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Keeping your feet dry while you are at work is essential for your comfort, health, wellbeing, your mood and your work performance. Your feet may get wet from the wet conditions you work in, or as a result of the perspiration inside the boots.
If you have ended up having to do your job with wet feet in your work boots you probably know what a miserable experience this is. Your feet feel uncomfortable and cold (in the winter), your heels keep slipping in your otherwise comfy boots and as a result painful blisters and accidents often occur. After work when you take the boots off your feet feel miserable, sore, cold and smelly.
This is why it is essential to get a pair of good quality work boots which are waterproof and yet breathable, treat them with care and periodically spray them with the appropriate impregnator so that they repel the water off and keep your feet dry.
There are some other tips which you may want to follow in order to ensure that your feet stay nice and dry during your long work hours spent in your work boots.
Baking soda is a miraculous and very cheap home product, which can help you clean just about anything, and can also help remove unpleasant odor from your kitchen appliances, furniture, shoes and others. Apart from that, baking soda is very efficient for absorbing any moisture, which is why, you should regularly and generously sprinkle the inside of your work boots with it and let it stay overnight and do its magic. The baking soda will absorb any foul smells and the dampness and in the morning your boots will be nice and dry and as fresh as ever.
You can use baby powder in the same way as you use the baking soda for odor and moisture absorption. Sprinkle the insides, let them sit overnight and in the morning they will smell nice and be perfectly dry and ready to wear.
Instead of sprinkling the baking soda or baby powder, you can take two sachets and fill them with either of these two products and then stuff them in your work boots. The powder filled sachets will absorb the moisture and remove the nasty odors if left overnight. Even better, you can use the same sachet several times before throwing them away!
You can treat the insides of your work boots as well as your socks with a specialized odor removal spray, such as Febreze before you put them on before work. These products are highly efficient in removing all terrible odors which are emitted by the fungus and bacteria growing in your damp boots. There are variations of these sprays which are scented, or if you prefer to be more discreet – you can choose the un-scented, neutral ones.
You should take one or more extra pairs of socks to work with you if you suffer from wet feet often. Whether the wetness comes from the inside as a result of the perspiration, or from the outside – from the wet conditions, once you feel that your feet are starting to feel wet, take a minute to take your socks off and replace them with dry and fresh ones. Choose appropriate socks which don’t absorb the moisture, dry quickly and wick the perspiration off.
Buy insoles which have with special anti-microbial and moisture wicking features for your work boots (yes, even for your slip on boots). These help immensely and will keep your feet dry and fresh even in the warmest days in boots. Wash and dry the insoles before wearing them again. It is a good idea to buy more than one pair so that you can interchange them.
Always take the time to remove the insoles of your work boots and let them and the boots dry off in a place with good air circulation. This will allow them to air out and to dry completely. If they are very wet, stuff them with newspapers in order to enhance the drying process. Remember to let your work boots (or any other shoes) dry completely before wearing them again. It is recommended that you get an extra pair of work boots so that you can interchange between the two and allow them to dry off.
You know those small packs which come with many electronic and other goods and are filled with silica gel? Don’t throw them out. Collect them and use them for filling your boots with them, so that they absorb the moisture overnight.
Remember that you will be spending hour after hour, day after day in these boots when you are shopping for work boots. This is why you should pick high quality boots made by reputable manufacturers and with good quality materials. You want to make sure that your boots will be comfortable, safe and last longer. Depending on the conditions you work in and the possible hazards at the workplace, buy boots which will provide you with optimal safety, comfort and will serve you for long.
For those of you, who work in cold conditions, look for boots which have good insulation, but yet have moisture wicking insoles to keep the sweat away from your feet. If you work outdoors (policemen on duty OR paramedics) or in wet conditions (plumber), pick boots which are waterproof, and take care that they are regularly impregnated for further protection and for dry feet. You may also want to get a pair of work boots which have anti-slippage outsoles in order to stay safe on your feet on the wet ground.
Most of all, choose boots which provide sufficient comfort, heel and ankle support and are as light as possible, so that you don’t end up with sore and tired feet in the middle of the work day.
Staying comfortable and safe at work is essential, and wearing the proper footwear is one of the main factors to ensure this. By taking proper care of your boots, cleaning them regularly and letting them to dry completely, conditioning and impregnating them you will ensure that they serve you faithfully for a long time!
