Winter Ready: JALAS Unveils Innovative Safety Boots

Discover the latest and cutting-edge JALAS winter safety boots for this season. Join us as JALAS Project Manager, Tiina Viertola, provides a comprehensive tour of their standout features and key highlights.

JALAS has been manufacturing high-quality shoes for over a century. Always with the small village of Jokipii in southern Ostrobothnia as the base for design, development, and production. Since the focus of the business shifted to safety and work shoes in the mid-1980s, we have contributed to several major innovations that have pushed development forward. For example, in 1989, we launched the shock-absorbing Ergothan insole. In 2004, we introduced the world's first aluminum toe cap, and in the same year, the world's then-lightest safety shoe, JALAS Exalter (399 grams). Since 2008, JALAS is a part of the Ejendals Group.

Today, the JALAS product range includes over 20 safety and work shoes designed for winter use. Among the new releases is JALAS ZENIT 2728, a winter boot with Thinsulate lining and the new ventilation system, JALAS C² Climate Control, which ventilates moisture using special air channels.

Dive into JALAS Safety Shoe Innovations

Exploring the technical section for JALAS, here on our website, is a deep dive into material science and high-tech-sounding product names, from shock-absorbing micro-air bubbles to air-permeable laminates with super-absorbent polymers and heat-regulating bio-ceramic fur.

To help explain some of these innovations, we have Tiina Viertola, who is a project manager at Ejendals/JALAS.

The soles in our winter shoes are built up of three layers, says Tiina.

Key Elements in Footwear Comfort and Safety

The outsole should, besides protecting against the elements, also provide good slip resistance. A good example is the Vibram Arctic Grip, an outsole made of heat and oil-resistant HNBR rubber, which features special grip lugs that provide excellent traction, even on ice.

The middle layer, which is often made of PU in JALAS products, serves as protection against the cold and also has shock-absorbing properties.

In the insole, we often use Merino wool, Tiina continues. Merino wool creates an extra layer against the cold. Some of our insoles also have a thin foil layer [ABSOLUTE ALUMINIA] that reflects away the cold and retains the warmth generated by the feet, while also wicking moisture. Another material we use in the insole is PORON XRD. It is very soft and comfortable with unique shock-absorbing properties that absorb up to 90 percent of the energy from impacts and shocks.

What are the most common mistakes when choosing winter shoes?

One common mistake is selecting sizes that are too small. If you have an active job where you spend a lot of time in your safety shoes, your feet can actually increase in size by up to a whole size during the workday.

On the other hand, wearing shoes that are too big forces you to use the small muscles in your toes to compensate, which can lead to fatigue.

The level of activity is also crucial when choosing shoe models. If you have a very active job, good ventilation can be much more important than warmth. Discover JALAS C² Climate Control: Ventilating Moisture with Special Air Channels – Watch the Video to Learn More!

How important is the choice of socks?

It's extremely important, and something that is often overlooked. Changing your work socks is an easy way to adjust the temperature and climate inside the safety shoe. If the sock is wet, it also increases the risk of issues like blisters. Generally, for winter shoes, we recommend Merino wool socks, especially in combination with JALAS GORE-TEX shoes. Our socks are a combination of Merino wool, polyester, and synthetic fiber, which allows them to be machine-washed.

What is the best way to take care of your shoes?

Something that many people forget or simply skip is drying the shoes after use, which includes taking out, or at least lifting, the insoles to allow air to circulate underneath. For the outer layer, regular cleaning is the key. Often, a cloth or brush is sufficient. Make sure to clean the zippers as well. Using shoe care products can also be a good idea, especially for leather shoes.