While community projects are a fun thing to do that will benefit your whole neighborhood, prior to starting the process, it is important to choose the right gear, namely clothes and shoes that you can wear. While old sneakers and worn out jeans may be very comfortable, they sometimes don’t provide enough protection and safety that specialized work wear would. The best thing to wear while building a playground, planting trees or collecting and managing the recycling of your neighborhood, is overalls that have plenty of pockets, and work boots that will keep your feet dry and safe from any injuries. You may have to spend a long time outside in the dirt, digging, fixing and installing, while the weather conditions may not be most favorable. Here are some tips and qualities to think of when choosing and purchasing the work clothes.
1. Safety
The main feature that differentiates the work shoes from other kinds is their main function – to protect your feet and ensure that they are dry and warm at all times. There are various factors from which these shoes can protect you, depending on the project that you will be working on, of course, but these may be – hazardous conditions, such as exposure to chemicals and oils, injury or wounds while carrying large and heavy objects, extreme weather conditions, in particular cold or rainy weather, burns, electric shock and the possibility of slipping. The right shoes not only will ensure that your feet are not cold, but they might have a metal front end, usually made from steel, that will protect you from heavy object injuring your feet, and that is something that no sneakers or simple boots will be able to provide.
2. Quality
While some work shoes are made with high quality leather, others are from a more coarse material, and nowadays with advanced technology, there are special materials that can be waterproof, or provide maximum insulation or balance, and these can be Cordura, Gore-tex, Cambrelle, Thisulate or Vibram. Choosing the shoes on the quality of the material that they are made from is quite important, and when you buy a product of top quality, it will ensure durability. The same applies to work clothes, it is best to invest in 1 pair of top quality overalls that you can wear for years, instead of having to buy new work clothes for each project that you decide to participate in.
3. Comfort
Some of the best work boots are also most comfortable. There is no doubt, that this, in the long run, will have an overall effect on your productivity. It is usually advised to purchase shoes half or a whole size bigger, in order to have extra room to wear thick socks. Since you will be wearing these shoes during extended period of time, while working on a particular community project, if your feet will hurt from calluses and blisters, or if the shoes will be too tight, you are bound to feel uncomfortable and be less efficient.
4. Appearance
When choosing the shoes that you will wear outside, you must choose the model that you like the look of, so you will actually like to wear, as community projects are something you volunteer for and do with your own interest at stake. There is a choice between shoes and boots. While the shoes are more flexible and light, boots are more durable and protect you from more external factors. Boots also ensure that you cannot spring your ankle, if you slip, that said, however, they do tend to be heavier, regardless of the price and brand.
5. Durability
When purchasing work gear it is important to consider durability, good boots will last for many years, and will not need maintenance, only perhaps water- and dirt-resistant spray application once in a while.