Toe cap - everything you need to know about it

Toe cap - everything you need to know about it

The toe cap is an element that properly classifies individual shoes into the range of safety footwear. Without shoes equipped with a toe cap, a large part of the work cannot be undertaken. Why are they so important? What kinds of them do we have? How are they different?

Basic Mission: Protection

The toe cap is the part of the shoe at its front end. It is located right under the fabric finish. Its main task is to protect the toes against an accident that could seriously injure the front part of the foot. The first shoes with a toe box could be found already in the first half of the 20th century, when workers began to be protected after years of the industrial revolution and mass industrialization. Someone may say - "well, but it's just a piece of sheet metal, which will not protect me miraculously from crushing my foot, but only hurts my toes." It's a fact that in some cases, comfort may be limited. However, the best footwear manufacturers are known for taking care of every possible detail of the product. Therefore, when wearing products of the best brands, you do not have to worry about the lack of comfort. And above all - this "piece of sheet metal" is a real protection. Each footwear with a toe cap must meet a number of standards (for freaks: these are, for example, DIN EN 12568, EN ISO 20345, EN ISO 20346), which define what energy they must absorb and what weight they are to withstand. The toe caps are divided according to the material they are made of. On the market, we most often find footwear with a steel or composite toe cap.

Steel toe cap

This is the more popular model of the toe used in work shoes. Due to the fact that steel is quite a thick material, the shoes do not require the use of a large amount of material for the trim - thanks to this, the shoe seems narrower and does not look like a large, snapping boot. It is easier for them to meet all the standards, which is why this translates into the price - similar models of shoes will be cheaper if they have a steel toe cap. By law, a steel toecap must be corrosion resistant. It is also easy to recognize when such shoes need to be replaced - during extreme threats, the toe cap deforms, which is a signal to get a new pair of shoes. Such toecaps also have their drawbacks - they make the shoe heavier and also conduct cold. Therefore, when staying outside for a long time, the thermal comfort will be simply lower - it will be cooler in the fingers. Additionally, shoes equipped with a steel toecap will not be suitable for some work (e.g. related to electricity).

Composite toe cap

The word "composite" indicates that different materials have been used to create the toecap. The most common are polymers, polyesters and fiberglass. These materials make the entire shoe lighter, which increases their comfort. Composite toecaps have excellent energy absorption, many of them return to their original form after deformation. Such shoes do not store cold, so the temperature remains stable. In practice - it is not cold on the fingers. The absence of any steel elements allows you to work in places where there are sensors and metal detectors. Of course, such shoes have their drawbacks - they are usually a bit more expensive and wider - to meet all the standards, a larger layer of plastic should be used, which is why shoes are often "thicker".

Shoes without toecap

There is also a group of work shoes that do not have a toe cap - these are shoes that are suitable for work in which we are not exposed to mechanical injuries. The law defines them as the so-called "Professional shoes". Manufacturers place emphasis in them primarily on the style and quality of the materials from which they are made.

To choose shoes with the right toe cap, analyze your work and think about what you care about the most (price, comfort, weight) - because you don't have to worry about protection anymore. At www.balticbhp.pl you will find a wide range of footwear with steel and composite toecaps from the world's best manufacturers, such as Engelbert Strauss, Albatros or Base Protection.