Safety Boots – Onguard, Cofra & River City

We offer boots for foot protection made with several different materials. Since each has strengths and weaknesses, I will highlight a few of them here.

Our most popular boots by numbers of pair sold are the black PVC knee boots from OnGuard (used to be the Bata brand). These provide economical protection in most common working conditions. PVC resists acids and caustics particularly well, making them very useful in plating and etching operations. On the other hand, they do poorly against most solvents, including gasoline and diesel. So for jobs that involve getting wet and muddy, as well as some chemical exposure, they are a good choice that is easy on the wallet. Also, because of the low cost injection molding process, they are made in the USA.

When the going gets hazardous, the HazMax from OnGuard is the first choice of safety professionals the world over. A special blend of compounds offers an unequaled range of chemical resistance, including most any chemical you can think of. Plus a full steel midsole to stop punctures by nails or other sharp objects. When one of our customers is in the market for a Level A HazMat suit (the fully enclosed variety used on the most hazardous spills), it is almost a given that they will also be asking for a pair of HazMax boots to go along with it. Also, while they are a little pricey, they do outlast most other types in general use.

Boots made of natural rubber from River City and LaCrosse have been a popular choice for decades. Since these are handmade from glued together pieces, most are now made overseas due to labor considerations. For general work conditions, we find them to be a durable choice, and they have a bit more structure and stiffness than the injection molded PVC boots. However, their chemical resistance is limited, so best to use them in jobs like concrete pumping or wet and muddy conditions.

For something a bit more stylish, we have a line of work shoes and boots from Italian manufacturer Cofra. In addition to being the sort of footwear that employees will be happy to use, they have a long list of safety features. It starts from the sole, with chemical and puncture resistance, up through the non-metallic toe-cap, to the comfortable leather uppers. We have had very good feedback from customers who have been using them.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact me directly.

Rick Pedley
rped@pksafety.com