But it’s not about these:
Or these…
And definitely not these!
Rather… it’s about footwear that you can wear to a destination not of plush carpeting and chandeliers, but floors of exposed rebar and lighting that we shall describe as dynamic (welding sparks falling around you from above – very romantic, til your hair catches fire). Champagne cocktails and loads of clothes? Nope, just a sludgy concoction of wet concrete and lots of dudes.
So, this post is dedicated to all you ladies in the field, as in... the rough, rugged, and sometimes sketchy, construction field!
As I described in my third posting:
Unfortunately, my work travels don’t so much include fabulous shopping expeditions, but rather picking my way through construction sites, trying not to trip over a bundle of rebar or get run over by a dump truck that’s hauling ass across gravel. A montage of concrete, steel studs, cranky contractors, swack, and port-a-potties. And lots of dust and dirt. All over your shoes, in your hair and, really, up your nose.
After I dragged my precious, if somewhat beat up, Aerosoles to a jobsite this past summer, I realized I needed to get with the program and buy some footwear more appropriate for the job. I was wearing fashion boots, for crying out loud. Pleather fashion boots. Apparently, I didn't care about my promising ballet career (heh, I jest) because, should I step on a nail or have a pile of cast stone fall on my feet, well... so much for my goal to try pointe classes this year (hmm, maybe I really don't care about killing my feet).
Like most women I know, I asked the experts: my girlfriends. I am lucky to have a number of gal pals who are also well-acquainted with my experiences. They are architects, engineers, construction managers, and interior designers. Smart, fun and, yes, fashionable ladies who were very excited to provide feedback when I sent out the email plea for jobsite shoes.
So far as I know, there aren’t any designer workboots, although I suppose the collaboration between Jimmy Choo and Uggs lends itself to the speculation of future mash-ups. Thus, I can’t show you anything from Lanvin or even Nine West with an ASTM safety rating. However, the following shoes at least give me some options.
This first pair was lauded by my structural engineering girls. Often, they are out on the site at the very beginning of a project, when all that surrounds them are gigantic slabs of concrete walls and a helluva lot of very, very heavy steel. Oh, and lots of dirt. They need to be wary of all sorts of hazards, much of it lying on the ground.
Herewith is the rather technically named “2326 Six Inch Women’s Boot.” Sexy, no, but it means business, and so do we. Made by the very dependable Red Wing Shoes, on whose website you can search for shoes by safety requirement! The simple design includes a steel toe, an extremely rugged sole, and that all-important ASTM rating.
The Red Wings are kind of pricey, and there was a whole debate from my friends about just how serious of a shoe I needed to buy. So some other options were offered.
Hiking boots were a popular answer to my question. Fairly sturdy in construction, yet a little more forgiving than the hardcore Red Wing workboots, these are probably a more desirable pick for those of us who aren’t on-site all the time. A couple of friends swore by their Keen boots. Here are a couple ideas a friend sent to me, from Altrec.com, a company catering to active, outdoorsy people.
The Pyrenees Hiking boot
And the Petaluma
Mary Janes are good if you’re in a fairly finished environment. As in, the walls and roof are up, the finishes are mostly applied, and you don’t have to worry about stepping on nails, spikes, hacked bits of CMU and the like…
A couple other brands were mentioned, including Dansko, Doc Martens, and even Skechers. By the time I’d checked out the Keens and admired the Red Wings, I was sort of done with the whole search.
Ultimately, I sided with Keen and snagged these guys - the Voyageur Mid:
Nice and structural, right? Also, I liked the light blue accent on the neutral shoe. Hey, I gotta have a little bit of fun design in my workboots. Another plus is that these are quite light, which is great for keeping your luggage from weighing like a ton of bricks. One of my fellow dude coworkers recently lamented how darn heavy his boots were. Not mine!
So… while the above shoes might look a little out of place here:
And here…
They look just right here…
And that works just fine for me and my friends.
Are you lucky enough to be a gal who spends time on construction sites like me? Is there a go-to boot or shoe you call your dependable? Let me know!
Photo credits:
Jil Sander boots - The Outnet
Elizabeth & James booties - my own
"Dogboots" - OK, these came from Shopbop but when I checked back recently to link them, they no longer appear...
Redwing & Keen shoes are as noted
Restaurants, hotel lobby and construction site images - my own
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