Working shoes comparison for ambulance professionals and EMS workers
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The excellence in the ambulance footwear: HAIX Airpower XR1 safety footwear
Tester: Marco Cipolla
Position: EMT and Ambulance driver (Italian emergency medical service 118)
I’m an Italian ambulance EMT involved in the emergency medical service. The region in which I work every day is Lazio, an extremely wide and difficult territory. We operate both urban and rural environments. We face an elevated number of road accidents. The last scene I operate on causes additional distress to emergency medical practitioners and PPEs, because of the lack of safety of these places and the discomfort in reaching the patient. This is the first reason why our Personal Protective Equipment must be up to it, to avoid serious problems.
Since I wore HAIX safety boots, I spent many hours standing, walking, climbing and descending stairs. I make all my physical efforts for the patients’ safety. First of all, I lift weights all the time. This is the typical action for an EMT. It is essential to have comfortable footwear, and the Airpower XR1 is the right choice for our type of job.
My impressions with HAIX Airpower XR1 boots on
The HAIX Airpower XR1 suits perfectly. It is ideal for those who have a quite large sole of the feet. The HAIX boots can be easily adapted to ones who have problems of intermediate shoes’ size, using a gel insole, in case. I tested XR1 in hard conditions like cold and windy winter nights, and I matched high heat insulation with also a perfect drying system. I read about the Climate System that carries moist air out of the boot through vent holes at the side and on the tongue. It works perfectly!
At the very first usage, I was a little bit unsure about HAIX, because boots seemed quite rigid, but since the second/third day of use, they adapted to my feet and my ankles perfectly. The reason for this temporary resistance is the quality of the materials. The leather is really strong and it determines the long lifespan and durability of the footwear. Shoelaces allow me to regulate the width of the shoes perfectly.
During an outdoor operation – a car accident with engine oil all over along the road – I was afraid to slip and hurt me. The HAIX XR1 surprised me because the shoes’ soles guaranteed me a high grip – which I can define around 60% or 70% more than usual in the same conditions. The grip helps me to maintain proper balance and stability. I made a proper rescue transporting the immobilized patient, and loading it on the ambulance, with great confidence despite difficult conditions.
Another plus is that the steel toe cap is almost undetectable. Considering that the shoes are a sort of “boot” (S3 safety workwear with ankle protection), they are similar to traditional footwear. The HAIX XR1 is a pair of shoes very comfortable, as a whole. However, driving with the HAIX boots is not so difficult. The sensibility is a little bit hampered, and the length of the flat impedes a little bit the freedom of movement, but the mismatch of comfort-safety is fair. The detail of the fast zip opening system is much useful, even if this is an innovation that not anyone is familiar with.
- QUALITY – High-quality materials. Excellent safety boots on all points of view. 5/5
- COMFORT – In case of tight feet flat, use arch support, and it will be like not wearing them! 4/5
- RESISTANCE – I retain it is 99% reliable and resistant. The importance is to become familiar with the fast zip opening system. 4/5
- DESIGN – Very nice design and efficient job.100% anatomically adaptable. 5/5
- HAIX Airpower XR1
- FOXCOT RA061-1 S3 SRC
- Gripper Murray S3
- Grisport Rush
- MEKAP LODER S3
- Grisport Ischia
- Gaibana ES118 HOVERING
- PEZZOL modello CRI (LOTHAR)