Shoebacca Blog Employee Spotlight: Steel Wheels

Employee Spotlight: Matt, CIO.I've been doing construction projects for years. From building furniture (in the Stickley style and tradition) to remodeling whatever house in which I'm living. I went for years wearing Red Wings steel toes, which are a great choice if you're a boots-type person. But that was back before I realized all the choices available in construction-related footwear. When you're doing this type of work in a Dallas, TX summer... you need something a notch or two up.My wife did me a solid this past Xmas: Timberland Pro Steel Toes. Imagine a magical wonderland where cross trainers jam into tune with steel toe protection. Now imagine that the aforementioned magical wonderland exists... and that you may step into it, if you choose to do so. Let me explain.If you're like me, you may find yourself emerged in a weekend of replacing... say, eight interior doors. My house came with the sweet 70's doors which lack a bit of surface cosmetic character and can feel a bit flimsy. I chose to upgrade to six-panel doors. So, I hooked up the trailer and made a door run to Lowes (no offense, Home Depot, I spend plenty of time with you as well... they had eight, you had six...). I've got a nice inexpensive jig that I used to profile each of the doors I was replacing. In simple terms, I just pulled down the existing door and copied the hinge placement to make it easy to put back into place.I've taken you down this path for a reason... just one example of where steel toes not only protect, but also come in very handy: when you're putting up something really special like a barn door with hardware from Rustica Hardware:Steel Toes go a long way in protecting your feet as expected, but an added benefit I count on is being able to rest sheets of plywood on them, or... a heavy pine door. With my barn door project complete, I can honestly say Rustica Hardware has some of the coolest door hardware going, doing something different in an area like doors that's got an edge... kind of like what we do here at the Big Shoe, SHOEBACCA.Rock and roll.