An Industry Leader In Slip-Resistant Footwear Is Taking Another Step Forward

"Work shoes do not need to be hard, heavy and ugly to be effective, but that's what our industry has been delivering for decades," said SHOES FOR CREWS CEO and Chief Innovation Officer Stuart Jenkins. "The opportunity to do it differently and successfully was immediately clear to me. Getting working people home safe is our mission, but that doesn't mean the shoes they wear at work can't look and feel as good as the ones they choose to wear when they're not at work. It's a matter of respect for working people."

The average cost of a worker's fall is more than $12,000. Slips and falls in the workplace cost US employers more than $7 billion annually, according to the 2016 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. Accounting for indirect costs including lost productivity, replacing workers and management time spent, that figure rises to nearly $35 billion. One of the easiest and most effective ways to help reduce such accidents is slip resistant footwear, and SHOES FOR CREWS has, since 1984, pioneered corporate programs that provide slip resistant footwear to more than 15,000 companies and 100,000 locations worldwide, while also selling direct to the consumer through its catalog and website.

Taking an unprecedented approach to the industry, SHOES FOR CREWS' new collection reflects and takes its design cues from the changing workforce, which now includes more young people and women than ever before. The latest designs combine the proprietary slip resistant technology for which SHOES FOR CREWS is known with on-trend styles and innovative elements designed to deliver safe work shoes that are also comfortable, lightweight, and stylish. The company is also introducing its first collection for women designed on women's lasts. "We used to offer unisex styles, which are basically men's shoes sized down for smaller feet. No more," said Jenkins. "There are more women than men in the workforce today, and they deserve shoes designed specifically for them."

"In the past year, we've assembled a new design and development team from some of the top consumer footwear brands including Adidas, Deckers Brands and Nike, upgraded all of our factory partners to ensure high manufacturing quality and an ethical supply chain, and developed a suite of innovations called Elements of Safety that are the foundation for the new SHOES FOR CREWS," continued Jenkins. "We've redesigned, redeveloped, and reworked the collection, and are rolling out 77 new styles today."

SHOES FOR CREWS is the only slip resistant footwear company that owns its outsole factory – an advantage that allows the brand to control every step of the manufacturing process, and more importantly, every ingredient of the outsole formula. As Jenkins says, "We don't outsource safety. We own it." SHOES FOR CREWS will operate like a more traditional footwear company in one way: launching seasonal product and capsule collections regularly. And while the styles and functionality will continue to evolve, one element that remains consistent is the outstanding performance  of the SHOES FOR CREWS outsole.

With a commitment to delivering on the toughest safety standards without compromising comfort and style, the new SHOES FOR CREWS features footwear innovations that consumers are more likely to find from performance athletic brands, including: TripGuard, a slightly curved toe with special traction to make moving back and forth from slick to carpeted surfaces easier and safer; SpillGuard, a lining or membrand to protect against hot liquids, placed over the forefront of the shoes at the location where liquids are most likely to spill onto a worker's feet; FlexTread, deep grooves carved into the traction patterns of the outsoles to allow the shoe to flex and move with the foot's natural movement; Zone Traction, a system which features environment-specific tread patterns placed in strategic locations on the outsole to deliver traction optimized for varying surfaces; Hoverlite, a foam compound engineered with Dow Chemical® that is measurably lighter than typical outsoles or cup soles to create ultra-lightweight shoes that decrease the amount of pressure on a worker's feet; Clog Resistant Technology, a newly designed wide-channel, large-lug outsole that makes it difficult for large particulate matter – such as flour, cornmeal, candy– to get stuck in the outsole.

The launch includes 77 brand new styles for both men and women, showcasing the newest innovative elements and on-trend styling to serve workers in a variety of industries spanning hospitality, grocery, foodservice, healthcare, industrial and more.

About SHOES FOR CREWS

SHOES FOR CREWS is a leading designer and manufacturer of slip resistant footwear worldwide. Headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, SHOES FOR CREWS began producing slip-resistant footwear in 1984 with a mission to create a safer workplace in industries where floor hazards are a reality. Culinary footwear brand MOZO and work boot brand ACE are also part of the SHOES FOR CREWS family of brands.  The recent acquisition of SureGrip® will soon allow SHOES FOR CREWS to offer brands including New Balance, Keuka, Dockers, Merrell, Johnston & Murphy, Lila and more. CEO Stuart Jenkins, a footwear industry veteran with 38 years of experience, joined the company in January. For more information on SHOES FOR CREWS, visit www.shoesforcrews.com.

SOURCE SHOES FOR CREWS, LLC

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