Tradies and steel caps: how to keep your feet on the job

If you’re a tradie, your boots probably spend more time with you than your partner does. They’re on at 6am, they’re through mud, concrete dust and the odd dropped hammer, and they don’t come off until you’re home and collapsing on the couch.

Steel caps do a brilliant job of protecting your toes from falling objects. But a boot that saves your toes can still give the rest of your foot a hard time. Here’s what commonly goes wrong, and how to keep your feet as tough as the rest of you.

Your boots are working hard. So are your feet.

In Australia, safety footwear is tested under the standard AS/NZS 2210.3. To pass, the toe cap has to withstand an impact of 200 joules, which is roughly like a 20 kg weight being dropped onto your toes from about a metre. That’s serious protection, and it’s why you should never be tempted to go without.

The flip side is that a rigid toe cap doesn’t give. If your boot is the wrong size or shape, your toes will be the ones doing the bending.

It’s a common issue, too. In an Australian study of 321 workers who wore safety footwear, most said their boots had caused or worsened a foot problem. Almost half reported foot pain, and pressure from the steel toe cap was one of the most common complaints, alongside heat, stiff soles and heavy boots. The study is a few decades old and boots have come a long way since, but the same complaints still walk through our clinic doors every week.

The usual suspects

Sore, squashed or blackened toes. If the toe cap presses on your toes, especially when you crouch or kneel and the boot creases, you’ll know about it. Over time this can cause corns on the tops of the toes, bruised or blackened toenails, and even toenails that lift off.

Ingrown toenails. Pressure from the sides of a narrow toe box, plus sweaty feet, is a classic recipe for ingrown nails, usually on the big toe.

Heel pain. Long days standing and walking on concrete can overload the thick band of tissue under your foot. That’s plantar fasciitis, and its calling card is sharp heel pain with your first steps in the morning or after sitting.

Ball-of-foot pain. Climbing ladders, crouching and kneeling put a lot of load through the front of the foot. Burning, aching or the feeling of walking on a stone can follow.

Achilles pain. A stiff boot collar or a heel counter that digs in can irritate the Achilles tendon, especially when you’re constantly squatting and climbing.

Hot, sweaty, smelly feet. Boots plus Aussie summer equals a sauna for your feet. That’s a perfect environment for tinea, fungal nails, smelly feet and a skin condition called pitted keratolysis, which leaves the soles with tiny craters and a very distinctive smell. Your workmates may have already mentioned it.

Calluses. Hard skin builds up where your boots rub or where your foot takes the most pressure. A little is normal. Thick, painful callus isn’t.

Getting the right fit

The single best thing you can do for your feet is make sure your boots fit properly. A few tips:

• Try them on late in the day. Your feet swell after hours on them, so buy boots to fit your feet at knock-off time, not at 7am.
• Wear your actual work socks. Thick work socks can add half a size.
• Check the toe room. You should be able to wriggle your toes freely. Crouch down in the shop and make sure the toe cap doesn’t press on the tops of your toes when the boot bends.
• Measure both feet. Most people have one foot slightly bigger. Fit the bigger one.
• Consider width as well as length. If your foot feels squeezed, go for a wider fit rather than a longer boot.
• Lace-up vs pull-on. Elastic-sided boots are quick and easy, but they let your heel slip and offer less support. If you’ve got foot or ankle pain, a lace-up or zip-sided boot usually holds your foot more securely.
• Steel or composite? Both can meet the Australian standard. Composite caps are often lighter and don’t conduct heat or cold, which some tradies find more comfortable over a long day.

Look after your boots (and they’ll look after you)

• Replace worn insoles. The factory insoles in most boots flatten out quickly. A good replacement or a custom orthotic can make a big difference to heel and arch pain.
• Don’t wait until the sole is hanging off. Once the tread is worn or the midsole has collapsed, the boot isn’t supporting you anymore.
• Let them dry out. If you can, rotate between two pairs so each gets a full day to dry. Pull the insoles out overnight too.
• Choose better socks. Moisture-wicking or merino-blend socks keep your feet drier than straight cotton, which helps with sweat, smell and blisters.

Look after your feet, too

At the end of the day, give your feet a little attention:

• Get your boots off and let your feet breathe.
• Wash and dry them properly, especially between the toes.
• Cut toenails straight across, not too short.
• Check for blisters, cuts, corns or anything that looks off, particularly if you have diabetes or reduced feeling in your feet.
• Stretch your calves. Tight calves add strain to the heel and Achilles.

The weekend is also a good chance to give your feet some recovery time in supportive, comfortable shoes rather than going straight from boots to bare feet.

When to see a podiatrist

A bit of tiredness at the end of a long shift is normal. But it’s worth getting your feet checked if:

• you’ve got heel, arch or ball-of-foot pain that keeps coming back
• your toes are being pressed, bruised or losing nails
• you’re getting corns, calluses or ingrown toenails
• you’ve got a persistent rash, itching, peeling or smell
• foot pain is starting to affect your knees, hips or back
• you’re struggling to find boots that are comfortable

A podiatrist can sort out the immediate problem and also help you choose boots that suit your feet, recommend insoles or orthotics that fit inside your work boots, and get you back on the tools comfortably.

Sound familiar? Come and see us

If your work boots are giving you grief, the team at Hurst Podiatry can help, with clinics in Healesville, and Kilsyth. We see plenty of tradies, and we’ll get you sorted so your feet are as ready for the job as you are.

Book online or give us a call to make an appointment.