Chaussures de sécurité, de protection et de travail

In France, the necessity of protecting the foot during certain industrial activities emerged in the 50's. Since 1989, shoes' modeling is subject to European guidelines transposed into the French law and applied since January 1993. The European standards (EN) are mandatory, sometimes completed by an ISO standard on the initiative of some manufacturers who search for high-quality products. At present, any professional activity to be practiced with specific shoes induces individual protection equipment: safety shoes (EN 345), protection shoes (EN 346) or work shoes (EN 347). All parts of the shoe may be specifically protective: resistant protection tip, anti-cut side protection, resistant or waterproofed ankle, energy-absorbing heel, anti-perforation sole, cold or heat insulating sole, nonskid, non-conductive, antistatic, etc. Each of these protections constitutes a response to a statistically significant risk, related to the place of work or its environment: crushing of a toe or of the metatarsus, perforation of the sole, skid, electrocution, exposure to heat or cold, projection of toxic particles, fall on heels… Their efficacy has been proven but they remain sometimes hardly accepted by the workers. Work feminization has favored the research for lighter and more aesthetic shoes, furthering the fight against hyperhidrosis and its consequences.