I worked on construction sites, and I had to wear proper PPE or Personal Protective Equipment to maintain my safety, which included work boots.
On hot summer days, I would need to wear something breathable, like shorts, but it was not always possible.
Why so?
Shorts are not always practical in a hazardous work environment because your legs are susceptible to injuries like cuts, scratches, splinters, grazes, or more.
So can you wear work boots with shorts?
I wouldn’t say that you can’t wear shorts with your work boots at all. It really depends on the circumstance! You shouldn’t wear shorts working in an environment demanding leg protection. Whereas overheating in your trousers can present a different set of problems. So wearing shorts with your work boots entirely depends on the conditions you find yourself in.
Is It Okay to Wear Work Boots with Shorts?
The question isn’t a simple one, and so isn’t the answer. There are many layers to both the question and the answer. And the short answer is:
It depends!
Wearing shorts with work boots usually isn’t always a great idea. Because depending on your work, you might be exposed to various components that can cause your legs to be injured.
You could get scratches, cuts, splinters, etc., which could easily lead to infections resulting in skin damage or worse if you’re not cautious.
But even when we’re cautious, accidents happen!
So the best possible course of action would be to try to prevent accidents from happening by not wearing shorts.
That’s not all!
You might be working at a job where you are always vulnerable to dangerous elements like electricity or even different levels of UV rays.
This could cause permanent skin damage that you would rather avoid by not wearing shorts with your work boots.
But on the flip side:
Even though it’s better not to wear shorts with your work boots, you might face some circumstances where it will become unavoidable not to wear shorts.
Like when it’s so hot that there’s a chance of overheating, for example: at over 80 degrees temperatures, you need something as reliable as shorts.
Overheating in trousers can not only make you highly uncomfortable, but it can also hinder you from doing your job properly.
It’s a known fact that you can’t concentrate on your work when you’re in severe discomfort to the point of aggravation.
In that case, if you decide to wear shorts, you have to be more aware of your surroundings to intercept any possible accidents.
Having said that,
Being exposed to the sun with shorts on for long hours most days of the week can make you an easy target for skin cancer and more skin damage.
I know! I know!
I only made you more confused about whether to wear your shorts with your work boots or not.
But here’s the thing, you need to know these things to understand exactly when and where you can wear your shorts.
I warned you that it was never going to be as simple as, “yes, you can,” or “no, you can’t.” You are the one who can decide what to do while keeping all these things in consideration.
Hold on! I’ve got more!
OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, hands most of the decision-making powers to employers.
Meaning your employer gets to make the guidelines on what you can and can’t wear while you work for them.
And OSHA is also lenient about wearing shorts if you do find it completely inescapable.
So if you do decide that you need to wear shorts to work and your boss says no, you might have to convince him otherwise.
When to Wear Work Boots with Shorts?
So far, I’ve talked about coming to a decision about wearing work boots with shorts related to extreme work conditions.
The points I made were for jobs like constriction work, welding, logging, working around electrical wires or hazardous chemicals, roofing, fishing, hunting, mining, working with steel, etc.
What about other jobs?
Yes, there are other jobs that require work boots! I’ll get into details about some of these jobs and whether you can wear shorts with work boots for them or not.
Mail Carrier Jobs
Even though mail carriers don’t usually have to face adverse work conditions as described above, they might have to walk a lot.
Working on your foot for hours can put a lot of pressure on your feet. If you don’t wear comfortable footwear well-equipped to take some of that pressure off, it’ll be painful.
That’s why mail carriers should wear work boots!
But does that mean you can wear shorts in this kind of situation? Absolutely!
Why?
Isn’t it obvious? There are lesser chances of you getting your legs injured with this kind of job. So you can wear work boots with shorts as a mail carrier.
Warehouse Work
As a warehouse employee, you might have to work with a lot of heavy products to either receive or process them.
You might have to be the one to pick, unload, or store products that weigh a ton. So there might be a lot of heavy lifting included in this kind of job.
Better wear work boots, then!
However, warehouse work doesn’t generally include anything that could cause direct harm to your legs.
That being the case, you won’t need to avoid wearing shorts with your work boots.
Grocery Store Work
This is another example of work that could require heavy lifting. For example, you might have to lift huge bags of ice, cat litter, dog food, etc., on a regular basis.
So it’s a good idea to arm yourself with work boots as a grocery store employee. And for the “injuries to your legs” part, you should already know that doesn’t usually happen here.
In this case, if you do feel the need to wear shorts to stay comfortable, there’s really nothing stopping you except your employer. And that is a whole different story I’m not getting into!
Nursery Work
Among the things you are required to do at nurseries, you will have to lift heavy stuff, walk around a lot, keep standing on your feet, and move items.
Plus, your feet will be exposed to things like different sharp equipment, thorns, and other edgy plant parts.
Therefore, wearing work boots at these jobs is a smart idea!
What about shorts?
The sharp objects will also surround your legs, which can easily harm you. So it’s not always the best idea to wear your shorts for this kind of job.
However, if you do end up in a situation where you can’t cope with the heat and need at least your legs to breathe, you can wear shorts.
On account of this kind of circumstance, you just have to be very careful about moving around sharp objects.
Construction Work
Now this one is very tricky! As a construction worker on specific work sites, only you can decide when to wear shorts and when to not.
Let me explain!
Constriction work typically calls for these kinds of labor:
- Picking up and handing over different equipment and materials, which could or not be heavy
- Laying out patterns of workpieces, digging trenches with heavy tools, and other groundwork
- Positioning or transferring heavy and cumbersome materials
- Assisting with scaffolding construction
- Working with concrete
- Cleanup
Now, these kinds of work can end up injuring your bare legs if there are unsafe materials lying around unsupervised.
And the reality is, most of the time, these hazardous things will remain unrestrained.
But if somehow, where you work, these things are cleaned up more often, and you are careful enough around them, you could take a chance on wearing shorts.
Final Words
So can you wear work boots with shorts? Yes and no! It’s quite possible to wear work boots with shorts in some situations, whereas you shouldn’t in others.
My employer allowed me to wear shorts if I really needed to, but I always cautiously weighed my options first.
Consider every detail before you make your decision!