November 2022 Volume 4

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

What are some pros and cons of boot zippers? Boot zippers make for a controversial topic among footwear en thusiasts. On the plus side, they make putting them on and taking them off super simple. Zippers are also a beautiful stylistic element that makes for a much cleaner design than laces. The downside is that zippers are a moving part that can fail, and they don’t allow for customization of fit tightness the same way that laces do. With most safety shoes being lace-ups, we believe they are a very under utilized element that we are excited to introduce. What are three qualities every female entrepreneur needs to have? • The knowledge that it is “ok to fail.” • The confidence to not compromise on your core principles, no matter the outside pressures. • The stubbornness to believe in your vision when pitching to a room full of men, who won’t understand “the problem” you are solving.

designed with class in mind, giving women additional confidence while working in historically male-centric professions. With our shoes, we are solving a common pain point. That boots cannot be both safe and stylish at once. That you need to sacrifice fashion for function. With our designs, this is no longer the case. Howdid youmake your safety shoesmore fashionable then what was available? We decided to focus on creating boots that women actually enjoyed wearing outside of work. Ankle cut booties, Chelsea-style boots, and riding boots. These are styles found in traditional footwear but hadn’t made the transition to the safety shoe space. In addition, we made sure that the shoes were nicely molded and tapered so that they would hug the contours of the foot and look natural, rather than out of place. Lastly, we were committed to using rich, full-grain leathers which are traditionally found in high-end footwear. What did you look for when choosing zippers for your steel-toe shoes? Our main priority when choosing our zippers was durability. We knew that YKK was a household name but had no idea whether it was known as a long-lasting brand. When consulting with our manufacturing partner, that had decades of experience in the safety shoe industry, the question of zipper recommendations definitely came up. Their answer was unequivocal – you NEED to use YKK if you’re looking for good quality. The rest is history!

The life of an entrepreneur isn’t always glamorous. The Forging Industry Association has an affinity program/partnership with Xena Workwear! Our association members will receive a special discount with their purchase of ASTM certified footwear from Xena. Just use promo code Xena&WIF at checkout for $20 off your purchase. For more information about Xena Workwear and its inspirational founder - visit www.xenaworkwear.com

Work boots can be Electrical Hazard (EH) rated and stunning at the same time.

FIA MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2022 28