Monday, September 24, 2007

Red Wing Shoe announces ASTM Safety Standard Compliance

Red Wing Shoe Company, America’s leading manufacturer and marketer of Red Wing, WORX™, and Carhartt brands of safety footwear, announced today that it is transitioning from the previous ANSI (American National Standards Institute) safety footwear standard to the recently approved standard from ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials).
All safety footwear produced by Red Wing Shoe Company complies with the new ASTM standards and the company is adjusting its product labels to reflect this.

What is ASTM and why is this change happening?

ASTM International, one of the largest voluntary standards
development organizations in the world, and a preeminent
source for technical documentation for industries world-wide
has announced that the former ANSI Z41, Standard for
Personal Protection Protective Footwear has been
withdrawn, and is replaced by 2 new ASTM standards. The
new ASTM International standards replacing and updating
the Z41 document are entitled F2412-05 Standard Test
Methods for Foot Protection and F2413-05 Standard
Requirements for Protective Footwear, both under the
jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F13 on Pedestrian/Walkway
Safety and Footwear. Information on these standards can
be obtained at www.astm.org.
The introduction of ASTM F2412 and F2413 will permit the
continued use of safety and performance standards previously
provided in the ANSI document, which has been an important
part of worker safety since 1967. The new standards continue
the long-standing effort to help protect against toe, metatarsal,
and foot bottom injuries. These standards also include test
methods and performance requirements for footwear providing
electric shock resistance, conductive, static dissipative, and
dielectric properties as well as chain saw protection. The new
ASTM protective footwear standards are enhanced with
expanded information on upper class 50 and class 75 toe
protection performance requirements.
The new ASTM standards contain minimal changes from the
withdrawn ANSI Z41 1999 standard with regard to test
methodology. The major performance characteristics changes
between the new ASTM standard and the old ANSI standard are
the removal of Type II for Static Dissipative and Class 30 for
Impact and Compression requirements. Therefore, the majority
of existing industry inventory of product and product-information
that is labeled or advertised as in compliance with ANSI Z41
standard should be compliant with the new ASTM standards.

How will this affect Red Wing Shoes?
The real question is- how will this change affect Red Wing?
“The switch from ANSI to ASTM will have minimal impact to
Red Wing products” says Lori Hyllengren, Lab Manager,
Red Wing Shoe Company, “Since the ASTM standards mirror
the ANSI standard, our current products remain in compliance.
We are submitting all safety footwear products in 2005 to be
tested by an independent laboratory for confirmation of
conformance to ASTM F2413-05. We will be updating our
product labels through the rest of this year and should be
completed by early 2006.”

When will this happen?
The timing of the changeover is immediate, however ASTM
allows for companies to make the switch as a running change,
utilizing ANSI labels existing in inventory and then switching
over to ASTM labels. “I want to confirm that Red Wing products
are ASTM compliant, even if the labels currently read ANSI”,
says John Klein, Product Merchandising Manager,
Red Wing Shoe Company.

For more information/questions
For more information on ASTM/ANSI issues relating to
Red Wing Shoe Company, please contact Red Wing Customer
Service at 800-328-9453.
Red Wing Shoe announces ASTM Safety Standard Compliance
©2005 Red Wing Shoe Company

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

BUILT RIGHT - Worx Shoes


Red Wing Shoe Company built the WORX brand to help footwear retailers serve the changing needs of America's new work force. Workers who wanted a boot that was built right and priced right. We launched WORX with a full range of value priced safety work boots for America's blue collar workers. From steel toe work boots to SD rated athletic shoes and everything in between. Today WORX has grown to include slip resistant footwear, with styling and pricing to satisfy today's restaurant and hospitality worker. So no matter what the job or safety requirements, WORX by Red Wing Shoes are built right.

BUILT BEST - Red Wing Shoes


We have yet to meet a foot we couldn't fit. Red Wing makes shoes to fit a customer's feet not a sales quota. Unlike other shoesmakers, we build more than one hundred different combinations of sizes and widths, so our shoes match the unique shape of each foot. From size 4B to 20D. The result is an unrivaled level to fit and comfort that lasts all day. A machine simply can't do what we do. We tan our own leathers. Engineer our soles to the specific job needs of your customers. We test all of our materials to meet the job site's tough demands. We do this and more not because it's cheaper, but because it's better.