Leading safety footwear manufacturer, Bova, show-cased their latest safety footwear offering, featuring innovative dual compound rubber (DCR) soling technology that will better address the specific safety needs of the extreme and demanding environments in which the products are intended for use.

Peter Gerbrands, Group Marketing Manager at BBF Safety Group, which manufactures and distributes the Bova brand says, “Bova has earned a reputation for manufacturing safety footwear that is engineered for purpose rather than applying a one-size-fits all approach.”

He explains that different personnel within the same industry often require very different levels of protection and, therefore, different specifications.

Up until now, those working in extreme and hazardous conditions, relied on footwear comprising either a single density Vulcanised Rubber sole, Nitrile Rubber sole or a dual density Polyurethane/Rubber (Pu/Rubber) sole.

While single density Rubber soles provide the wearer with the necessary protection in these harsh consitions, they cause discomfort due to their heavy nature and lack of a midsole.

PU/Rubber soles have answered the demand for a lighter boot with improved comfort, through the inclusion of Polyurethane in the mid-sole, but this has simultaneously compromised the durability of the products in the face of extreme environments.

Gerbrands adds, “The challenge for us, was to find a way to bring together the benefits offered by both these soling technologies, whilst eliminating their short-comings.”   

This resulted in the development of a new range of safety footwear that demonstrates our leadership in continous improvement and technological advancements.

DCR is an innovative soling technology that utilises two different layers of rubber where the soles are directly injected onto the uppers for a superior bond, increasing the longevity of the product.

By removing Polyurethane from the PU/Rubber product offering, and replacing it with a light-weight Rubber, we have eliminated the destructive effects caused by hydrolysis in the face of fluctuating temperatures and damp, harsh conditions.  This increases its durability to the level of Nitrile Rubber sole footwear whilst maintaining the comfort that dual density soling products offer.

“Due to the complexity of the sole injection, this technology is only available through a handful of manufacturers around the world and, until now, has not been manufactured on the African continent, resulting in an imported boot with an expensive price tag,” Gerbrands says.

DCR soling technology offers a variety of benefits, including 300° C direct and radiant heat resistance, a 100% water proof sole, resistance to acids, oils and chemicals, superior slip resistance, enhanced penetration resistance, superior abrasion resistance and shock absorbency on impact.

This footwear is specifically targeted at those who work in extreme environments, such as tarmac and asphalt, mining, oil and gas, heavy construction and engineering.

The launch phase of the DRC footwear will consist of the following offerings:

• 1 x 6-inch boot
• 2 x 8-inch boots
• 1 x shoe
• 1 x Chelsea Boot

The second phase of DCR footwear will include specialist boots for extreme risk associated with specialist applications.

“As the leading manufacturer of safety footwear in Africa, it is our responsibility to constantly explore the products we release into the market and ask if this is the best that we can offer our wearers. As technology evolves, it is our job to update our products to reflect the latest in safety footwear engineering, in line with market requirements and costs,” concludes Gerbrands.