Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/852169
Cat Footwear's Carbondate CT, $130, is an industrial safety boot designed for construction, manufacturing, agriculture or carpentry at indoor and outdoor sites. See page 42. Rocky's Endeavor Point, $139.99, is a light and flexible worker with a durable aggressive tread pattern for stability. Features include a thick, full- grain leather upper with lightweight mesh and high-abrasion-resistant material across the toe and foxing. Oliver Boots' 45643C, $180, a non-metallic-toe work boot, has a slip-resistant thermoplastic polyurethane outsole and is SRB rated for slip resistance. Thorogood Shoes' OMNI, $222, is a direct-injection-construction boot that is built in the USA. Wolverine's I-90, $150, is an in-for-the-long-haul boot that gets its name from the longest interstate in the USA. It has a premium waterproof full-grain leather upper, a high-abrasion outsole with a thermoplastic polyurethane slip-resistant lug and a breathable waterproof membrane with a moisture- wicking mesh lining. Georgia Boot's ReFLX, $100, looks like an athletic shoe but performs like a work boot. The one-piece upper has breathable, abrasion-resistant mesh topped by fused thermoplastic polyurethane for protection and support. It features a three-layer comfort system: The outsole is made from a slip-resistant and flexible rubber compound; the midsole is an elastic EVA; and its patented AMP LT polyurethane footbed has a memory-foam topper that wraps around the foot for a customized fit. The line also has Ergo-Fit protective toe caps that match the shape of the foot. Reebok's Sublite Cushion Work, $116-$124, is the brand's lightest on- the-job series. It is billed as "one piece of equipment that won't wear down industrial workers who are on their feet all day long." Durango's Men's 12-inch Western Waterproof Steel Toe Rebel, $179.99, is made of distressed full-grain leather. Featuring a 1.25-inch rocker heel and round toe, it is equipped with a waterproof membrane, double-row welt stitch, a contoured, ventilated and removable cushion footbed, a cushion flex insole, a fiberglass shank, a lightweight and flexible molded EVA midsole and a slip- and oil-resistant dual-density and abrasion-resistant rubber outsole. It meets ASTM standards for protective toes and electrical hazards. Georgia Boot's ReFLX, $100 Thorogood Shoes' OMNI, $222 Durango's Steel Toe Rebel, $179.99 Rocky's Endeavor Point, $139.99 Oliver Boots' 45643C, $180 Wolverine's I-90, $150 ON TREND Dylan Vizy, Cat Footwear's design director, gives us the scoop on work boot trends. Technologies: "We are seeing mold-less technologies emerging, not just 3D printing in the standard form of layering up material plane by plane but also mixing in the use of robotics and being able to inject material into the air – like those 3D drawing pens – gives new versatility, ability and customizability to how we create comfort and traction on a shoe." Materials: "Knits have become ubiquitous and we are seeing more advances in printing upper materials, welding and bonding uppers, and even the ability to spray textile materials to build up uppers. New materials will become more reactive to the person's body. Smart materials will be able to passively cool a warm foot or the environment and become waterproof as soon as the upper senses water. Wearable technology and telemetry could translate into safety boots warning of electric shock or chemical danger." 3D Printing: "One potentially cool development is mold making via 3D printing — ideally the materials used to make the mold can be recycled and reused. Printing soles and upper parts is happening." O Reebok's Sublite Cushion Work, $116-$124 BOOT BOOK 44 • Footwear Insight ~ July/August 2017 footwearinsight.com