Peter: Hey. I'm Peter from Shoetopia.
Laura:And I'm Laura from Align Pedorthics.
Peter: And we're here with another version of Feel Good Feet.
So, you can guess by what I'm holding, today we're going to talk a little bit about workwear. A lot of the things that we do at Shoetopia every day, whether it's safety footwear like this, or just regular footwear, it's, "I need good footwear for work every day."
Laura:Yeah.
Peter: So, this edition is a little more catered to safety footwear. We'll talk a little bit about that. A couple of the safety things that we deal with every day are footwear they call green patch. So, when you see the green patch it means it's a safety toe, and it's a safety plate, which is puncture-resistant, essentially.
A lot of the stuff that we carry in our stores, even though this is a big boot, are pretty lightweight, because there's no steel. A lot of times they're fully composite, so composite toes, composite plates, they bend well. A little more comfort, a little more flexible. Some of the Blundstone's are really popular for us. Again, really nice, flexible, and lightweight.
They accommodate orthotics really well. So, some of these shoes and boots have fairly thick manufacturer's pieces, so when we look at an orthotic from Laura, really, it's no problem. You can slide one of these right into most of the boots that we carry. They have big toe boxes, great heel counters for support, so all the things that you need to support a custom orthotic piece. Or the ones that come with the boot in the store are really good that way too.
Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Peter: Laura's got a couple of popular ones here, too. So, this is another lightweight. Again, it's composite, really flexible. You were saying you see that a lot up north in Bruce.
Laura: Yeah, I see a lot of people going to Bruce Power that wear these, (Timberland Powertrain https://shoetopia.ca/shop/timberland-powertrain2137/) a lot of ladies.
Peter: Yeah, yeah. And we have it in men's, too. But it's just a great one from Timberland, really popular. Of course, we carry dress shoes, too, so if you're in the plant, or if you're more in the office, in and out of the office, we carry this sort of thing, too. But really, again, neutral shoe, anti-slip base on it.
The other thing for work that we see a lot is just really an anti-slip shoe. So with anti-slip shoes, a lot of times, whether you work in maybe food service or a place like, if you're a cleaner or something like that, you need an anti-slip bottom. We do carry these sort of things at Shoetopia.
This is not a safety shoe. This is ... You know, it doesn't have your safety toe or anything like that, but it's just a regular, everyday shoe, with an anti-slip bottom on it. So this bottom really is going to help the traction in slippery environments.
So, what are some of the things that you're seeing every day with workwear, and what people are asking for in their fit and comfort with work shoes?
Laura: So, what we really want to pay attention to is the fit of work boots, safety shoes, all that sort of thing. You're spending more often ... more time in your work shoes, usually, than other shoes. So make sure that the fit is proper, you have a proper width, nice round toe box, that that heel counter is not causing any blistering, any of that sort of thing. And that there's a nice thick insole that comes out. If you're going to put the orthotic in, that leaves me lots of room to build in a ton of cushion, as well.
Peter: Yeah, a lot of times people want ... They're coming in and saying, "I need more cushion in my workwear." So, it's a big thing, and that's nice to know that you can get more cushion put on to the actual orthotic as well.
So, hopefully, this will help talk a little bit about workwear at work, talk about composites. So, that's the big thing in workwear these days, it is all things composite, getting away from the steel plate, getting away from the steel toe, into composite stuff, into lightweight, into comfortable.
You actually get with some of the composite toes and stuff, a lot more volume in the toe box, too. So, some really good things at Shoetopia, and great ways to put in your orthotics from Align.
You will find us (Peter) at Shoetopia.ca or on Facebook at Shoetopia Footwear.
Laura: And you can find me (Laura) at Alignpedorthics.com or Align Pedorthics on Facebook.
Peter: Right on. Have a great day.
Laura: 'Bye.
Peter: 'Bye for now.