Month: June 2015

(Continued from our Waterproof Work Boots post)

Any discussion on Waterproof work boots would be remiss without mentioning the value of the safety toe and the safety toe options available on the market today. 

Steel toe waterproof work boots are roughly 50% of all waterproof safety shoes.  Steel is easily the strongest, most versatile material, which can be molded into many toe-shapes and styles, but it tends to also be the heaviest of the components used to reinforce the toe.

The Aluminum safety toe is clearly lighter than the steel toe, but is not as strong as steel.  It is more difficult to provide enough strength in certain shapes to meet safety-toe tests, so the styles are limited compared to steel toes.

The composite toe is the trendy safety toe material because it is lighter than steel, but it’s also considerably thicker than steel to compensate for its strength.  The thickness required to provide strength for the composite safety toe renders a typically wider, more bulbous shape;  which often limits the style choices.  Hence the composite toe is most likely found in work, hiking, and some men’s athletic shoes and casual shoes, but the bulbous toe shape is not as attractive and useful in women’s styles.

The carbon fiber safety toe is a new, non-metallic fiber composite, providing a strong, synthetic material, so it does not require the thickness of the composite toe for durability, making it more useful in styles with lower profile toes.  When looking for comfort, many may opt for the light weight of a carbon or composite toe safety toe over the heavier steel toe, but opting for the lighter weight safety toes also requires a willingness to forego the sophistication of the favored western styled toe or lower profile dress and causal styles that only steel provides.  The new, carbon fiber toe, could become the new, preferred non-metallic toe in athletic shoes, hikers, work boots if it can be shaped into some of the lower profile, smaller toe shapes and pass the ASTM safety toe standards.

Clearly, due to the prolific use of Gore-Tex’s waterproof “bootie” technology and other advancements, the waterproof safety shoe is no longer a specialty item reflected in the highest price point boots.  Instead, technology has offered a huge benefit to not only the industrial worker who can now work longer hours in difficult environments, but the fashion conscious business person, who is simply wanting a well-constructed water-tight shoe.  This wonderful, new technology has made waterproof footwear available to everyone.  And it’s available in all price points and all kinds of styles offered by SafeShoes.com today.   

Waterproof work boots are one of those rare things for which technology has offered gains in quality while driving down cost.  The result is a shoe that is not limited in use.  Waterproof shoes can be found anywhere from the most rugged safety boots for industrial conditions to elegant dress oxfords and boots worn to work in the corporate world.

Today waterproof work boots are less than half the price, more stylish and easily more effective than they were only a few years ago, primarily because of the expiration of the Gore-Tex patent.  There has also been improved technology in working with leathers.  Both of these developments have allowed for more competitive waterproof membrane materials, lower prices, and more demand, which have resulted in many more affordable, waterproof shoes.

Quite simply, these advantages can be seen in the two different approaches manufacturers use to create their waterproof safety shoes:  The waterproof membrane “bootie” and the seam-sealed construction are the two methods for making waterproof shoes. 

The waterproof membrane “bootie” (it looks like a “baby’s bootie” sock) is made of Gore-Tex inspired, waterproof membrane material, which is now made by many manufacturers, and then formed into the “bootie”, protective liner and placed between the leather and the linings of the shoe to give the foot a breathable, waterproof environment to work.  Because the material has nine billion pores per square inch and each pore is 1/20,000 the size of a water droplet, water cannot get through the membrane, but water vapor, like perspiration, can easily escape.  This fabric has a cellophane-like consistency and is laminated to the lining materials and then sewn into the lining “bootie”.  The seams of the bootie are sealed with specially made waterproof membrane tape, creating a water tight barrier which is assuredly the best waterproof system for footwear available.

While the Gore-Tex inspired “bootie” (or membrane) is the best waterproof system for footwear, seam-sealed waterproof construction is another inexpensive option, that it is used less often than it used to be because membrane waterproof footwear is so much less expensive today.  This construction is made by “seam sealing” all the needle holes of the stitches in the leather upper of the boot with a thick latex material.  Then typically, the sole is put on the leather upper in a liquid state so it bonds directly to the leather creating a water tight seal. 

The disadvantage of the seam-sealed waterproof process is the leather has to be maintained.  That’s because organic, porous leather is impossible to waterproof; unless the leather is given a urethane coating or “stuffed” with silicones and oils.  But this treatment is only temporary because when leather is exposed to the environment, these materials in the leather begin to dry out and the leather eventually loses its waterproof nature.  That’s why manual oiling the leather on a regular basis is necessary to keep water resistance in place.  There are many waterproofing materials for full grain leathers (not suedes), like mink oil, silicones, bees wax materials, but maybe the simplest and most economical is baby oil.  It works and keeps boot leather soft and supple, but you have to consistently apply the treatment when you notice the leather surface drying or dulling.  If your boots are made with a suede or Nu-buck leather, silicone liquid or spray is the preferred waterproofing agent.

The waterproof membrane waterproofing system is clearly the best and most effective option, but if the outer leather is not well maintained, the leather will dry out, harden, and crack over time and render itself useless; despite the stellar technology housed within.

It must also be said, that any leather shoe, used in any way, would require similar maintenance.  And due to the amount of water and/or chemicals in certain environments, the oils on a leather work boot may be depleted of its natural water resistance more rapidly than in less invasive situations. 

Well-made, waterproof work boots are offered by most all major companies and brands such as Hy-Test, Timberland, and Wolverine.  

Read more about steel toe waterproof work boots in our next article. 

With waterproof shoes for women, not only are there more fashionable options, but highly effective work wear is also in style; with manufacturers making the most water tight, well designed, and safety-minded work boots on the market today. One key aspect is in the once proprietary Gore-Tex-style breathable membrane which fits between the leather and lining of the shoe and also between the outsole and insole.

Since the expiration of their patent, Gore-Tex waterproofing technology has once again improved the consumer’s market. The revolutionary characteristics of Gore-Tex, which permit a fabric to repel water while simultaneously allowing the skin to breathe, are now available to many manufacturers instead of a limited few, making its unprecedented protection highly economical, as well.

At nine billion pores per square inch, with each pore being 1/20,000 the size of a water droplet, water cannot get in through the membrane, but water vapor, like perspiration, can easily escape; providing comfort for work boots in a challenging, water-logged, environment. With a special Gore-Tex tape, the seams of the membrane “bootie” are secured and ensure the water-tight properties of the boot.

With this specialized waterproof technology, the exterior of the leather boot can incorporate a more fashionable appearance while maintaining highly sophisticated safety features; such as a safety toe* and slip-resistant soles built for industrial use; as well as meeting electrical hazard specifications.

SafeShoes.com carries a wide variety of waterproof safety boots designed specifically for women through manufacturers such as Avenger, Iron Age, Reebok, Rockport, and Wolverine; as well as other companies, which offer smaller sizes in men’s boots in order to increase your choices in waterproof footwear. If you are looking for the most effective, affordable, and attractive women’s safety boots, on the market today, check out our selection of waterproof shoes for women.

* All women’s safety shoe styles have a safety-toe made of protective materials such as steel, aluminum alloy, composite materials, or the new carbon fiber materials.

Below are some of our favorite waterproof shoes for women. Check them out or browse all our waterproof shoes for women.

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