Comprised of 26 fragile bones and very little padding, feet are extremely susceptible to injuries on the job. In fact, the National Safety Council reports 180,000 foot injuries on average a year, which amounts to 400 or more cases per day. From manufacturing plants and steel yards to construction sites and farms, it’s no secret that protective toecaps are essential in helping to protect feet from rolling, falling or dropped objects.
A man known as Mr. Davidson first developed the concept of a protective toecap in 1927. To make his idea of a steel toecap become tangible, he employed the help of H.G. Josephson, a founder and president of Eastern Tool and Stamping Co. (ETASCO). Davidson and his financial backer, Arthur Williams, owner of the Goodwill Shoe Co. in Holliston, Massachusetts, agreed to an exclusive production contract with ETASCO, and in 1928 the initial stages of steel-toe manufacturing began1.