Over the past 30 years, a quiet revolution has taken place in the minds of Western Australians: the rise of the tradie.
Trades careers—once maligned by many as an option for the kids who weren’t academic enough to go to university—are now seen not just as viable but as desirable options for our children. They always were good careers, of course, but everything from popular culture to the education system told us otherwise. Now, in 2023, with demand for skilled tradespeople through the roof and earning potential sky-high, what parent wouldn’t encourage their son or daughter to become an electrician or a carpenter?
Getting to this point has been a gradual process and Steel Blue, founded in 1995, has been supporting our tradies for the entire journey. Steel Blue Chief Executive Officer Garry Johnson said Steel Blue’s journey has mirrored the rise of trades.
“If you go back 30 years, tradies tended to be looked down upon and that flowed through to provision of PPE,” he said. “Tradespeople were given very basic footwear, often the cheapest safety boots possible.
“Our founders looked at the advancements in sports shoe technology at the time and thought, ‘what if we could deliver that comfort to a work boot?’ There was no premium safety footwear market at the time. We created that market and others followed.”
Western Australia’s first occupational health and safety law had been passed a decade earlier, and around this time people were becoming more conscious of workplace safety, including wearing PPE. When Steel Blue introduced its innovative trisole comfort system that reduced foot fatigue, easing the load on workers’ ankles, knees, hips and backs, it was enough to earn the company the endorsement of the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
“Workers were looking for a more comfortable option, a work boot that would support their long-term health,” Mr Johnson said.
Steel Blue became the first Australian brand to develop a work boot that was specifically designed to suit the anatomy of the female foot. Mr Johnson said the availability of PPE designed for women is still a barrier to entry today, at a time when industry and government are trying to encourage more women into trades.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, women make up just three per cent of electricians and one per cent of construction workers. Mr Johnson said 10 per cent of Steel Blue’s sales are women’s boots, suggesting women in trades want work boots designed especially for them. The company has raised more than $1.7 million for Breast Cancer Care WA through sales of special pink and purple boots.
Another area where Steel Blue’s journey mirrors the wider conversation is the company’s focus on sustainability. More than 90 per cent of its leather now comes from tanneries accredited for being humane and sustainable, and the company has scope 3 carbon neutral certification for their Australian and New Zealand operations.
In 2022, Steel Blue won WA Business News’ WA Business of the Year at the Rise Awards.
Mr Johnson said in 2023 and beyond, Steel Blue will continue to make the best work boots and introduce new quality and safety innovations, new colours, new women’s styles, more fashionable boots, and even vegan boots. But the focus will always be on the person wearing the boot.
“For us, we’re all about elevating the status of tradespeople,” Mr Johnson said. “We want to elevate the awareness of the value and the craftsmanship that goes into the trades and do our bit to ensure people see the trades as a viable career opportunity.”
