World premiere at the A+A
Even the right PPE cannot prevent risks in everyday work. But it should certainly reduce the effects of hazards and thus make a significant contribution to preventing accidents and occupational illnesses, as well as reducing accident costs. At the A+A trade fair in Düsseldorf, Stuco had numerous innovations in the field of safety footwear on display. The editors of SAFETY-PLUS spoke with Benjamin Kauz, Head of Sales and Marketing at Stuco, about these innovations.
Mr. Kauz, you have a world premiere here at A+A. What is it about?
Benjamin Owl: We actually present the world premiere of a very special shoe sole with which we fully implement the needs of our customers, soft tread and stability at the same time. It is a sole that works with air cushioning. This is a nitrile rubber sole that is resistant to gasoline and oil and yet antistatic.
What was the idea behind it?
Our goal was firstly to get the ergonomics in the shoe to fit everyone, and secondly to achieve simple spring cushioning at the back of the heel. Many other manufacturers achieve this cushioning with foamed chemical materials.
For us, the environment and sustainability are not just words, hence the idea with this air cushion sole. Furthermore, this development should additionally easy on the joints be but again not so that the foot has no stability. This led us to the solid rubber sole.
When will this shoe be available?
At the moment we are only showing this prototype. It is not yet fully developed, there may be some changes to the profiling, the thickness of the material and the weight. And then we will assign the shoe to the appropriate area of use. In any case, the nitrile rubber will make it suitable for multiple uses, whether indoors or outdoors. Customers will want to test the shoe and then it will come naturally.
You also have another innovation in the field of occupational safety footwear. What is this?
We have another first, an office premium leather safety shoe line called "Stylishly Protected". The shoe is aimed at employees who don't always want to change shoes when they go from the office to production. In this case, the customer is best advised with a lightweight, stylish business shoe made of calfskin with a puncture-resistant sole plus toe protection, which you can't tell is a safety shoe.
What is special about Stuco?
There is nothing we leave undone to produce a safety shoe in such a way that it is not recognizable as a safety shoe. So we also see our appearance at the A+A as an invitation to the customer. They can slip into the appropriate shoes and test them. The feedback we get makes us very confident that we are pursuing the right philosophy for our customers.
