Liberty Safety Shoes: Wear More, Store Less

Polyurethane (PU) is frequently used in safety shoes as it is responsible for the service life of the midsole and outsole of the shoes. Properties and benefits of using PU include:

• Very light
• Very flexible
• Shock-absorbing
• Highly abrasion-resistant
• Anti-slip

All these features have a very beneficial effect on the user’s natural movement patterns, plus they increase the product life of the sole.

Ageing of safety shoes

Ageing of safety shoes is an entirely normal process. To benefit from all the positive properties of a safety shoe, one must be aware of the limited product life of shoes. Ageing happens because the PU sole material is subject to a natural ageing process called hydrolysis. PU consists of long polymer chains that gradually split apart due to the effect of moisture. As a consequence, PU loses flexibility over time and gradually becomes brittle. As the shoes reach an advanced age, this can lead to signs of disintegration in the soles.

But why is storing shoes more detrimental to their useful life than if they are worn? Work shoes are often stored in the basement, shed or garage – places where poor sunlight and higher levels of moisture are normally present. The moisture amplifies the hydrolysis process and causes the shoes to age more quickly, even though they are not actually being worn.

First In First Out

We recommend adoption of First In First Out during storing and distribution, and regular use by the workers. Due to long storage, the shoe sole gets weak and loses its properties, and does not last long.

Further information can be found in the Maintenance Tips leaflet that comes with every Warrior Safety Shoe.

Do visit the website: www.warrior.co.in for product details.