Online shopping has forever changed the way we research and purchase many products and services today. The widespread popularity of online shopping has placed virtually any product or service at our fingertips, and readily available for purchase.

Despite the benefits, it’s not always appropriate or advisable to purchase merchandise online. Safety footwear is a prime example of a product that, when it comes to online buying, just doesn’t fit. On average, approximately 25 percent of all footwear purchased online are returned. Traditional distribution methods benefit safety footwear consumers in several ways. Mobile footwear stores, or shoemobiles, are trucks that provide custom on-site fittings and retail services. Inventory on shoemobiles can exceed one thousand pairs of footwear. When it comes to safety and best practices, shoemobiles, retail, and onsite stores are tried and true.

Trial and error, or reaching the desired result by experience rather than theory, characterizes the best practice for selecting a pair of safety footwear. E-commerce prevents the ability to try on footwear before making a purchase, certainly a key contributor to the number of returned purchases. Most commonly, consumers cite an improper fit as the reason for the return. Several different aspects such as size, width, inside shape, and specific safety features, factor into the overall fit of a pair of safety footwear.

Get Personal

A personal fitting is the first step toward comfortable safety footwear. It is very important and highly beneficial to be properly measured and fitted by a safety footwear expert. Measurements are taken with a Brannock Device foot-measurer, a tool designed in 1927 to indicate the correct shoe size while allowing enough room for comfort. The Brannock Device determines the heel-to-toe, arch,and width measurements, all critical to properly fitting footwear.

Accurate measurements provide a base size to use during a fitting and are best obtained when the device is handled by a trained footwear sales person.

Comfort at Last

After being measured and fitted, it’s important to try on several different styles. Each pair, during construction, is shaped by its last, a solid form shaped roughly like a human foot, around which a shoe is molded during manufacturing. The desired sizes, fit, and style each factor into the process of selecting a last to use, and the last dictates the inside dimensions.

Discovering the most appropriate fit depends on the anatomy of a foot; certain lasts may prove to mimic one foot profile more accurately than another. Even though styles may appear to be similar on the shelf, lacing up several different styles will determine if the inside shape of one pair is more suitable than another.

Feet serve as a foundation for the body, and a bad foundation can negatively affect an entire structure. In this case, improperly fitting footwear can translate to debilitating pain or discomfort throughout the back, knees, hips, and so on. Each day, safety footwear is in motion and hard at work, laced on to workers moving around, walking, kneeling down, bending over, and climbing up and down stairs, ladders, or inclines. Analyzing each style by performing a few of these actions decreases the risk of uncomfortable surprises.

A poor fit fuels several problems that affect overall foot health. Wearing the proper size and fit is more comfortable and helps prevent injury and foot discomfort. It will make the difference between satisfaction and one of several problems that cause discomfort, such as hammertoe, which is likely to be as unpleasant as it sounds. Among others, blisters, corns, calluses, arthritis, flat feet, bunions, and sprains result from a poor fit. Moreover, serious injury can occur on the worksite, and inadequate footwear is a known culprit.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics cited Slips, Trips, & Falls as the contributing factor for nearly 25 percent of all nonfatal injuries requiring days away from work in 2007, with each injury resulting in an average of seven missed working days. Injuries from Slips, Trips, & Falls can be caused by workplace hazards, such as poor lighting or unsafe walking services, and are compounded by improper footwear.

Knowledge to Protect

Safety footwear is equipped with various protection features and technologies. Knowledge about each feature and being able to pick out technologies created for certain environments is highly important. Failing to purchase footwear with the appropriate safety features is hazardous. Visiting a retail location or shoemobile is a sure way to get equipped with the precise foot protection demanded by a work environment.

Many companies opt to participate in national account programs that offer customizable footwear plans that work to promote safety and increase compliance. Safety managers are able to limit the footwear selection available to employees by choosing a list of approved styles. In addition, national account programs offer access to value-added services such as: nationwide retail locations, shoemobiles, onsite custom fittings, phone, fax, email, and mail ordering options, and on-site consignment or commissary stores.

Traditional distribution methods remain the most preferred means of purchasing safety footwear. These channels are more reliable and offer better, more personal service compared to e-commerce. Safety professionals nationwide commonly view purchasing safety footwear online as a “safety net,” or a means of providing access to footwear when other options are not immediately available. In other words, this method is more a service to fall back on rather than rely on. When it comes to safety and footwear, a majority of professionals in the industry favor tradition. FSM

John Maatman is a marketing specialist for the HYTEST Safety Footwear Network. Learn more by visiting www.hytest.com or calling 1-800-635-4536.