Category Archives: Featured

What’s So Special About Slip Resistant Shoes?

Would you ever drive without a seatbelt or airbags? Base jump or skydive without a parachute? Or what about riding a motorcycle without a helmet?

If you elect to do any of these things, you more than likely recognize the significant risks involved. But, do you understand the risk you take if you choose not to wear the correct pair of slip-resistant shoes to work? While you may have no idea of the risk you are taking, you’re setting yourself up for an accident waiting to happen. By wearing proper slip resistant work shoes, you can do yourself a favor and help to reduce the risks associated with improper workplace footwear.

A slip and fall accident at work can have serious consequences, including:

  • Physical injuries – A slip and fall accident can result in broken bones, bruises, sprains and even concussions. In addition, each work environment has a specific risk. For example, if you slip in a restaurant kitchen and stick out your hand to catch your fall, you could slam your hand down on a hot stove top or an upturned knife.

 

  • Financial burden – An injury in the workplace can leave you out of work for days or even weeks. While you’re incurring doctor bills, you aren’t getting paid. Even if you are able to file a worker’s compensation claim, they will only reimburse you for your costs regarding your accident. That means that you still pay up front, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics- National Safety Council, the average workman’s comp claim for a slip and fall is $28,000.

 

  • Mental well-being – The stress of not being able to work while bills pile up, of not having full motor function, and of having to physically recover so that you can return to work all affect your mental state. Depression and anxiety can often set in following a slip and fall injury, making an already bad situation worse.

When you understand the risks of your workplace, it can be scary or overwhelming. By protecting yourself with slip-resistant footwear, you are being a more effective team member. When you aren’t worried about slipping at work, you can do your job more adequately. When you aren’t worried about getting injured, you enjoy your time at work even more. Your overall health isn’t something to wager with, so by wearing the right safety footwear, you can protect yourself.

Interested in learning more? Check us out at our website, srmax.com for more insight on our slip resistant shoes and other products.

Your Guide to Tax Deductible Slip Resistant Shoes

Tax time is here again, folks.

 

And let’s be real, we all want to get as much money back on our tax return as possible. We’re even more excited to tell you that your slip-resistant work shoes might just be tax deductible!

Yep, you read that right! Those comfortable, stylish and high performing SR Max® shoes you bought for work this past year could be completely tax deductible!

 

Ready for that refund? There’s something to keep in mind before you claim that deduction:

In order to deduct the cost of your slip resistant work shoes, they need to be specific to, and required for your job and not normally used for “everyday wear”.

If your shoes qualify as “protective clothing” (slip resistant shoes are certainly protective!) and you are required to purchase them as a condition of your employment, and not normally worn outside of work, you can deduct the cost of them from your taxes!

So, if you do claim your slip resistant work shoes as a deduction, make sure you do the following:

  • Keep a copy of your employer’s policies. If need be, you can present written proof that your employer requires certain slip-resistant shoes to be worn while working.
  • Keep your receipt! Receipts provide proof that you spent the money on the clothes you are claiming a deduction for. Without one, you won’t be able to claim your deduction.
  • Include your clothing costs with your other “miscellaneous itemized deductions” on your tax return.
  • Finally, check with a certified tax preparer to make sure you claim all the deductions you’re eligible for!

There you have it! That’s all it takes to get even more out of your tax return. Now the real question is how are you going to spend that tax return money?!

 

For more helpful tips and educational information, check us out at srmax.com

We’re Looking for a Workplace Hero

Calling all Workplace Heroes!

Workplace Hero’s come in all shapes and sizes, but what’s the one thing they all have in common? Their ability to get the job done and make their workplace a happier, more productive, and more efficient place to be, day in and day out.

I am Ashely – Answer Woman! Whenever someone around the office has a question, you can count on Answer Woman to find your answer! It is rumored that she is magic because with a wave of her finger, things seem to magically work. Just start asking a question and Answer Woman will appear! – Ashley P., Bilingual Customer Service Lead

Being a Workplace Hero is all about having confidence and taking action. It’s about being the one who puts forth the effort. It’s about being the one who tries and does. SR Max® provides that same kind of confidence through the safe, secure feeling in our shoes and products that let you be your most confident no matter what.

Safe and secure footing helps you to feel confident, allowing you to get your work done, and be the outstanding employee you’ve always wanted to be and more importantly, that your employers need you to be.

Workplace Hero confidence enables you to try things that you normally wouldn’t think possible. It allows you to learn from your mistakes and try again with the same amount of enthusiasm. To think outside the box. Be creative. Be productive. Go above and beyond.

It is this type of confidence that makes YOU a Workplace Hero.

Here’s your chance to shine and show us what makes you a hero in the workplace!

 

As of July 10th, we have officially launched our #workplaceherocontest on Facebook and Instagram.

We want to know what your workplace superpower is. Whether it’s your ability to complete daily tasks on time, solve problems, or simply put a smile on someone’s face, we’re curious.

Want to enter?

Just take a picture or create an approximately 30 second long video showing us what makes YOU a Workplace Hero. Post your submission to your personal Facebook or Instagram account by Monday, August 21st with the hashtag #workplaceherocontest for a chance to win a $300, $100, or $50 Amazon gift card. Winners will be announced on Monday, August 31st.

“I’m a Workplace Hero when I’m leading the Marketing Team and helping the Customer Service and Sales folks to shine!” – Sheri F., Corporate Marketing Manager 

Your entries will be judged by the SR Max® owners in a confidential vote based on originality, creativity, humor, and relevance to the topic. Spoiler alert: all entries must be work appropriate and accompanied by a brief written explanation of how the image portrays you as a Workplace Hero.

 

All participants must be 18 years of age or older on July 10th, 2017 and limit one (1) entry per person.

So what are you doing still reading this? Act fast and get to work on your submission, time’s running out!

For more details about the contest, click here. For more information on our products and services, please visit us at srmax.com.

What Makes A Shoe Slip Resistant?

Article by Brinklee Bailey

I was having a conversation with a gentleman on Twitter the other day when he Tweeted: “Almost all Nike’s are slip resistant”. This makes sense, right? After all, basketball players don’t want to slip on hardwood floors, so they must wear slip resistant shoes, right?

Wrong.

There are several factors and tests that go into making a great slip resistant work shoe. The distinguishing features of a slip resistant shoe are the outsole design, tread pattern, and material used in the outsole. Here’s a breakdown of what separates a slip resistant shoe from a regular shoe.

Material

The outsole is more commonly referred to as the “sole” of the shoe, but to avoid confusion with the insole and midsole, the outsole is the part of the shoe that comes in direct contact with the ground. A slip resistant outsole is softer, and made of rubber that is more slip resistant when exposed to water and oil than other outsole compounds.

This softer rubber outsole means that a slip resistant shoe can more effectively grip a slick floor. This means even on quarry tile or hardwood or linoleum flooring, a slip resistant shoe will be able to grab hold whereas a shoe with a harder, stiffer outsole would not be able to.

SR Max <sup>®</sup> Rialto Outsole

SR Max® Rialto Outsole

Design

Now, you may be wondering about a basketball shoe, designed to work on hardwood courts. Wouldn’t that also grip well on slicker flooring? Yes, if it was dry. But athletic shoes are not tested or designed to work in wet or oily conditions.

If you’ve ever played or watched basketball, you know that when liquid gets on the court, serious injuries can occur due to slippage. The National Basketball Association even employs people whose only job is quickly wipe up sweat and water from the floor to keep it clean.

Nike Basketball Shoe

Nike Basketball Shoes

If you’re using a shoe with an enclosed tread pattern (see above), there is no place for the liquid to go. It gets trapped under your shoe and forms a barrier between your shoe and the floor, similar to a car hydroplaning, sliding on top of the water without getting a grip on the road.

So what’s the solution? Slip resistant shoes feature an interlocked tread pattern that doesn’t close the water in, so that it is channeled away from your foot, allowing the slip resistant sole to contact the floor and provide better slip resistance.

MaxTrax Outsole Illustration

A good slip resistant shoe will also provide more surface contact with the tread pattern. Why? If the tread pattern and outsole material is designed to be slip resistant, it only makes sense that the more of it that comes into contact with the floor the better the shoe will work.

Make sure to visit SRMax.Com and check out all of our different styles of slip resistant shoes that we offer!

Steps to Make Shoes Slip Resistant

Article by Brinklee Bailey

Imagine you purchased an item for a specific task, only to find out that it wasn’t the right item. Perhaps you only had a sponge and bucket to wash the outside of your house, or you brought a baseball bat to play golf. Would you try to do the job with the wrong equipment anyway?

Parking Lot Kayak

Of course, these are ridiculous examples, but oftentimes if we find that we have the wrong shoes for work, we’re tempted to try to just use what we have, instead of getting the right tool for the job. Specifically, I’m referring to the question of how to make a regular shoe into a slip resistant shoe.

Let’s be clear, this is never a safe idea. These do-it-yourself solutions are the equivalent of driving nails through the soles of your shoes to create cleats! The internet has tons of crazy suggestions as to how to make your shoes slip resistant, such as:

  • Put nonslip bathtub appliqués on the soles
  • Stick adhesive bandages on the ball and sole of each shoe
  • Attach double-sided tape to the soles
  • Buy some anti-slip spray

Slipping Icon 

WARNING!! None of these solutions will cause your shoes to be slip resistant! It’s always best to just invest in a quality pair of slip resistant shoes! SR Max® tests every single pair of shoes we offer.

A quality pair of slip resistant shoes is going to feature a unique rubber outsole built specifically to tackle the challenge of greasy, wet floors. In addition to a softer proprietary rubber, these soles will have a tread design that funnels liquid out from under your feet to help you gain more traction. For your safety, it is important to buy shoes designed for your work environment.

Shoes and outsoles line-up

If you’re looking to replace your work shoes, take a moment to browse our selection of the best slip resistant shoes available. If you want some advice on choosing the right shoe for your environment, contact us! We’re on Twitter and Facebook, or you can give us a call, we’d be glad to help!

Not Just Slip Resistant, But Very Efficient!

Article by Brinklee Bailey

SR Max®/ Saf-GardTM has some very exciting news to share! We have recently partnered with a company by the name of SolePower that will literally make your safety shoes full of power! What exactly does this mean? It means that with every step you take, SolePower’s technology combined with SR Max®/ Saf-Gard’sTM original work boot and MaxTrax® outsole, one of the most efficient and safest work boots is born.

SolePower Breakdown 4-2017

Here is an example of one of SR Max®/ Saf-Gard’sTM SmartBoot and just some of the groundbreaking technology featured within the boot. SR Max®/ Saf-GardTM typically creates and provides slip resistant work shoes for the hospitality, grocery, restaurant and manufacturing industries. With this new partnership, the manufacturing industry will be heavily impacted with the insightful technology built within this new shoe.

Technology and Data

Not only will this boot give you the ultimate protection for workers, but because of its ability to use the gate and impact of your stride, it provides power to different applications within the sole. Vital information needed to save time and money in the long run will be collected by using the technology of the shoe.

This advanced technology will be able to monitor workers’ efficiency while they are doing tasks, by continuously logging and tracking information. As workers move, there is enough power created for the GPS system, motion sensors and temperature sensor all to be activated. Having this data will assist in making it much easier to develop a course of action that will cause work sites and factories to run more smoothly.

Manufacturing-Employees-SR-Max-SolePower

The SmartBoot’s GPS feature will be able to track where any worker is located on a job site, therefore maintaining safety and accountability on any job. If a worker does experience any harm while on the work site, it will be easier for management to locate this employee and ensure their safety.

If those features weren’t enough for you, SolePower’s kinetic energy feature will also allow workers to charge their radios and cellphones, making it easier to reach them and always have a line of communication if needed. Every time the employee takes a step it generates power within the boot’s kinetic charger.

This technology has been deemed so powerful and so innovative that even the U.S. Army has partnered with SolePower to use their technology. They have used SolePower’s technology to provide their soldiers with a lighter form of power that the soldiers use daily.

Military-Patrol-SR-Max-SolePower

SmartBoots are designed to be the ultimate resource in making sure that work sites are as safe and efficient as possible.

To learn more about SolePower’s revolutionary technology, visit their website at http://www.solepowertech.com/ . To learn more about SR Max®/Saf-Gard’sTM safety shoes visit http://www.srmax.com/ .

They Made It! The American Oarsmen are now Guinness World Record Holders

In April of 2016, SR Max® announced our sponsorship of the American Oarsmen. We jumped at the chance to support their dream of becoming the first American trio to take on the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge. Mike Matson, David Alviar and Brian Krauskopf (the American Oarsmen) went on to compete in the world’s toughest row at the 2016 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

SR Max® provided the American Oarsman with our Hatteras clogs to travel across the ocean along with some promo items and swag to assist them on their odyssey. We have been following their journey on Twitter and other social media channels. We felt the 2016 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge was a perfect opportunity to support a remarkable adventure, which also benefits so many worthy charities. The American Oarsmen’s charities included the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, Teach for America and the Anne McCormick Sullivan Foundation.

Overall, twelve teams competed in the challenge. Every single team was an inspiration. On December 12, 2016, the American Oarsmen left La Gomera (of the Canary Islands) for Antigua in the Caribbean traveling in an ocean double scull. Carrying all of their own food and water, they trekked across the waves undaunted on their mission. After 49 Days, 14 Hours, 4 Minutes and 20 Seconds, Mike, David and Brian of the American Oarsmen completed their 3,000 mile rowing adventure across the Atlantic. Along the way they earned 2 Guinness World Records for being the FASTEST and the FIRST three-man crew to ever row the Atlantic Ocean. They became the first Texans to ever row an ocean. They became the first Admirals in the Texas Navy on the High Seas since 1846.

American-Oarsmen-Finish-Group

The American Oarsmen survived storms, massive waves, sleep deprivation and extreme fatigue. They also witnessed countless dolphins, whales larger than their boat and a 700+ pound sea turtle! Meanwhile they raised awareness to help construct Houston’s first rowing boathouse on the banks of Buffalo Bayou for the Rice University Rowing Club. Not to mention they honored the memory of a fallen Houston heroine: Firefighter Anne McCormick Sullivan with the Houston Fire Department. The SR Max® Hatteras was with them every step of the way! The American Oarsmen finished the race in fourth place. We’d like to congratulate Latitude 35 on their epic, record-breaking win. For more on the teams visit: https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/the-teams/ navigate around on this site for info on the rules, the boats and the journey.

Introducing: The SR Max® Grip Mat

Our industry-leading slip resistant shoes have been on-the-move for years, helping you safely navigate slippery surfaces, no matter where you work. Now, our slip resistant technology is staying put to further ensure your safety in the workplace. We’re happy to introduce the SR Max® Grip Mat!

SR Max® Grip Mat:

  • Antibacterial rubber mat for additional traction in high-traffic areas, such as kitchens and grocery departments
  • Low profile, flexible design
  • Rubber, patterned bottom for superior staying power
  • Drainage slots
  • Grit surface ensures superior grip and slip resistance
  • Easily rolls up for moving and storage
  • 3 x 5 foot dimensions

The SR Max® Grip Mat is available for purchase here.

A Restaurant Manager’s Take On Why Slip Resistant Shoes Matter

Ken Fording, floor manager at a popular North Carolina restaurant, has worked in the food industry since he was sixteen. He began his career as a dishwasher at a Roadside Inn and has since worked every job the industry from busboy to head chef, expediter to waiter. He notes that in the early days of his career, work safety shoes weren’t something workers and management paid attention to.

That’s no longer the case as Fording says he and his staff, “would be lost” without slip resistant shoes.

“Our wait staff regularly pull double shifts, which means they’re on their feet for twelve or thirteen hours at a stretch,” he says. “And our kitchen staff is working 8 hour shifts. Everyone who works in a restaurant nowadays recognizes you need two things in a shoe: comfort and safety.”

Although slip resistant shoes are not mandatory for staff, Fording notes almost every employee, front and back of the house, wears them. Aside from comfort, the shoes are essential for safety.

“People would be falling all over the place without them,” says Fording. “The back of the house would be like an ice-skating rink.”

He notes one employee just came back to work after being out over a year with a workers compensation claim related to a slip and fall accident. The employee was not wearing slip resistant shoes at the time of the accident.

“We can’t make people wear slip resistant shoes but we really don’t have to,” says Fording.

“If you’re working in this industry, you recognize that finding a solid slip resistant shoe that will bear up to long days is essential.”

When asked what features matter most to his employees in a slip resistant shoe, Fording responds that comfort and safety head the list. After that, solid construction and style come into play. “Most of the guys don’t care what they wear but I know some of the female staff pay more attention to their shoes,” he says. “And personally, I’m dressed up working the floor so I need a shoe that can transition from kitchen to front of the house and still look good.”

Fording’s company provides one pair of shoes a year for management but employees are responsible for purchasing their own slip resistant footwear. “It’s the first thing we bring up after they’re hired,” he says. “We tell them, ‘You’re going to want to get a pair of good shoes.’”

On a lighter note, Fording jokes that he wishes he could make restaurant guests wear slip resistant shoes. “We have a wood floor foyer, nothing unusual about it, and women often come in wearing these super high heels and if they slip, they blame it on the floor.”

He shakes his head and laughs. “There’s nothing wrong with the floor. They’re just wearing the wrong shoe.”

SR Max® Steps Up In Style With New Dansko and Reebok Footwear Additions

SR Max® is excited to announce the newest addition of Dansko and additional styles from Reebok to our line-up of name-brand footwear that has chosen to utilize our patented and top rated MaxTrax® outsole technology in custom-made footwear for SR Max®!

Dansko is a well known and loved brand by many in the medical and service industries, and has been making their trademark “Danish” clogs for over twenty years. They hold themselves to an extremely high standard of quality in both workmanship and the qualityof their materials, and are continually working to enhance the features of their clogs to give their customers the best possible experience. We are thrilled that they have chosen to co-brand a line of their iconic clogs with our industry leading MaxTrax® outsole technology – look for these to arrive in January 2014!

We have also heard the desperate plea of our customers for fun and exciting styles of slipresistant footwear that step outside the traditional mold of black, brown or white! Our introduction of the Reebok SRB1400, SRB400 and SRB405 styles this summer was met with such excitement that we’ve gone back to the drawing board with Reebok. Be on the lookout for another great line-up of bright and colorful Reebok styles co-branded with our MaxTrax® outsole technology to arrive this winter!