Boots & Overshoes

Dielectric footwear is the last line of protection between a lineman and the ground, and it is rated and tested the same way gloves and sleeves are. Salisbury's deep-heel wide-throat boots are built from natural rubber and tested to 20kV, with the wide throat sized to pull on over a work boot rather than replace it. The 14-inch height suits most distribution work; the 17-inch adds coverage above the calf where standing water, mud, or a bucket floor is part of the day. Buckle overshoes on a Bob-Sole cover the same job in a lower-profile form and go on faster, which matters when they come on and off several times a shift. Insulated overshoes are a different tool altogether: they add warmth and traction over a regular boot for cold-weather work and carry no electrical rating, so read the product before ordering. Size dielectric footwear over the boot it will cover, not to your shoe size, and inspect it the way you inspect gloves. Rubber degrades with ozone, oil, and sunlight, so store it out of the light and away from solvents.