Australian work boots
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Australian work boots (or generically elastic-sided boots) are a unique style of work shoe, typically constructed with a leather upper bound together with elastic sides and pull tabs on the front and back of the boot. The shoe lacks a tongue, and laces, and often contains a steel toe cap for occupational health and safety reasons. When the shoe contains a steel cap they are often known as "safety boots" or "steel toe boots". The boots generally lack an inner lining. The sole is generally polyurethane and the leather uppers are treated to be resistant to hot water, fats and mild alkaline and acid solutions.
The elasticated side design allows the wearer to easily slip their boots on and off without the hassle of laces, but with the firm fit of lace-up boots. There are several Australian companies manufacturing boots in this classic style today. Some of the more popular brands are Blundstone (perhaps the original dating back to 1870), Rossi Boots and R. M. Williams. In Australian English, the manufacturer's brand name is often associated generically with this style of boot, leading to the names Blundstones or Blunnies, RMs or Redbacks.
The shoes are typically worn as safety boots in occupationally hazardous environments, as ordinary work boots for people whose work is occasionally hazardous and who need to enter hazardous sites, as formal dress boots, as riding boots, or for particular aesthetic purposes. In the last category, the Novocastrian dance ensemble Tap Dogs uses modified work boots as tap shoes.
