People walk an average of 10,000 steps every day. This number jumps to more than 30,000 steps for laborers or construction workers. There are 107 ligaments, 33 joints, 26 bones and 19 muscles in the human foot. Of foot injuries that are sustained on the job, only 23% of the people who suffered the injury were wearing safety boots or shoes at the time. Whether you are wearing law enforcement boots or military combat boots, you probably know how important it is to protect your feet. Here are some tips and tricks to keeping your feet happy in comfortable boots.
- Clean your boots. Law enforcement boots can get very dirty. At the end of the day, it is always a good idea to take a brush and remove any mud or dirt that have gotten on your boots throughout the day. Even the best steel toe boots that are super tough can benefit from being cleaned on a regular basis. There are often sharp pieces in sand and dirt. These can get into the crevices of your boots and do some real damage. Water and mud can also dry out your boots so it is always good to clean that off at the end of your work day.
- Do what you can to keep your boots dry. Wet or damp boots can become a great breeding ground for bacteria and mold. Moisture can also do a lot of damage to the stitching on your law enforcement boots. Some people think that they need to put their work boots in an oven but the best way to dry out your law enforcement boots is let them dry out at normal room temperature. When you use an external heat source, you may end up damaging and drying out the leather. You can also do damage to the fabric inside of your boots. When you have really wet boots, you should remove the insoles, move the tongue out and let nature take its course drying your boots.
- Buy more than one pair. When you are at the store, when you find boots that fit well and that you like, buy and extra pair. There are a few reasons for this. If the weather is bad and you get your law enforcement boots really wet, being able to switch out your boots to give the wet pair a chance to dry out fully before you wear them again is always a good plan. You need both of your pairs of boots to be the same quality so that you will wear your second pair and be comfortable when you are doing that. This will make both pairs of law enforcement boots last a lot longer. By paying for an extra pair of boots, you will save money in the long run.
- Take your time breaking your boots in. You will need to wear your work boots around a bit before you start wearing them for a full shift. Wearing a new pair of law enforcement boots too soon after you bought them can leave your feet covered in blisters and very unhappy. When you get a sense that you are going to need new boots, go out and get them. Do this before the boots you are using are totally worn out. That way you can start breaking in the new boots before you have to wear them for long stretches of time.
- Protect your boots before you wear them. You can get products to waterproof your law enforcement boots. You should get the water proofing products at the place where you buy your boots. Apply it as soon as you get your boots home. Some waterproofing products need to be applied more than once, you should follow the instructions that come with the product. You do not want to wait until you have to wear your work boots out in the rain or snow to protect them from water.
When you have to wear law enforcement or combat boots, you want to do whatever you can to keep them comfortable. When your feet are unhappy, it is very hard to get your job done or have a good day.