Safety Knights

I am now a consultant and only have to worry about one pair of shoes for my employee (me). I usually buy some good comfortable ASTM F2413 18 dressier type shoes for visiting customers' plant and for tax purposes charge them to my company, about every other year. On the odd years I buy good comfortable ASTM F2413 18 work boots for use at customers' for "down and dirty" jobs, working out in the woods cutting wood, and fun. I budget about $150 but usually have to go over on the boots, because the key word above is "COMFORTABLE". I learned way back in 1976 starting out as a Foundry Supervisor that comfort is the primary concern, way above cost, especially when in dangerous environments, on your feet for 8-12 hours a day (covering a lot of floor), and climbing up a down on skids, pallets, and dunnage (stuff I would never condone today).
At my last employer pre-retirement our shoe stipend was for the longest time $75 a year and you could let it accumulate for two years to a max $150 every two years, then went to $100 per year for my last 5 years ($200 max for two years), and when I left same arrangement but went to $125 per year. I retired in the Fall of 2017. I was just at the plant a couple weeks ago and they are going to $150 January 1, 2024.
One thing we did do also is that if you got to max for two years, and did not use it and went onto the third year, you stayed at the max for that year, and started over in the 4th year.
There were two schools of thoughts among the employees on shoes, buy a cheaper pair every year or a better pair every other year. It was about 50/50. We were a machine shop and the oil was tough on the leather. Some people wore rubber coverups over their boots that we bought. Also gave more friction on oily floors.

The City offered $150 every other year FOREVER. I have been trying to raise this to $200/year for the last seven years. Our Senior Leaders finally agreed to raise the amount to $200 but still kept the "every other year" in the policy. I don't know about you but a person (who wears their steel-toe or safety boots EVERY DAY) would be hard-pressed to get them to last a year (let alone two years). Then they came back with "Manager's discretion." So if one of their employees comes to them and shows them their boots are falling apart, then the manager can agree for the employee to get another set of boots if it is sooner than the "every other year."

It's not a perfect policy but it is WAY BETTER than it used to be.

My company will offer 150 for boots and it really only covers about half the cost of a pair of boots. The boots I wear are 300 per pair and then I send a pair back to the manufacture for a rebuild. I have 2 pair and try to rotate them everyday It takes the 150 and I get a new pair of boots every year. Check out Thorogood Boots you won't be disappointed.