Hot Rods Do you wear safety shoes/boots when working in your shop?

Boots

 

I always wear PPE; eyes, hands, ears and enclosed footwear (No steel cap boots however) in my shed(s). In saying that I need some new heavy duty shirts and pants. I was in the trade long enough to see first hand what happens when people take shortcuts and compromise on safety by adopting unsafe work practices.

 

I wore the same pair of Frye biker boots for about 10 years before finally walking the heels off. No cobbler in my area to fix them but they are in my closet for when I find someone to do it. I couldn't find a new pair at what I thought was a reasonable price so started buying boots from army surplus outfits. I have three pairs but settled on the most rugged, Austrian alpine boots that I got for less than $25 after shipping. They have gnarly bad ass tread and hard (not steel) toe caps. With insoles they are as comfortable as tennis shoes, I wear them all day for work and don't need to change shoes when I come home to work on my coupe. Best of all, they are black leather, so they just look like work boots.

 

Having worked on heavy equipment for many years and seeing how one slip or bad judgement can lead to a life changing event I wear my stuff and I always wear safety shoes.

 

Redwings, I have an ankle height pair that are well broken in and as comfortable as running shoes.
I wear them with shorts to do yard work too.

 

Yea, but isn’t wearing steel toed boots is like wearing two condoms on a date? Your probably not going to need it and when you get home your relieved to take em off?

 

I'm super careful when welding, boots for sure. I have set my frayed pants cuffs on fire before, the boots saved me from a burn.

 

I saw a 19 year old kid lose 2 of his toes when I was working at the East Jordan foundry in Michigan . He dropped a drive wheel from a D7 on his foot from about 3 feet because he got careless. The safety shoes saved him from losing his whole foot.

 

Considering I don't own a pair of safety boots, no I do not lol

 

Lifetime of ankle high work boots, cowboy boots if I'm going out. Never tried flip flops, think the noise would drive me crazy.

 

Never have and at this point I don't think I ever will.

 

Check it out gents, just yesterday my “ shoe apparel and PPE” was renewed at work.
I saw a few tennis style shoes with composite toes, one if I recall was Reebok, forget the other.
Hey, if you don’t like boots, there’s an alternative to save a toe ?

 

At the door to a kiwi wake

 

My Buddy "Bondo Bob" at the 'Ol Lathe cutting my rear 46 drums for my 30 Sedan.
Wearing Hawaiian Safety Shoes...(Sliippas)

 

I am looking at that picture above, and I get anxious seeing all the stuff that might fall and it a toe or foot- like the clamps, for instance. No way I could go out into my shop like that. Sorry, but W.A.D.T.*



*We ain't doing that

 

After having a 2 ton baggage container run over my toes about 40 years ago while working at the airport, yes.
Luckily I had steel caps on, the cap pushed through the sole into the tarmac. It was around 110 degrees, so she was real soft. I slipped my uninjured foot out while my boot was stuck in the tarmac.

 

I'm going out to my machine shop in a bit, need to drill out some busted bolts in an OT timing case cover for a buddy that owns a repair shop. I am in full flip flop mode at this point, but will be wearing my Sperrys Topsiders.

 

Hello,

When we were welding and cutting on our 1940 Willys Coupe , our Chuck Taylor low cut black tennies were the standard. But, when we were doing some torch cutting, the high top version of the Chuck Taylor tennies were the standard. The Levis would fit over the high top, making sure that those little flying, hot pieces that usually go flying, stay off our tender skin.

When I was working on some of our family cars, it was standard leather flip flops as they seemed to take the abuse better than the 10 cent version from Thrifty Drug made of flimsy rubber. Plus, the leather ones did not come apart at the “Y.” Those cheapo versions popped out, due to the construction, when an angle or odd situation was there and your foot just flipped or tripped on the open sole.

Then one year, I used my low cut Doc Marten dress shoes to protect my feet when I was doing some other heavy duty work in the garage. I could drop a hammer on those shoes and not feel a thing. But, even though the style in So Cal was shorts and Doc Martens for a while, it looked just awful. I was glad no one saw me with shorts and Doc Marten Low Cuts working on our cars.

Today, our granddaughter is going through her teenage Doc Marten medium to high cut boot stage, just like most So Cal teenagers. Back when our son was in high school, he was a Doc Marten High Cut Boot person and even being radical enough to wear those high tops with black shorts and a long black jacket.

They both laughed at the sight of my still fairly new low cut Doc Martens. I just can’t seem to get rid of them. They look brand new, actually despite the wearing during a worktime in the garage. They still fit and look good as dress shoes. But, these days, no one is getting married or that there is a time when we need to dress up. Just surviving is plenty of action.

Jnaki

Now, it is sandals and shorts with an old T-Shirt, pure comfort daily. The shirts get dirty more so than the shoes or shorts. So I have a never ending supply of old T-Shirts remember “Arnette” in So Cal? That T-Shirt is still being used, today.

But, for us old guys, even with a new insulated garage door and moving mechanism, the work never stops on the counter or around our daily drivers. Despite the fact that we no longer work on our cars running gear or electrical stuff, there is work to be done in the garage. A rubber sole with comfort, arch leather area for the bare feet just hits the spot. Winter or summer, actually, all year around. YRMV

 

While I vary from Flip Flops to Chuck Taylors to Steel toe shoes depending on the job I can give one firm word of advice. If power washing in flip flops dont think a quick foot cleanup at just the right angle that you think will be safe wont hurt, it will. Just trust me on that one.

 

You do wonder. Eye protection, check, hearing protection, check, casual,non invasive footwear, yup.

 

I used to wear steel toed shop shoes until I smashed the steel toe, Now I wear Dr. Schools leather tennis shoes. That's why I've been growing a new big toe nail for the last year. I do wear eye protection and I've been hard of hearing for 30+ years from shop work, so I wear ear plugs from time to time. I'm a dinosaur also a gambler.

 

I have worn steel toe boots since I was 14. 48 now and unless the wife and I are going out I have them on. I always wear them. I’m always kicking stuff or pushing with my feet.

 

Steel toe work boots in the shop and every scrap/junkyard/farmers grove I go to.
Never owned a pair of shorts or flip flops.

 

Depends on my activity while working in the garage...They have prevented injury many times...so the answer to the question not always...

 

Always wear a safety boot, ever since I broke a toe, when I kicked a box, barefoot at home in the dark. Workshop students are always dropping items, be prepared. I prefer the elastic sided "dealer boot" style of safety boot,

 

In my head, this is running double speed with Benny Hill music. What a great story.

 

Safety Crocs

 

I only ever wear leather boots.
Steel caps for moving heavy shit.
When i was 17 i was trying and failing to move a box trailer full of wet sand so i could get my car out from up the side of the house.
So i called my mate over from next door to help.
As we lifted the draw bar and pushed, my bare feet slipped on the wet grass resulting in the coupler slamming down onto my friend's toes.
He was wearing steel caps.
The force of the trailer onto the steel cap cut a perfect, semi circular flap through the leather like it had been done with a scalpel.
I went inside and put on my steel caps.

 

Hard to believe this thread is up to four pages

 

Steel toe shoes...safety glasses when I walk in shop...sometimes forget to take off and wear home.