Would you like tea or coffee? About choosing polymer shoes

Would you like tea or coffee? About choosing polymer shoes

After reading the article “Rubber boots and PVC boots. Subjective view of the market” on the Internet portal Getsiz.ru, I decided to share some impressions.

The article is interesting, thanks to the author. But I want to note, unfortunately, some sellers, as well as consumers of special shoes themselves, do not quite understand the difference in the materials from which these shoes are made, and where these shoes are used. The approach to choosing polymer shoes is very subjective and sometimes it is not entirely clear what criteria were taken as the basis for holding a tender and purchasing this or that shoe. Often the only criteria are the low cost and beautiful colors of the shoes.

Many people use the term “rubber shoes” to disguise any other shoe that is similar to rubber, but made from materials that are different in quality and functionality.

So, boots made of PVC, RUBBER, POLYURETHANE. So what's the difference?

Of course, each raw material for shoe production has its own advantages, which manufacturers use to promote their products. The main consumers are enterprises that require waterproof footwear.

Each of the materials, be it PVC, PU or rubber, does an excellent job of moisture resistance. But in most cases, enterprises require additional protective properties, namely: dielectric, heat resistance, acid resistance, alkali resistance, oil and frost resistance, oil and petrol resistance, protection from mechanical damage, puncture-proof insole, shock-proof toe cap. Important factors also matter: the weight of the boot and slipping at subzero temperatures.

It is important to know that these characteristics are mainly characteristic of rubber shoes. Yes, yes, it’s made of rubber, no matter how banal it may sound. Let's look at the protective properties of each material.

For complete objectivity, I would like to provide a professional comparison of the technical characteristics of well-known materials: rubber, PVC, PU, ​​TPU. This way we will close many questions.

Very often, manufacturers of polymer shoes, especially because of the characteristics of rubber, work on stereotypes in the minds of consumers. Sometimes it gets ridiculous: some “sellers” write and say that rubber is a thing of the last century, and now the latest development is shoes made of rubber. Obviously, these unfortunate sellers do not have basic knowledge of school chemistry lessons. (Rubbers are the main component of rubber composition). If you look at the websites of such manufacturers, you can read - Rubber Shoe Factory. You go to the website, and there is PVC or EVA, it doesn’t even smell like rubber. It’s the same story with “deliberate” misinformation of consumers by online stores: in the product description they write “rubber boots or rubber shoes,” but in reality it’s the same PVC or EVA. And it seems that special properties of shoes are not needed here, but this is at least misleading to buyers. Obviously, this is easier to convey to the buyer: rubber means moisture resistant.

This type of misinformation has no right to exist in any industry, including the production and sale of special footwear. For example, TEA and COFFEE. It seems that both are drinks, but their properties, taste and aftertaste are completely different. No one would think of selling tea under the guise of coffee. And in production this can lead to serious consequences.

In some corporate standards of large public and private companies (especially in the oil and gas industry), and, as a result, in tenders, “PVC rubber boots” are specified in the nomenclature of applications . Yes, yes, this is exactly how an application for shoes is submitted: without a comma, without any semantic division. But these shoes are completely different in characteristics!!! Rubber means made of rubber , and PVC means made of PVC . I really want to ask such applicants: So what do you need? Tea or coffee?! This is, at a minimum, unprofessional, and, at a maximum, simply ignorance of the subject. And, if boots made of Rubber, PU, ​​TPE, according to their characteristics, belong to special footwear, then shoes made of PVC do not have such “extreme” properties and are mainly suitable for protection from general industrial pollution. As a result, serious enterprises purchase multi-colored, cheaper shoes that do not have sufficient protective properties!

And finally, many opponents of traditional rubber shoes, which, as we have found out, have the widest range of protective properties, cite as an argument against them the supposedly greater weight of the shoes compared to their “light” counterparts. We carried out an experimental weighing of samples of boots made of different materials - with and without a protective toe cap, with and without a puncture-resistant insole.

The main myth that rubber boots are very heavy is debunked by the photographs below. As you can see from them, on average, the “hospital temperature” is almost the same if we consider shoes with or without toe caps. The difference in the weight of the presented shoes is not significant, and is practically not noticeable on the foot.

Recently, consumers have had a need to replace metal toe caps and metal insoles with polymer toe caps and Kevlar insoles for many objective reasons. This is also the high thermal conductivity of the metal, which creates problems for the feet at high and low temperatures (burns, frostbite). This includes compression of the leg (guillotine effect) under heavy loads (for example, when a rock falls on the leg). The production technology does not make it possible to integrate a polycarbonate toe cap with the injection molding production method, which is used in the manufacture of shoes from PVC, PU, ​​and TPE. Therefore, some (for example: toe caps are made with holes so that they are fixed in the polymer layer). But, as a result, 200MuN is a big question.

I am often asked questions by sales managers from companies that also sell special footwear: What is better - Rubber, Polyurethane or PVC, TPE? I always answer - it all depends on the application. But when they start objecting to me: No, PVC is better, more reliable, lighter, does not slip!!! This can also be interpreted with PU or TEP. I always give an example that, in my opinion, dots the I’s: I ask: who has a car? Naturally, there are such people. I ask a question: What are the wheels on your car made of? Why aren't they made of PVC, PU, ​​TEP, EVA? Probably everyone answers this question for themselves, because objections no longer arise!

In my opinion, PVC or EVA shoes are most suitable for household boots, children's and adult garden shoes and everyday shoes for bad weather and beach slippers, can be used in farming, greenhouses and forestry. Shoes made of polyurethane and TPE have proven themselves to be excellent at petrochemical enterprises, if they are not used at ultra-low and ultra-high temperatures, including extremes. Rubber shoes are almost universal. It is ideal for any industry, for all chemical plants, suitable for road paving work, as it can withstand extremely low and extremely high temperatures with changes, it can be used in a hot shop and glass production, as well as where there is a need for protection from high-density acid base mixture: it will withstand any test. The color limitations of rubber shoes may not make them as popular in the mass consumer market, but due to their unique protective properties they are best suited to the terms “SPECIAL FOOTWEAR” and “SAFETY FOOTWEAR”.

With my comments, I wanted to emphasize that in safety shoes it is not the design delights that are primary, although, of course, they pay attention to them, but the special protective properties that ensure the safety of the worker in any production conditions.

So, it’s up to you to decide, dear consumers, whether it’s tea or coffee.