One of the most common reasons that people wear inappropriate attire is the concern about their appearance. This is particularly true of footwear. If you are simply heading out for a night on the town then you have no problems but if you are walking in the great outdoors or working in an industrial environment, then concerns over your appearance should really come second to comfort and safety.

Health and Safety Gone Mad

Don’t get me wrong. I am not one of those people who are obsessive about health and safety in the work place. In fact I believe that things have gone way too far in that regard. I completely understand that machinery must be used advisedly and that scaffolding should be erected properly. There should be rules and regulations to ensure that employers don’t put their staff in danger but I really don’t think that these should extend to PAT testing kettles and having to perform risk assessments on toilet doors.

Looking after Your Own Interests

These days too many people spend far too much of their time on risk assessments that probably won’t yield a safer workplace. This is because no matter what investigations you conduct and what rules you introduce, people will always be a law unto themselves and very careless. You can’t save people from their own stupidity. What you can do, however, is take care of yourself and your feet and that doesn’t mean that style has to go out of the window.

Keeping Cool

Indeed it is incredible how work boots have historically become extremely cool. Many of the coolest brands on the market started life as work wear or at least practical footwear for a specific purpose and then made their way to the streets. I suppose that Doc Martens are the best example of this trend. Those boots started life as footwear for workers and their revolutionary cushioned soles ensured their popularity. Then when Pete Townsend of rock band The Who started wearing them on stage they became the footwear of choice for successive youth cultures.

In America Dickies work boots are a cool choice on the street and a favourite with celebrities. They have gone the same way as Doc Martens. Work boot manufacturers are clearly wise to the fact that people are style conscious even in the workplace and so these days styling is a key element of such footwear. The safety features are still there but the boots can look good too.

There really is no excuse for wearing inappropriate footwear at work. You only have one pair of feet and they really do suffer from the rigours of life. Your feet are so easily injured in accidents too and are one of the most vulnerable parts of your body. If you work in an environment where heavy objects, chemicals or machinery could injure your feet then get a pair of work boots. The right boots won’t cramp your style, indeed they could even be the making of it and there is nothing cool about a limp!

Article by Sally Stacey