Safety Footwear Programs: What Employers Need to Know in 2026

Why Safety Footwear Programs Matter

Workplace foot injuries account for over 60,000 incidents annually in the U.S., costing employers billions in workers' compensation claims, lost productivity, and OSHA fines. For industries like manufacturing, construction, logistics, and energy, providing ASTM-rated safety footwear isn't just good practice — it's often a regulatory requirement.

Yet many employers still manage boot allowances with spreadsheets, reimbursement forms, and manual tracking. The result? Low utilization, frustrated employees, and zero visibility into compliance.

What ASTM F2413 Requires

The ASTM F2413 standard covers protective footwear and includes requirements for impact resistance, compression resistance, and metatarsal protection. Employers in industries governed by OSHA's General Duty Clause or specific standards (like 29 CFR 1910.136) must ensure employees have access to compliant footwear.

Key requirements include:

• Impact resistance (I/75 or I/50 ratings)
• Compression resistance (C/75 or C/50 ratings)
• Optional: metatarsal guards, electrical hazard protection, puncture resistance

The Problem with Traditional Boot Allowances

Most employers handle safety footwear one of three ways: annual stipends, reimbursement programs, or bulk purchasing. Each has major drawbacks:

• Stipends — Employees may spend the money elsewhere. No proof of purchase, no compliance tracking.
• Reimbursements — Requires receipts, manual approval, and accounting overhead. Employees front the cost.
• Bulk orders — Limited selection frustrates employees. Sizing issues lead to returns and waste.

A Better Approach: Digital Ordering

Modern safety footwear programs let employees choose their own ASTM-rated boots from a wide selection at a retailer they already know. The employer sets a budget per employee, and everything is tracked automatically — no spreadsheets, no reimbursements, no guessing who has compliant footwear.

This approach drives higher utilization because employees actually want to wear boots they picked out themselves.

Combining Footwear and Eyewear

The most efficient approach is to run your safety footwear and eyewear programs under one platform. One enrollment, one set of reporting, one vendor to manage. Employees get both benefits through a single program, and you get unified compliance tracking.

Bridgemart offers both safety eyewear and occupational footwear through one simple program. Employees shop at any Walmart, choose from hundreds of options, and employers get automatic utilization reports.

Getting Started

Setting up a safety footwear program with Bridgemart takes about 5 minutes. There are no commitments, no minimums, and transparent pricing. If you're already running a safety glasses program, adding footwear is seamless.