A new year calls for new boots

Safety is intrinsic to Blundstone’s heritage. And knowing when to replace your boots and choosing the right work boot for you is the key to being safe on site. The brand is committed to supporting a safe and healthy working environment from the ground up, all-year round.

Blundstone knows personal safety starts with the correct footwear.

When to replace your boots

It’s important to ensure wearers of safety boots are in the most appropriate footwear for their job, and back to work is a timely period to assess whether boots need replacing. Blundstone suggests looking out for the following signs:

• Toe-cap exposure

• Leather wear – torn, worn, split or damaged. Make sure to check the welt area where the leather and sole join

• Sole wear—worn down, inadequate tread

• Have the boots been subjected to significant impact or trauma?

• Do they no longer provide comfort and have excessive wear?

• Have they been exposed to harmful chemicals or products?

Choosing the right work boot

Blundstone offers a range of fit-for-purpose work and safety boots suitable for a variety of industries; building and construction, electrical trades, light industry, landscaping, mining…the list goes on.

Every workplace environment poses different risk factors for on-site workers. Risks can vary enormously and it’s important these are assessed before determining the best footwear protection. Blundstone suggests consideration should be given to the underfoot conditions, such as uneven surfaces, smooth or slippery surfaces, or wet or muddy conditions, along with the physical activities you may be undertaking in the boots, such as jumping in and out of trucks, standing on concrete flooring or using ladders.

When choosing fit-for-purpose boots, Blundstone recommends considering the following:

• Safety toe cap—does the work undertaken require steel or composite safety? Does it require impact resistance, or both cut and impact resistance?

• Quality uppers—are the boots designed using breathable, protective, and supportive materials to maintain excellent foot health?

• Sole design and material—is the tread pattern and outsole material appropriate for the work conditions? Do the boots need to provide high-temperature heat resistance?

• Design—does the boot offer increased ankle and calf protection? Does the boot offer a personalised fit with laces? Do you require easy-on/easy-off functions such as a zip or elastic side?

RotoFlex® by Blundstone

Customer-driven research undertaken by Blundstone identified the true needs of safety footwear users by analysing what Australian tradies and construction workers expected from their footwear and the problems they were experiencing with their existing safety boots.

Key findings of the research indicated the main concerns and priorities for wearers were:

• Safety and support—ankle roll/ musculoskeletal injuries/avoiding trips and falls

• Durability—quality of componentry and materials

• Comfort—pain-free, all-day comfort with ankle flexibility and movement

• Thermal regulation with ventilation to increase airflow and reduce sweaty feet

• Sole—ergonomics, longevity, stability, and traction.

The result of this research is the RotoFlex range.

Every component used in Blundstone’s RotoFlex range has been researched, tested, and trialled in collaboration with the University of Tasmania’s School of Health Science’s biomechanics experts. Blundstone’s design team considered several options for each element of RotoFlex to ensure a truly innovative, betterperforming safety boot. RotoFlex offers the convenience of a zip side for easy-on/ easy-off and laces for a personalised fit, proving a favourite feature in Australian trades.

The RotoFlex range boasts six different styles, four unisex available in five-inch and six-inch, and two women’s specific styles. With water-resistant uppers, durable, heavy-duty zips and streamlined TPU toe guards, RotoFlex is the benchmark for the safety-footwear market.

#8560 unisex 6-inch safety boot

The RotoFlex #8560 in wheat nubuck is the hero of Blundstone’s new range. Offering superior safety and comfort with every step, the boot is packed with features to support a wearer on the worksite all day long. Built strong from the ground up, the #8560 boot offers a durable TPU outsole, a zoned airflow footbed, composite toe cap and an over-arching comfort system biomechanically designed to increase stability and manoeuvrability.

#8863 women’s 6-inch safety boot

Built for all-day comfort, the #8863 in stone nubuck has been designed and made especially for women, including the footbed, which is shaped and constructed with a softer PU to provide optimal support for a women’s build.

Using the latest biomechanical technology for superior stability and flexibility, these women’s specific boots are an Australian first in providing composite safety in footwear. The RotoFlex range’s Fortalite® toe cap provides lightweight, compressionresistant protection, suitable for a variety of industries.

Put Blundstone’s innovation to work— available at participating retailers.