Its official - Oliver Footwear has just released their new AT55 (All Terrain) series range of safety workboots supported by the claim that the leading supplier of safety and industrial footwear says is 'the best boot we have ever constructed'.

And coming from a family owned company based in Ballarat Vic. that has been bootmakers since 1887, the claim is worthy of being put to the test.

So what differentiates the AT 55s series from the pack?

Unique new technology which affords the wearer significant comfort as well as additional safety features are the key differences to other safety footwear choices.

Foremost in the AT55s range is the use of a NANOlite™ footbed for underfoot comfort.

Simply put the NANOlite footbed (with patents pending) affords greater comfort and wellbeing for the wearer.

The gently raised surface of the sole massages your feet as you walk, promoting a greater blood flow to help reduce fatigue.

The perforated foam air control layer also enhances circulation with reduced foot odour being one of the benefits.

Oliver has matched the new nanolite footbed with an additional raft of features.

These include the traditional unique Oliver COMFORTcushion which employs a combination of cellular urethane and PORON to protect the heel and ball of the foot, affording superior cushioning and shock absorption at the heel.

These features are coupled with a distinctive all terrain outer tread pattern, water resistant leather uppers and a wide profile NATUREform Type 1 protective toecap.

The durability of the AT55 series is further enhanced by heavy duty TECtuff toe and heel guards with extra durability and protection especially against abrasion and scuffing.

The anti-static rubber outer sole can withstand temperatures up to 300 degrees C while the use of Kevlar threading on critical wear seams will simply hold the series together for longer with maximum abrasion and chemical resistance.

Five footwear style choices make up the Oliver AT55 series.

There are three 150mm (or 6 inch) lace-up mid-cut boots offering a choice of wheat nubuck leather, claret or black leather uppers all of which are water resistant.

The lace-up mid-cut boots all come with padded ankle, tongue and collars and the size choices in the range are from 5 to 14 with half size increments from 6½ to 10½.

A traditional elastic sided boot with black water resistant leather uppers is also likely to prove a popular choice.

The final member of the new AT55s range is a hi-leg zip sided boot with wheat nubuck leather uppers which are also water resistant and have a lace closing system at the front with a lace locking feature.

Oliver Footwear's managing director Phil Hughes says that the AT55s range release comes after extensive consultation with industry and safety footwear wearers at large.

"There is significant demand from the building and construction, resource and mining support sectors for superior safety footwear products which afford the wearer advanced comfort, durability and safety features.

"Oliver is so confident that the new AT55s series range will strike such acceptance in the market that we are offering a 30 day money back comfort guarantee.

"We simply say try a pair of correctly fitted Oliver boots for 30 days and if you are not completely satisfied, return them to the specialist dealer who was the point of purchase with the dated receipt and guarantee tag, for exchange or refund.

"What can be fairer than that?" Mr Hughes added.

For additional information on all Oliver Footwear choices, style numbers, size and other product information see the extensive web site at www.oliver.com.au or email info@oliver.com.au or ring the company on 1300 652 688.

Wandin Victoria service station proprietor Mathew Rouget says he has invested a lot of time trying to find a pair of work boots that provide exceptional comfort and stand up to the rigours of working long hours in his service station forecourt and workshop.

Mathew says "as you can imagine my work boots are subject to extremes from inadvertent acid spills to contact with fuel and oils.

"I have tried many work boots all of which offer all sorts of protection, but most of them split on the sole or at the seams before the boots are even a year old."

Mathew was introduced to a pair of Oliver 70 Series non safety footwear with a duel density thermoplastic urethane and polyurethane sole by his local safety supplier.

His choice was a pair of lace up boots Oliver Style Number 70-939 which in addition to the TPU/PU dual density sole have a water resistant leather upper and a padded comfort collar.

Mathew reports "I am thrilled to say that I have worn the same boots for the past two years and they have held up to all the punishment I can throw at them.

"The Oliver's are the only boots I wear on a daily basis plus they are not affected by salt water, as I am a keen rock fisherman on my days off, plus they withstand any of the chemicals or spills that occur on a daily basis at the service station" Mathew says.

Oliver Footwear offers an extensive range of safety and non-safety footwear for both men and women designed to meet the most demanding workplace environments that Australia can offer.

For more product information see the website www.oliver.com.au or email info@oliver.com.au or call the company at its Ballarat headquarters on 03 53 31 2688 the latest footwear product catalogue.

Oliver Footwear has accepted an offer of a Gold sponsorship with the Ballarat based VFL football club, North Ballarat known affectionately as 'The Roosters'.

North Ballarat Football Club is considered one of the icons of regional football in Victoria and fields both Senior & Reserves teams in the VFL competition

Since 2006, the Club has held a relationship with the North Melbourne Football Club, one of the nine of the fourteen clubs in the VFL competition holding an alignment with an AFL Club.

Announcing the Gold sponsorship Phillip Hughes managing director of Oliver Footwear drew attention to the strong local flavour of both organisations.

"Oliver is a fourth generation family owned company with its headquarters in Ballarat and where it was founded in 1887.

"As Australia's leading manufacturer of safety and industrial footwear we employ about 80 people locally and support a diverse range of local businesses and suppliers.

"Where we can Oliver likes to put something extra back into our local community and the North Ballarat sponsorship provided such an opportunity" Hughes said

North Ballarat Football Club has a similar focus in its operations viewing itself as a community organisation offering numerous opportunities for interaction with the city, businesses and the region according to the Club's marketing manager Sarah Marriott.

The North Ballarat Club has bagged eighteen premierships over the pact thirty years and since being admitted to the VFL in 1996 has reached the finals in the 1998 season, the grand finals in 1999 and 2,000 and the semi finals in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

The Club currently shares the top of the VFL ladder after six rounds with only one defeat and a slightly better percentage than the next placed team.

North Ballarat has also provided a host of AFL/VFL greats past and present, drawing upon the recruits from throughout country Victoria but with a strong Western Victoria flavour.

Dan Kelly is an electrician from Adelaide who is currently working on the final services fitout of the ?stg1.9 billion New Wembley Stadium development - considered the biggest roof-covered football stadium in the world.

When Dan found that he couldn't find a comfortable pair of safety work boots in London he contact his preferred supplier Oliver Footwear in Ballarat requesting that a pair of his preferred size 12 Oliver Sports Slip On Safety Shoes in Black be airmailed to him as quickly as possible.

Oliver Footwear quickly responded and a pair of the Sports style 40-545 was promptly airmailed to Dan in London.

Dan responded with a thank you to Oliver for the prompt attention to his needs, adding "I was finding it hard to find some decent work boots in the UK and I'd searched far and wide."

Dan added that he was persisting in wearing the same pair of Oliver Sports that he had arrived with on his current job assignment at Wembley and that he was unwilling to give them up until he could be assured of a replacement of the same quality.

The latest report from Dan received by email since his new pair of Oliver Sports arrived is that while his work colleagues on the Wembley site complain about uncomfortable safety footwear he just smiles and cherishes his choice of the Oliver Sports all the way from Ballarat, Australia.

Oliver Sports with the SPORTflex thermoplastic urethane sole provide a stylish range of safety footwear with distinctive product advantages.

Key features include water repellent Nubuck leather in a choice of colours,

EXPANDflex flexible sides for easy donning and doffing of the slip on styles and an ultra comfortable footbed employing PORON 4000.

The Oliver Sports range is available in an extensive choice of styles, colours and trims including ankle height sports boots, low cut sports shoes and slip-on sports shoes so that there is a Sports solution for every workplace need or wearer preference.

For more information on the Oliver Footwear ranges email info@oliver.com.au or call 03 5331 2688 for more product information.

Specialty safety footwear manufactured by Oliver Footwear is winning increasing exports markets into the USA in particular.

Oliver exhibited a range of its products at the recent American Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) Conference and Exposition held in Indianapolis, Indiana for the second consecutive year.

Four prominent US steel companies are already testing Oliver steel industry footwear with a view to making them the footwear of choice for their manufacturing plants nationwide.

The Oliver steel industry range (Styles 20-233 & 20-246) employ the SOFTtrac dual density rubber sole with water resistant leather uppers, bumper toe caps and an external METflex metatarsal guard to protect against impact injuries.

Several US metal casting and smelting companies are using the Oliver Smelter Boot (Style 20 299) and consider it to be the boot of first choice, as it is not only comfortable all day long but also complies with the most demanding international standard for immersion in the hot metal industries (Alcoa Dip Test).

The Oliver Smelter Boot also has the SOFTtrac dual density rubber sole with a heat resistant and flame retardant leather upper, a Velcro closure system with full lining and a comfort collar, while the Kevlar stitching adds to the durability.

Oliver Smelter Boots are also available with or without the external METflex metatarsal guard.

"Oliver Footwear has recently established Oliver USA headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as the beachhead for our expansion of specialty safety footwear products into the US market.

"The very positive market response we have been receiving from industries like iron and steel, metal casting and smelting and the chemical and mining sectors where Oliver's footwear is already established is indicating significant market potential.

"The fact that Oliver Footwear products are tested and accredited to the major international performance standards is a key factor in influencing the major manufacturing sectors to want to evaluate and purchase selected safety footwear options from our range" Oliver Footwear's marketing manager Geoff Roberts added.

For more information info@oliver.com.au

Geoff cited a number of recent innovations that have helped the company continue to move forward. Among them was the introduction of the NATUREform toe cap. "This cap retains the proven Oliver wide profile that is shaped to suit your foot and is padded with a latex cushion liner to ensure the toes are comfortable and not in contact with the toe cap," he said.

"Other advances have been in providing better under-foot comfort, with POWERflex and
Oliver was also the first into sports type safety footwear and over the past couple of years has released the innovative Oliver Sports styles to encourage younger worker who have been brought up o a "diet" of Nike and Adidas to wear safety footwear. This has been a huge success.

Investing in machinery to produce the new dual density rubber and PU/TPU soling technology for safety footwear has also been an investment in the future for Olivers, but the innovations don't stop there. Little extras such as, a lace locking system on some styles and alloy safety toecaps which are standard in the new AT's ALL TERRAIN range and in much of the specialist footwear.

The AT's range features a new TPU/PU dual density soles, the new Hi-Impact ALLOY Type 1 safety toe cap which is 40% lighter than traditional steel caps, lace locking device, the COMFORTcushion Impact Absorption System, and much more.
"We have always been a leader in our styling too, and this range is in response to the needs of the mining industry.

The boots feature both TPU/PU dual density soling and Rubber dual density soling technology. Both of these soles utilize a mid-sole layer of low density cushion material for comfort and a hard outer layer for long wear. The dual density rubber soles are heat resistant to temperatures of 300 degrees Celsius and are also chemical resistant.

"The launch of the All Terrain range earlier this year has captured the imagination of workers and is a huge growth area for us," said Geoff.
"We knew there was a need for this type of footwear that would be suitable for the mining industry, but we worked on the collection until we had got the most hi-tech materials and components that we felt were needed for this type of footwear."

Another recent innovation from the company was the waterproof Bowen Mining Boot which utilises many of the features just mentioned, as well as water proof leather to DIN 3 together with a SYMPATEX waterproof liner - an internal bootie construction that utilises microscopic pores to keep water out while allowing perspiration to be wicked away from the foot.

The new Caustic resistant range of boots is also designed to meet the extreme working environments of the mining and chemical processing industries. Oliver have used specially developed caustic soda and chemical resistant leather that is which is tested to industry standards. Again this leather is also water resistant to DIN 3 Standard and all the footwear is stitched with chemical resistant thread which can resist heat, chemicals and welding sparks better than standard footwear thread.

The innovations at Oliver will continue to develop as Oliver team look to the future, both here and overseas. "The resounding message here is that at Olivers, we all have the same focus and that is to build better solutions for tough work environments. It's all about identifying what workers out there need and want, and developing the best product to fit that niche."
"Andrew's philosophy has been to continually lead the pack and not be a follower, by creating a point of difference."
To this end, Oliver has been exporting its product for some time now, to countries including Denmark, Germany, Singapore, the Pacific Region, the USA and the UK.
"We know that if we can make footwear that suits different market sectors here then we can also make it for the rest of the world.
"For Australian companies - and the Australian industry - to remain viable, we must also be viable exporters."

Hence as you can see it is all about passion….

Oliver Footwear offers a range of specialty footwear to meet the most demanding work sites conditions in industry.

Smelter boots able to withstand extreme temperatures for short periods of time in line with the requirements of international standards, boots for fire fighting and emergency services personnel for similarly demanding workplaces and safety footwear for the steel industry that offer added protection with a metatarsal guard that protects against impact injuries are three examples.

The Oliver Smelter Boot (designated Style no 20.298) is fast becoming the safety footwear of choice for the international smelting and hot metal industries and no wonder.

A recent incident reported at an Australian aluminium smelter saw an employee injured by a workplace accident after short term immersion of one of his feet into a container of molten aluminium.

The Oliver Smelter Boot successfully protected the employee's foot from major damage although the burns he received has required a short period of hospitalisation.

Without the Oliver Smelter Boot that is the standard safety footwear at the smelter involved his injury circumstances could have been significantly worse.

The Oliver Smelter Boot has a dual density rubber sole and a host of comfort features.

It also complies with international standards, for instance heat resistance to 300 degrees C under ISO 8782-1 and the boot is dip tested to 960 degrees C for 3 seconds in molten aluminium in accord with the Pot Room Test Method (29CFR 1910-136).

Other key performance attributes for the dual density rubber sole are superior resistance to cutting and abrasion (ISO 8784) superior slip resistance (exceeding SATRA standards under test method PM 1140) and resistance to chemical attack (acids, alkalis, fats and oils under ISO 8782).

And the leather uppers which are Kevlar stitched also meet another suite of Standards for flame resistance, heat resistance, caustic and acid resistance, cut and water resistance (as required by Standards including ISO 6940, & ISO 8782 -1 in particular.)

Oliver Footwear recently exhibited the Smelter Boot at the major international Aluminium Exhibition held in Essen, Germany where it was acclaimed as the best available safety footwear for smelters and pot rooms.

Oliver Footwear's marketing manager Geoff Roberts notes that the Oliver Smelter Boat already has an export market and international user base in the hot metal industries that has built up by reputation and the unique protective features it offers.

"Oliver offers a significant range of special purpose industrial footwear as well as all popular styles of safety footwear.

The boot complies with a wide range of ISO and other performance standards

Many industrial processes and tasks create the risk of damage to the feet by dropping or impact damage from heavy steel, pipe or similar components.

Oliver Footwear has addressed this important occupational health and safety issue for the hot and heavy metals industries with the release of two new safety footwear products which incorporate a metatarsal guard.

Both styles, lace - up and an elastic sided boots, are designed for use in hot industrial environments including steel or aluminium smelters, casting and rolling mills and similar workplaces.

The Oliver Steel Industry Footwear range is heat resistant to 300 degrees C in accord with the immersion requirements of ISO 8782 -19 and the Aluminium Pot Room Test Method (29CFR 1910-136).

Designated the Oliver Steel Industry Footwear and specifically Style No's 20-246 and 20-223, the two new safety footwear products have undergone an intensive evaluation phase at one of Australia's leading steel production mills with impressive results.

The metatarsal guard manufactured from a unique engineering plastic protects the metatarsal bone of the foot .

Oliver Style 20-246 is a lace up style ankle height SOFTtrac dual density rubber soled boot which is fully lined with a padded comfort collar and has a prominent rubber toe bumper to ensure a long useful life.

Oliver Style 20-223 which is the elastic sided boot, also employs the SOFTtrac dual density rubber sole.

The boot is fully lined with a padded comfort collar and a prominent rubber toe bumper for a long useful life.

Both boots are available in sizes 3-13 with half size increments from 5½ to 10½.

Key comfort features are the traditional Oliver wide profile NATUREform Type 1 safety toecap, while the leather material is flame resistant to the ISO 6940 Standard as well as the NFPA Protective Footwear for Firefighting 1992 Edition.

Use of the SOFTtrac dual density rubber sole affords unmatched comfort with the sole resistant to chemical attack and superior resistance to acids, alkalis, fats and oils, with superior resistance to cutting and abrasion and superior slip resistance.

The Oliver Steel Industry Footwear range also employs the Oliver POWERflex impact absorption system to protect the heel and the ball of the foot through the PORON cellular urethane which protects the heel and ball of the foot with superior cushioning and shock absorption to reduce foot, leg and lower back fatigue.

The Oliver Steel Industry Footwear range will have special applications in the hot and heavy metals sectors.

The Oliver AT's-All Terrain safety footwear range produced by long established Ballarat based Oliver Footwear is fast becoming the safety footwear of choice for mine sites, construction projects and the other tough job environments around Australia.

Oliver AT's are the safety footwear range that combines heavyweight performance with lightweight comfort compared to the traditional safety footwear choices.

The Oliver AT's range has become the preferred choice of workers who staff long shift times in tough workplace environments where safety, comfort and keeping feet dry are paramount.

Oliver AT's range employ a new dual density TPU (Thermo Plastic Urethane) soling technology where a lightweight, shock absorbing low density PU (polyurethane) midsole is matched with a hard wearing, high density TPU outsole which provides the superior grip and abrasion resistance.

The new TPU soling combination also has a unique sole tread pattern where the cleats are designed to dislodge mud and stones.

Apart from the comfort factor the sole also has excellent slip resistance while the dual density TPU is resistant to hydrolysis, has superior resistance to splitting and cracking and is oil, acid and chemical resistant.

The choice of quality outer leathers in black, tan and nubuck, are all water resistant to the Industry Standard to ensure that feet remain dry and comfortable throughout the rigors of a shift.

Oliver Footwear offers the choice of styles from popular elastic sided slip-on boots, to lace up boots in high and mid cut versions.