Why do we need a shoe to fit properly? Well, think about what happens if your pants are too tight, now what about if they are too loose. Basically, you have 2 options, either physically hold them up or add a belt. This is the same with your boots – if they are too tight, pain and pressure occurs. If they are too loose, you simply lace them tighter, but what if your boots don’t have laces….what happens then?
It might surprise you to know that shoes being too loose cause as many, if not more problems than shoes that are too tight. I think back to watching my UG miners navigating the dark, wet uneven terrain in loose fitting gumboots, they would shuffle, and this can cause a lot of problems.
The gumboot shuffle occurs because you know if you lift your foot and boot up as you would normally, you just know your boot is going to stay stuck in the mud and you are going to end up standing and balancing on 1 leg or falling face first in the mud.
So, essentially the toes grip to keep the boots on and this causes fatigue and muscle overuse. It’s like running a marathon in a pair of thongs – would you do that? We all know the effect of fatigue and tired muscles, imagine that after a 12-hour shift. It will start to impact your concentration, it will cause tightness in leg and lower back muscles, cramping in your feet and increase your risk of slips, trips and falls. Correctly fitting footwear is one of the most essential parts of your PPE.
Crawford Boot Wedgetech inserts give the wearer the same fit as laces do in a normal boot, ensuring you have a waterproof boot that fits you properly and reduces the risk of injury on your worksite.
