PRESS RELEASES
Wearing Sneakers May be a Safety Hazard When Mowing the Lawn or Working in the Garden
Are you living on the edge when mowing the lawn or working in the garden?
The answer can be yes -- if you are pushing around a heavy lawn mower with sharp cutting blades that are rotating at high speeds only 12 inches from your feet and you’re wearing a ratty old pair of sneakers that offers minimal traction and no protection should the mower or blade hit your foot.
“Although most people will simply put on a pair of old sneakers when they work in the yard or garden, sneakers are not really safe to wear when mowing the lawn,” says Russ Stark, who founded LawnGrips, LLC after learning that mowing accidents result in over 70,000 visits to emergency rooms annually in the United States alone.
He believes lawn and garden work deserves a special performance shoe, and LawnGrips offers a safer and more comfortable alternative for avid gardening hobbyists and for professional landscapers.
“Before starting the company we conducted a considerable amount of research and found that most landscapers, groundskeepers and other professional lawn/garden workers wear construction-type shoes that are really designed for indoor work and do not have the best traction for working on grass or in a garden,” explains the 49-year-old entrepreneur.
“Considerable research also went into the shoes’ design, including an extensive survey of professional and home gardeners,” he adds. “We wanted to design a shoe that offers specific features and benefits to people who spend a considerable amount of time on a wide range of gardening chores.”
All LawnGrips shoes are made with the patented Grip-N-Go™ outsole that is based on a soccer shoe design for maximum forward and lateral traction, even on wet grass. The tread pattern of the Grip-N-Go outsole has specialized, oblique lugs positioned in the forefoot and heel areas that provide great traction for pushing, turning and stopping. The lugs and centers of the heel and forefoot are also slightly rounded to easily shed grass clippings and dirt.
The footwear features high-quality materials and construction for long lasting wear and a waterproof, protective toe. For added safety, LawnGrips shoes also are made with a steel toe under the rugged molded rubber toe. The “No Feel Steel” toe design is high profile and rounded for a comfortable fit all day. Additional features include a composite insole board with polyurethane midsole for comfort and support, waterproof leather and an easy-on/easy-off hook and loop closure system.
The newly expanded LawnGrips line now includes six- and eight-inch laced boots for men in whole and half sizes 7 through 11½ plus 12 and 13; a women’s slip-on and six-inch laced boots in whole and half sizes 6 through 10½ plus 11 and 12; and the new GardenGrips™ clogs that offer the same superb traction and construction design without the steel toe and are available in three colors -- moss, indigo and slate.
“Lawn and garden care is a relaxing hobby for some and a serious profession for others,” says Stark. “Both groups want safety and performance from their tools, and their footwear is no exception. There’s a shoe designed for every purpose these days, and it just makes sense to have one for lawn mowing,” he concludes.
For further information, to find a dealer in your area or to order online, visit the website at www.lawngrips.com or call toll-free 1-877-4GRIPS1.
Contact: Russell Stark, CEO of LawnGrips, 219-617-1522 or email contactus@lawngrips.com