clammy more quickly. To clean the membrane, fill your safety shoe with lukewarm water with a little vinegar and a drop of dishwasher detergent. Let this sit for about ten minutes and pour the water out of your safety shoe. Rinse your safety shoes again with lukewarm water and let them dry as described above. For Gore-Tex® linings, only use maintenance products recommended by Gore-Tex®. These maintenance products guarantee proper functioning of the membrane and good moisture drainage from the inside to the outside.
Note: Do not wear cotton socks in shoes with a Gore-Tex lining, because they absorb moisture and do not release it. - Cambrelle® is a synthetic non-woven textile. Cambrelle® is highly moisture-absorbing, odor-resistant and breathable. Unlike leather, Cambrelle® dries faster, making it less susceptible to mold formation.
- Leather is a natural product with characteristic properties that no synthetic product can match. Leather molds completely to your foot, it breathes and safety shoes with a leather lining will have a significantly longer lifespan on average.
9. Clean your safety shoes
Very dirty safety shoes must be 'liberated' from their dirt. You do this by brushing them clean with lukewarm water or a shoe cleaning agent. The leather is now airy again and can 'breathe' again.
10. Care for the leather after cleaning
Cleaning alone is not enough. The dirt and water have 'washed' the preservative substances out of the leather, making the leather brittle and prone to cracking. With a leather cream, wax or Leather grease can restore these substances to the leather. Apply or rub the cream with a brush or cloth and let the wax work for some time.
11. Grease your safety shoes every month
Smooth and waxed leather is more resistant to water and dirt and easier to maintain. Therefore, always grease your safety shoes once or twice a month, even if they have not become dirty.
12. Impregnate the leather
Leather is a natural product and has a tendency to 'absorb' moisture. Wet safety shoes are cold, heavy and very unpleasant to wear. To prevent the leather from no longer absorbing with water but continuing to breathe, you must impregnate your safety shoes with a impregnating spray. In any case, do this after every cleaning and otherwise at least once a month. Hold the spray can approximately 35 cm away from your safety shoes, and be careful not to inhale the propellant gases. NB:
- The impregnation is only fully active after 24 hours
- Always use the impregnating spray first and then grease your safety shoes again. Impregnating fluid does not penetrate this somewhat greasy layer.
13. Go to a specialized shoemaker
Do the stitches of your safety shoes loosen over time or is it time for a new sole? Then don't go to a standard shoemaker, but to a shoemaker who specializes in safety shoes. Otherwise, there is a chance that your safety shoes no longer meet the required European standards.
Ready for new safety shoes?
Did our tips not help or was it already too late to do anything about it? No problem, we have a wide range of safety shoes for every taste and wish. For example, we offer light safety shoes, safety sneakers and ESD safety shoes, but also a wide range safety boots. To be completely kind to your feet, use work socks in your safety shoes or safety boots.