Why have V12 Footwear invested so much time, research and resource in developing their True Women’s FitTM range? Simple.
Because women’s feet are different to men’s.
And due to this, we didn’t think women should be expected to endure wearing smaller men’s footwear, as they still so often have to.
In this blog, we firstly look back at where our True Women’s FitTM safety footwear range began, and where it’s taken our wearers. Even better, we’ve got exclusive expert insights from Kristy Blakeborough, who’s worked in safety-critical sectors throughout her expansive career to get her take on why female-fit PPE and workwear is so important – and what can happen when women aren’t provided with it.
So, as we often say at V12, we have to start at the last…
Because the female foot is a different anatomical shape and structure from that of a man’s, we built all styles in the V12 women’s range on a specialist female last. Did you know?
Women’s feet have:
Women and men even walk differently. Women tend to pronate (roll their feet inward) and take shorter strides. Bottom line? A woman’s foot in a man’s shoe will lead to rubbing, slipping, discomfort and reduced safety focus.
With our True Women’s FitTM last design, we had the perfect fit. But when we were approached by Eleshia Turnbull at Transport for London - who was having significant problems sourcing safety footwear for her team – we saw an opportunity to develop a female safety footwear range designed to meet this team’s specific comfort and safety needs.
The PPE available to Eliesha was either scaled down men’s boots or insultingly feminised pastel-coloured footwear, very-much a product of the ‘pink it and shrink it’ approach, offering neither professional, practical aesthetics or bespoke comfort.
So with Eleshia and her female workforce, we researched their working conditions and activities and consulted them on their style, fit and colour preference's, giving us the data to create a super-comfortable and stylish safety footwear range, meeting their needs and the needs of other women in Engineering.
Since then, V12's female range has grown into a collection including carbon neutral, vegan-friendly and metatarsal styles - and we’re not stopping our innovations any time soon.
Pictured: Intrepid (with ankle protection and toe/heel guard) was one of the first styles developed for the V12 True Women's FitTM range.
“Imposter syndrome has always been - and continues to be - rife in safety industries. And the right PPE plays a massive role in reinforcing that women do belong in these types of environments." Kristy Blakeborough, Process Outputs Manager
Kristy Blakeborough knows all about PPE. From her early career right up to her current role as Process Outputs Manager at Severn Trent Green Power, Kristy has seen and worn a huge range of women's PPE and workwear, and knows only too well the tremendous impact it can have on well-being and safety.
Joining V12 for a Q&A session, she shared some of her expert insights on the state of female safety footwear and whether women’s PPE in general has progressed enough.
When asked about the benefits of correct-fitting women’s PPE that procurers and Health and Safety Managers might not always consider, Kristy told us:
“Correct fitting female PPE is vital for so many reasons. It creates confidence and parity with male colleagues, and it's also authoritative – knowing your company cares enough about you to provide the right protective gear enables you to feel as good as your male counterparts, and helps you hold your own in what is still a male-dominated world. The impact is unmeasurable.”
When we discuss the impact of the right type of PPE, Kristy states that it goes far beyond comfort:
“Imposter syndrome has always been - and continues to be - rife in safety industries. And the right PPE plays a massive role in reinforcing that women do belong in these types of environments. Many women are sick of having to be better to be considered 'as good as.' And correct workwear has a huge part to play in addressing this imbalance.”
When I ask Kristy to give examples of how PPE can make or break work for women, she is all too able to give examples.
I've been in situations in the past where I've turned up to work feeling like I don’t fit in anything. I’ve had to wear boots that have torn my feet to shreds. I’ve worked on sites where I've had to wear men’s high-vis jackets that were so large I had to roll the sleeves up as they were hanging off my arms. But, rolled up material means you have less of your body protected by the high-vis fabric. And it goes beyond visibility, trips and snagging risks.
If coats are too big, they become heavy and incredibly hot. Think about the implications for a woman going through the menopause. The menopause is a debilitating condition, and women going through it absolutely don’t want huge thick, heavy garments: they need cooling material and fabric that flexes with the body. These sort of safety implications need to be considered when PPE is distributed to wearers for use on site.”
“There’s a lot of work to do. I still don’t think the narrative around PPE for women is friendly-enough."
Pictured below: One woman is wearing generic PPE, the other female fit. Not hard to spot the differences is it?
I point out to Kristy that it seems like providing the right PPE for women doesn’t actually take large-scale procurement changes.
“Exactly - for companies not offering the right PPE for women, it’s easy to fix. And so rewarding for the wearer. Getting high-vis clothing which aligns with the body shape of a woman has a massive impact for example - both for comfort and safety. And it’s not just fit – it's things like colour. Women don't want pink PPE! Give them clothing that will help them stand out and protect them, just like it does for the men on site. As I've pointed out many times, pink is not an ISO approved colour for high-vis.
The correct PPE is about those small features that make a big difference. It’s not just about avoiding discomfort. Like, providing women on site with a two-piece suit instead of one, so basic things like mobility and going to the toilet are made easier."
I ask Kristy about the further layer of complexity that comes from mislabelled PPE, notably safety footwear which claims to be ‘Female-fit’ when the reality is very different.
"Unisex is the ultimate fraudulent term. It doesn’t have anything to do with women."
“It’s a massive problem. Earlier in my career, I’ve worn boots claiming to be ‘female fit’, but they’ve turned out to be small men's. And they caused my feet so much pain. If you google ‘ladies safety footwear,’ what you’re often presented with is just scaled down men’s footwear. The term ‘ladies footwear’ or ‘women’s work boots’ is often just added to product information for Search Engine Optimization purposes, misleading people into thinking that the footwear is for women, when it’s just a man’s size 3.”
And when a woman ends up having to make-do with smaller men’s footwear, it’s hardly surprising that huge discomfort occurs, given the many anatomical differences between men’s and women’s feet illustrated earlier.
"And the same thing happens with products labelled ‘unisex.’ Unisex is the ultimate fraudulent term. It doesn’t have anything to do with women – mostly, ‘unisex’ PPE footwear will simply be a male fit in a small size."
“There’s a lot of work to do. I still don’t think the narrative around PPE for a lot of women is friendly-enough. Many women still don't have proper protective gear being issued.
It needs to be the right PPE, the right design, the right size, the right colour. It's true, I’ve spent years on the front-line wearing PPE and I’ve never felt as well protected, but improvements can still be made.
I’ve yet to wear a wellie designed for women that actually provides proper comfort. It seems strange that for such a universal piece of footwear, there are so few examples out there of a wellington that fits women properly.
While a lot of boots are really light and comfortable, I think there are design improvements to be made in the ankle area of women’s footwear. Women’s ankles can really vary in shape and size, so this area needs to be optimized for comfort too – in my experience, women's boots are still too chunky higher up the ankle."
Kristy’s insights on PPE for women remind us of two important things. That firstly, comfort, protection and equality for women in safety industries doesn’t necessarily require seismic company-wide shifts – what’s at the heart of the matter is that the decision makers at so many companies whose teams use PPE know enough and care enough to make the solution available. And the solution is most definitely out there!
Secondly, while we’re proud of our work on reflecting the anatomical profile of the female foot shape in our footwear, Kristy’s remarks remind us there’s always more to be done to ensure that women – just like their male counterparts – get the comfort and protection they deserve on each of the 12,000 steps on average they take per day in some of the most hazardous and challenging conditions.
And we’ll be doing just that – more. More reviewing, innovating, testing and trialling to ensure our work boots for women give comfort and protection - no exceptions.
The men’s and True Women’s FitTM Hyrax is in stock now. With its super-lightweight, metal-free construction and non-slip lab-tested tread - plus ESD and chemical splashproof protection, it’s got the comfort and protective features for any wearer requirement.
Our women’s safety footwear range is growing, with new and innovative styles being added all the time – see for yourself below.