What to wear with safety boots that resembles office smart?

[Flomasterina]

I am in a new job where customer visits involve a brief office visit and climbing into dirty, hot roof spaces to inspect equipment. I am not exactly on the tools in sales but still need to have a look around. The site must be entered already in safety boots and wide leg trousers are out of question for technical reason. Straight trousers do not fully go over boots, so sort of crumple on top, which leave me the cropped version as the most practical solution. I feel ridiculous in them whatever I wear. It’s not a fashion show and the people I deal with are mostly in some sort of technician uniform. I just can’t figure out how to feel smart and business like. On any other day, I love Reiss for office style, a denim suits, a midi dress, blazers, heels. Love the job but safety boots get me down. Any advice is welcome. Perhaps, there is whole other style I can uncover with a utility jacket but still stuck on trousers.

If you need PPE, you probably should be using more than a pair of boots to do it. Its not usual to only wear protective footwear. Surely you also have some sort of rule about flouncy dresses or long cardigans, scarves etc. What about head protection? What you describe should be a reasonable set of clothes with reflective properties, hat, glasses if dusty. Not even sure why the boots are the only thing given when they are probably the most cumbersome and least necessary unless the floor is lined with broken glass and snakes.

Oh, yes, I have the lot - the hard hat, high vis and glasses in my kit, plus whatever the site need me to wear. But that is all typically put on after the meeting, it’s the meeting part where I don’t feel smart in anyway with the boots on, but I am not going to walk in my heels to then change into boots while customer is waiting. The rest is in my tote, ready to throw on the way to whatever we are looking at.

I am hopeful for some idea what to wear before the rest of PPE goes that feels smart.

When I worked on site I wore a lot of corduroy trousers and merino jumpers with long sleeved T-shirts… smart enough but practical for climbing ladders. I only really wore my boots while actually out, they’re horribly uncomfortable.

You can get steel toe cap doc martins I think

@StressedStudentPara thank you, I have these beauties issued by work. https://www.screwfix.com/p/amblers-lydia-size-8-womens-black-pink-safety-boots/984GV?tc=GC5&gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1244069&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=916183590&gbraid=0AAAAAD8IdPwEZugyLsqC8Q_hw-elH4_S_&gclid=CjwKCAjwifjVBhBKEiwAYx4K9J-RB8RAYXRPGOpaV7Eig4lDMucPk_b4ED-UTbwIjgQEYjxX13v5ORoCEN4QAvD_BwE

@Nincompoo great call, I am on it, thank you for the idea

I wear straight leg trousers and turn them up when I change into safety boots or slim leg chinos.

I have to do site visits a lot. If not wearing his vis trousers I tend to wear black slim leg jeans or stretch chinos that just tuck into my socks or sit at the top of my boots. I would wear a thin fleece or fitted jumper on top. Also you can wear smarter Chelsea type boots that are quick to slip off when you change into steels. Or wear a blazer if you feel you need to project a bit more corporate. But really, if you know your stuff, it shouldn't matter what you wear. Nobody expects people to turn up in a smart suit or dress and heels for a site visit, in fact it might give the opposite impression.

Also try to get women's fit hi Vis so you are not swamped, Leo are the best brand IME.

Black slim jeans which go into the tops of the boots, smart top.

Could you go with the sort of Kate Middleton country boots look? Obviously not these exact v v expensive things but this kind of idea

I spent 15 years in safety boots. Mine were always very comfy. They get a diff type.
in wore normal M&S cheap work trousers and lately just jeans. I never had an issue

Oh god they’re horrific, just as bad as our university issued ones although least you have pink trim 😆 are you allowed to purchase your own? All black that look more like boots but with a hidden steel toe can look nice with ankle grazer or black straight leg jeans, if they looked like DMS you could wear them with a skirt/tights combo.

Honestly? Noone really cares if your trousers tuck into your boots, crumple a bit on top, or are 7/8 length.
Wear whatever you are comfortable in - personally, ive found straight black work trousers from Next or M&S go over the tops of boots. Plus vey similar to pp - v necked wool jumpers this time of year, smart teeshirts in summer.

My job is similar. Can you wear safety shoes or do they need to be boots? Usually it is toe and sole protection that's required, ankles less so.

Like a PP I wear cheap M&S black trousers, which are machine washable, reasonably smart and not a disaster if they get damaged.

However I don't care if the legs bunch up over boots and often put on safety kit in clients offices etc, no-one cares.

Once I left a load of sand on the carpet because I'd been for a walk on the beach at lunchtime .

@Flomasterina
I work in the rail industry, mainly office based but I do have to go to site, sometimes at the last minute, unplanned.
I wear slim or skinny trousers/jeans to work for this reason.
They allow me to slip my PPE trousers over my regular trousers.
I wear my safety boots while travelling to site as they are heavy and lace up past my ankle, I tuck my slim/skinny trousers into my boots.

Tbh, no-one is going to look at your feet unless checking you have the correct PPE.

I wouldn't worry about style, when I'm on site I'm head to toe in orange, safety glasses, gloves and a helmet, not my best look!

Rohan are great for smart stretch trousers.

Have you seen Elten boots? They're real safety boots (doc martens aren't allowed on a lot of sites) in real women's sizes and some of them are actually nice! They're a bit narrower so might go under normal trousers. I'd actually go with dark bootleg jeans on top. Clients know you're going to go looking, so don't honestly expect you to do that in a suit. I find if you look the technical business and that you don't mind dirt, you get more respect, rather than just being the sales suit from HQ who doesn't know anything. Jeans are less likely to get damaged too.

Ooh my specialist subject. As others have said, check the requirements as you may find that full boots aren’t needed. I like to look put together even though I work in a building site-ish industry. I hate to ruin a good outfit with Mr Men feet.

I generally wear these, although I grant they may not pass as office wear. They look fine with straight trousers. They’re also light so you don’t get calf ache and ankle rub.

If they have to be boots, my 25-odd years of research has lead me to the conclusion that the black ones are the hardest to blend into an outfit. I have a brown/sand pair like this, and I find them easier to wear. I did once have a pair that were similar to a Converse high-top. When skinny jeans were all the go they were my most worn pair.

Birkenstock have a whole range of safety footwear that’s a bit slimmer profile than your average Screwfix pair. I’ve had a few of those too.

Enjoy your new job, and your new footwear!