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Men’s Footwear

TOWNS VISITED IN FIVE AREAS

1. LONDON

Willesden, Hendon, Hackney, Islington, Rotherhithe, Greenwich, Poplar, Mile End, Battersea, Acton,

West Ham, West Croydon.

2. SOUTH, SOUTH-WEST and EAST ANGLIA

Peterborough, Aylesbury, Bristol, Exeter, Maidstone, Basingstoke.

3. MIDLANDS and SOUTH WALES

Birmingham, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Cardiff.

4. NORTHERN ENGLAND

Newcastle, Preston, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds.

5. GLASGOW

MEN

Sample Analysed by Hazard Group and Length of Time in Job

It has not been possible to obtain thoroughly accurate information as to whether the number of workers interviewed in each hazard group in the five different areas are strictly representative of the proportions usually working with those hazards in each area. The sample was, however, planned on the basis of all available information of this nature.

1. HAZARD GROUP. HEAT AND BURNING Sample 305

In job up to 2 years: 43 over 2 years: 250 unclassified: 12

Best Type for Work

The following proportions considered different types of footwear for their work:-

Since there are only 43 men in this group of the sample who had been in the job under 2 years, it is not possible to give comparative figures for those in the job over and under 2 years. On inspection, however, there do not appear to be any outstanding differences.

Reasons why types are considered best are given below, in the case of hob-nailed boots, clogs and ordinary shoes. Numbers preferring other types of footwear are not high enough to justify separate analysis of reasons for preference.

II. REASONS FOR PREFERENCE

Best Type of Footwear

( More than one reason for preference was often given, therefore percentage add up to more than 100)

From the table above, it can be clearly seen that more workers with heat and burning hazards prefer hob-nailed than ordinary boots because they are more hard- wearing and provide better protection for the feet, whereas amongst a proportion of the men who prefer ordinary boots, comfort and coolness is given as reason for preference.

(NOTE. It was reported that men working in heat and moisture considered chrome leather much more satisfactory than tan leather. Some workers also reported that utility hob-nailed boots are not made true to size.

Type Worn for Work

Proportions of men who usually wear the various types of footwear for work are given below:-

In no case are the proportions actually wearing any particular type of footwear significantly different from the proportions of men prefer that type.

When types considered best for work are compared with types worn for work the results are as follows for the four kinds of footwear which appreciable numbers of workers considered best for their work.

TYPE WORN

From this table it can be seen that the majority of workers who stated a preference for a certain type of footwear are actually wearing that type.

Percentages add up to more than 100 because in some cases workers mentioned two types of footwear, either of which they usually wore for work.

Alternatives

Below is given a table showing the alternative types of footwear which workers said would do instead of the types they considered best for their work. Suggested alternatives are shown only for hob-nailed boots, boots, clogs and ordinary heavy shoes: figures are too small for the other kinds of preferred footwear.

ALTERNATIVE TYPE

Investigators reported that relatively large numbers of workers were unable to suggest alternative types because in many cases they had always worn the same type of footwear for work and had never considered the question of wearing another kind. The proportion of men who could suggest no substitute for ordinary boots because they considered them the only adequate type of footwear for the job, is significantly higher than the proportion who were unable to suggest a substitute for hob-nailed boots. This may be due to the fact that men who usually wear ordinary boots have not sampled the advantages of hob-nailed boots, whereas those wearing hob-nailed boots at present may previously have had to wear ordinary boots.

III. HAZARD GROUP. OIL, GREASE AND FATS Sample 202

In job up to 2 years: 34 over 2 years: 158 unclassified: 10

Best Type for Work

Proportions naming various types of footwear as best for their work are as follows:-

It is not practicable to job up to and over 2 years, as only 34 of the men interviewed had been in the job not more than 2 years.

Reasons for preference are given below in the case of boots, ordinary heavy shoes and hob-nailed boots. Separate analysis of reasons for preferences is not justified for the other types of footwear.

BEST TYPE OF FOOTWEAR

(Percentages add up to more than 100, because more than one reason for preference was given)

The numbers of men in this hazard group preferring any one type of footwear is too small for any clear-cut picture of reasons for preference to emerge, but it appears that the major attraction of boots is the protection they afford against penetration of oils and grease, whereas shoes are preferred on account of their comfort and coolness.

NOTE.

An investigator in the S., S.W. , S.E. , and E. Anglia area, reported that though clogs were considered better than leather footwear for working in oil, they were often not worn because workers are not used to them and find them uncomfortable. The criticism was also made that workers can’t bend their feet in the rigid wooden soles of clogs and have to slip their feet in and out, therefore wearing through their socks very quickly. Clogs were said to be often leaky.

Types Worn for Work

Proportions of men who usually wear the various types of footwear for work in this hazard group are given below:-

Preference of workers who had been in the job up to and over 2 years are not compared because there were only 34 men in this hazard group who had been in the job not more then 2 years.

Comparing types worn for work with types preferred, the results are follows. Figures are only given for boots, shoes and hob-nailed boots.

TYPE WORN

(Totals for type worn are higher than those for type preferred, because in cases workers mentioned two types of footwear, either of which they usually wore for work)

NOTE

Investigators reported that people working in oil complained that the oil penetrates to the stitching in ordinary leather shoes, thereby rotting it, it was suggested that more preparation might be applied to the stitching to prevent it from rotting.

Alternatives

The table below shows the alternative types of footwear which workers would do instead of the types considered best for their work. Again figures given only in the case of boots, shoes and hob-nailed boots.

ALTERNATIVE TYPE

Again relatively high proportions considered the type of shoe they were wearing the only adequate kind for the job, and fairly large numbers of men were unable to suggest alternatives.

IV. HAZARD GROUP. ACID AND CORROSIVE SUBTANCE Sample 244

In job up to 2 years: 33 over 2 years: 200 unclassified: 11

Best Type for Work

Below are the proportions of workers in this hazard group who considered the various types of footwear best for work:-

Proportions of men who consider rubber boots the best kind of footwear for working with acids and corrosives are significantly higher any other type of footwear his work.

Again it is not practicable to compare the preferences of workers who have been in the job under and over 2 years: the distribution of preferences tends to be similar for the two groups. But it is interesting to note that whereas 7% of “older” workers consider ordinary heavy shoes the best type for the work, none of the newer workers give this preference.

BEST TYPE OF FOOTWEAR

(Percentages add to more than 100 because more than one reason for preference was given)

It can be seen from the above table that the overwhelming attraction of rubber boots is their ability to resist the penetration of acids and corrosives and protect the feet and legs which are otherwise badly burned by contact with acids.

( NOTE (Investigators reported that workers who need rubber boots for the work on which they are engaged made this comment: Acid seeps through the joins in rubberised canvas Wellingtons, they, therefore, need a Wellington with a rubber tongue well vulcanised, higher up than the instep, otherwise the join tends to split where the foot is bent. As corroborative evidence it was also reported that acid workers need from 8 to 9 pairs of boots per year. Many acid workers don’t like clogs because the acid seeps through the leather uppers).

Type Worn for Work

Below are given the proportions of men working with acids and corrosives who usually wear the various types of footwear.

When preferences are compared with the types of footwear usually worn the results are as follows:-

TYPE WORN

This table shows that the large majority of men were actually wearing the type of footwear they preferred. Of those men who preferred rubber boots but were not wearing them just over half were wearing clogs.

Alternatives

When asked what type of footwear would do instead of the type they considered best for their work, the suggested alternatives were as follows in the case of rubber boots, clogs and hob-nailed boots: numbers preferring other types of boot or shoe are not large enough to justify separate analysis here.

ALTERNATIVE TYPE

Three-fifths of the men who stated a definite preference for rubber boots considered that there is no adequate alternative footwear for the type of work on which they are engaged. Of those who preferred rubber boots but suggested a possible substitute, almost half said that clogs would serve as an alternative.

V. HAZARD GROUP. AGRICULTURE Sample 496.

In job up to 2 years: 60 over 2 years: 422 unclassified: 14

Best Type for Work

The proportions of men working on the land who considered the different types of footwear as best for work are given below. It will be noticed that percentages add to 110, not 100. This is because some farmers mentioned two types of footwear which they stated to be best for different kinds of work on their farms, and both of which types of footwear they consequently needed for their work, viz.(l) hob-nailed boots for work in the fields and rough work outside, (2) rubber boots and clogs for wearing in dairies and for work outside in wet, muddy weather.

There are no significant differences in the preference given by workers who had been in the job over and under 2 years.

BEST TYPE OF FOOTWEAR

(Percentage add to more than 100 because more than one reason for preference was often given).

The main reason for considering hob-nailed boots best for agriculture work, as shown above, is that they are strong, heavy and hardwearing: the chief attraction of rubber boots is their ability to resist wet and mud and to protect the feet from manure, etc. Ordinary heavy boots were liked by some because they are comfortable, light and cool.

(NOTE. It was reported that agriculture workers prefer chrome leather boots - a type called “Beever” appeared to be popular).

Type Worn for Work

Proportions of agriculture workers usually wearing the various types of footwear are as follows:-

It will be seen from the table below that most of the agriculture workers interviewed usually were the type of footwear which they considered best for their work.

Analysis is not given in the case of clogs and ordinary heavy shoes.

TYPE WORN

Percentages add to more than 100 because there was a wider variation in the types of footwear actually worn than in the types of preference given.

Alternatives

Possible alternative to the types of footwear considered best for their work by agricultural workers are given below, in the case of hob-nailed boots, rubber boots and ordinary boots.

ALTERNATIVE TYPE

From this table it can be seen that whereas 63%of workers who preferred hob-nailed boots considered them the only adequate type of footwear for their work, only 34% of those who preferred rubber boots were of the same opinion. This may be due to the fact that many of the agricultural workers who gave a preference for rubber boots considered rubber boots to be definitely the best type of footwear for some farm jobs, e. g. , heavy field work in bad weather, but when faced with an alternative of either rubber boots or hob-nailed boots, considered the latter the best type for all-purpose wear.

VI. TYPES BEST FOR WORK IN THE FOUR HAZARD

Below are given the proportions of men in the four hazard groups naming different types of footwear as best for their work.

HAZARD GROU P

Comparing the frequencies with which the various types of footwear were considered best for their work by men in the four hazard groups the following points are of interest.

Significantly larger numbers of agricultural workers than the average of workers in any of the other 3 hazard groups considered hob-nailed boots the best kind of footwear for their work. These kind of boots were least often thought suitable for work by men working with acids and corrosive substances.

Ordinary heavy boots were preferred with significantly more than average frequency by workers in heat and burning and in the oil, grease and fats hazard groups: with significantly lower frequency than average by men working with acids and corrosives and agricultural workers.

The frequency with which rubber boots were considered the most adequate type of footwear by acid and corrosive workers far exceeds the average or the frequencies of preference given in any of the other 3 hazard groups. Agricultural workers expressed a slightly more frequent preference than average for rubber boots: but workers in the other two hazard groups did not consider this type of footwear suitable for their work with any great frequency, as might be expected.

Clogs were said to be the best kind of footwear for work with significantly higher frequency by acid and corrosive workers than the average for this sample. Workers in the heat and burning, and oil, grease and fats hazard groups preferred them with about average frequency, and agricultural workers significantly less often than average in this sample.

VII. REASONS WHY TYPES ARE CONSIDERED BEST

Percentages add to more than 100 because men often gave more than one reason for preferences.

Hob-nailed boots were the type of footwear most frequently recommended because they are hardwearing, strong, heavy and suitable for the work being done - particularly in the agricultural and heat and burning hazard groups. Rubber boots were preferred for this reason with lower frequency than any of the other kinds of footweat.

Rubber boots were preferred with far greater frequency than the average for their ability to resist penetration of acids and corrosives, wetness and to protect the feet and legs from acids, mud and manure. There is no significant difference between the frequency with which clogs were also preferred for this reason: though in the heat and burning hazard group, clogs were frequently considered the best type of footwear for the work, because they resist penetration of heat and sparks, whereas this advantage does not apply to rubber boots. Both boots and hob-nailed boots were preferred less frequently than the average for this group of reasons.

Ordinary heavy boots were preferred on account of being comfortable with significantly higher frequence than the average by all men except those working with acid and corrosive hazards.

VIII. SAMPLE ANALYSED BY AREA AND HAZARD GROUP

It can be seen for these figures that significantly lower proportions of workers in the heat and burning hazard group were interviewed in the area covering the S., S.W., S.E. and E. Anglia than in the Midlands and S.Wales.

In the London area proportions of interviews with men working with oil, grease and fats are significantly higher than those interviewed in any of the other four areas.

Proportions of acid and corrosive workers interviewed in the London area are also significantly higher than average, but fall within about the same range of proportions of men interviewed in this group in Scotland and the Midlands and S. Wales area.

There were, of course, no interviews with agricultural workers in the London area. Proportions of workers in this group interviewed in the S., S.W., S.E. and E. Anglia area are significantly higher than in any of the other three areas and significantly lower in the Midlands and S.Wales than in Northern England. (It was considered to be an unfortunate omission that no women land workers (other than the W.L.A.) had been interviewed; as many investigators working in rural areas on this survey reported the appalling condition of the workers' clothes of many women who had been engaged on essential agricultural work - often for a great length of time - but who were not eligible to join the W.L.A. and for that reason get no supplementary allowance of coupons at all. There was said to be a certain amount of bitterness about this inequality of allowances.

Type Best for Work in Five Areas

From this table it can be seen that in the Glasgow area proportions of workers preferring hob-nailed boots are significantly higher than the average and than proportions preferring this type of footwear in any of the other four areas. In Northern England and the London area, hob-nailed boots are considered the best type of footwear for work with significantly lower than average frequency, and also significantly less frequently than in the area covering the South, South-West, South-East and East Anglia.

Rubber boots were thought to be the most suitable foorwear for certain jobs with almost equal frequency in all areas except Scotland, where the frequency of preference was just below average.

Again in the Glasgow area, ordinary heavy boots were considered best for work with significantly lower frequency than average, while in all of the other four areas preferences for boots were given with about the same average frequency.

Proportions of men preferring clogs for their work are significantly higher in Northern England than the average, and than in all other areas except London. In Scotland and the S., S.W., S.E., and E. Anglia area, the frequencies with which clogs were considered to be a suitable type of footwear for work are significantly lower than average.

Ordinary heavy shoes were said to be the best kind of footwear with significantly higher frequency by London workers than by men working in Northern England and Scotland. In Glasgow the preference for ordinary shoes is significantly below average.

In the London area safety shoes were also preferred with a higher frequency than in any of the other four areas.

IX. ANALYSIS BY FIVE AREAS OF QUESTIONS:-

5. Where do you get the type of footwear you consider best for work?

6. Have you tried to buy any footwear since Christmas?

7. If yes was there any difficulty?

8. If there was difficulty, what was it?