Who cares about Postal Socks? Your aching feet do...

In a previous entry I wrote about postal shoes, including the care, history and styles. Now it is time to address another component of the postal uniforms that are important to your aching feet: the postal socks.

The USPS employee labor manual section on authorized uniform items does not offer too many clues on which socks can or can not be worn as part of the official uniform; it states “Calf-length, crew style, or quarter-length uniform blue-gray, black, or white with blue stripes” are approved socks. Each sock manufacturer must submit samples to the Natick Testing Facility of socks that they want approved to be sold on the postal allowance. I would imagine that they do some type of wear-test up there before certifying – I have a vision of a hamster running the wheel in blue striped postal socks but somehow think this might not be the method of testing! After contacting Natick, I have been told that socks are approved for the USPS based essentially on color and sizing, that they must be made domestically, and that they must be of commercial quality (any commercial type fiber is allowed). In recent years we have seen many new fabrics come into play for the comfort of your feet!

Traditionally, most of the postal approved socks are made of a mixture of cotton, nylon, and lycra, with cotton accounting for about 75% of fiber content. Breathable and comfortable due to the high cotton content, these “standard” socks are still the largest selling type of socks for postal workers.

Manufacturers have been coming out with an extra padded sock for years as well. Thorlo has been the market leader. Thorlo not only makes postal uniform socks but are also well known in the sporting goods, outdoor, and backpacking industries. The padded socks tend to concentrate extra cushioning, usually at the ball and heel of the foot. But unlike the “standard” postal sock, the extra cushioning socks are primarily made of acrylic, for its added durability and breathability. Most also have added nylon for increased wear.

Our newest offering is the X-static sock, which combines the comfort of mostly cotton with the addition of silver fiber. Naturally antimicrobial and anti static, the addition of the silver fiber helps these socks eliminate odor and move the moisture off of your feet and out through the fibers. And if you have handled as many returned worn postal shoes as I have, you would agree that many postal workers can benefit from these as they have stinky feet!

Another innovative sock is the Wright anti-blister socks. These double layered socks provide superior moisture management and protection from bacterial growth. The two layers of material move slightly to absorb friction, offering better comfort and helping to eliminate blisters. We have seen sales of these socks increase each year since we added them to our catalog, and we keep hearing good things about them. So I assume that they work, and work well!

About ten years ago a breathable waterprooof sock was added to the product mix. When I first heard about the Sealskinz socks I didn’t believe that a waterproof sock would be breathable so I asked to wear-test a pair. I wore them while camping and hiking for about a week. Sure enough my feet stayed dry, cool, and blister free. After the wear test we at Postal Uniform Discounters (www.postaluniformdiscounters.com) started stocking this sock. It seems like we were onto something good, as nearly every postal uniform company copied us and started to sell this product as well. Sealskinz also now makes a water breathable glove, and their products are used by various US military personnel here and overseas.

Up until a few years ago, postal approved socks only came in crew and over the calf lengths. The crew length comes up to the lower calf area, and the over the calf go up close to the knee. These two lengths did not incorporate what has been happening with sock wear in general, ankle and quarter lengths. So in 2005 the USPS added quarter length socks, which pull up to about the ankle. This has been a huge help to those who wanted to even out the tan on their legs down to their ankles!

So as you can see there are many new choices and options for socks that you can purchase with your USPS uniform allowance. We have even more choices on the sock page of our website. So come for a visit and do your aching, tired (and sometimes smelly) feet a favor!

To view all of the newest items please visit our website www.postaluniformdiscounters.com.

Here at Postal Uniform Discounters we sell all of the newest items at very reasonable pricing with great service.

Michele Ward

The Uniform Girl

How do you like the new shirts for city carriers and for clerks?

As many of you know, the USPS came out with new solid light blue shirts for letter carriers and for retail clerks last October 2010. We have been hearing a lot of good and a lot of bad from our customers. Before I share some of the comments from our readers, if you are one of those that do NOT like the new shirts, we still have some of the old style shirts in stock. For letter carriers check out this page for remaining stock:old letter carrier shirts. We still have a fair selection on hand.

For retail clerks check out: old Retail Clerk shirts. We have a full stock of sizes at the low clearance price of $15.99!

And of course we have a complete stock of all the new style shirts for both letter carriers and for retail clerks.

Now here are some of the comments we have received:

I am loving these new solid blue shirts. Thank you very much. The old ones look liked pajamas.

Who thought of this shirt? Once again a light color that will show every stain and dirt.

these stoopid shirts wrinkle and need to be ironed. i dont have time.

Much softer feel than the old shirt. Thank you.

I’ve been a letter carrier for thirty two years. This is the most ridiculous of all the different shirts we have been subjected to. Why didn’t anyone ask for our input?

Where’s the cotton? another polyester mess.

Who cares? I only wear the polo shirt.

I am liking these new shirts. They are very professional and crisp. Finally the USPS has put us in a uniform that we can wear.

As you can see the reaction has been very mixed. I guess like anything new there will be those who jump onboard and those who will complain.

Feel free to let us know what you think!

To view the newest items please visit our websitewww.postaluniformdiscounters.com.

Here at Postal Uniform Discounters we sell all of the newest items at very reasonable pricing with great service.

Michele Ward

The Uniform Girl

POSTAL SHOES, POSTAL SHOES, AND MORE POSTAL SHOES

We understand… you have to wear them every day! Perhaps the item that we hear the most complaints about is the postal approved shoes. The complaints are usually about the high prices and limited styling. I will try to explain and make a few suggestions about how to make your shoes last longer.

Postal approved shoes must be USA made. I believe that this rule dates to the ‘50’s or ‘60’s. Back then foreign-made mass-produced shoes were of poor quality and the USPS didn’t want their employees wearing bad shoes, probably for safety reasons. Today, shoe manufacturers use the same dies, molds, materials, and machinery whether producing in the US or offshore, so there is often little quality difference. Over 96% of the shoes sold in the US these days are from offshore, so those few remaining companies manufacturing footwear in the US are fighting an uphill battle.Postal shoes also must be 100% leather (besides the sole) which adds to the cost. The USPS uniform people “took a look” a couple of years ago and were open to allowing some synthetics, like Cordura or Denier nylon, in the postal shoes. These are materials found in other “work” shoes and are lighter and more breathable than leather, along with being less expensive than leather. They also present the opportunity for more updated styling. Use of fabric besides leather was finally rejected as the USPS wanted the shoes to remain having a more formal style that all leather look now gives them.

Here are some tips on how to make your shoes last longer:

1. Waxes and oils will help keep your shoes protected from the elements, such as snow, water, and ice. Salt is particularly bad for shoe leather, so those walking in salted ice or snow need extra protection. Most shoe and boot oils will help keep your leather moist and crack resistant, but with waxes, you might have to condition your shoes first. The oils can also help waterproof some of the leathers. I personally like mink oil for my leather boots. Some creams will help moisturize your leather, while most polishes will only cover any imperfections or scratches and will make your shoes look nicer but without any real protection except on the surface.

2. If you have two pairs, rotate your shoes. After a hard day your shoes also need a rest (and a chance to dry out from both exterior moisture and from sweat). Make sure that your shoes are open and well ventilated when resting, and don’t use any heat sources to dry them. Heat can crack and dry out the leather.

3. Don’t let a new pair sit in your closet for years. This will result in the sole crumbling to pieces. I don’t know the exact reason why, but I think a component in the sole also dries up if not “activated” (used). We often see shoes being returned to us years later that look new but have a sole that disintegrated.

4. Your shoes may sometimes become uncomfortable due to wearing out the insole while the rest of the shoe still has some play left in them. Now you can purchase replacement insoles on your USPS uniform allowance for many of the different brands offered.

Here are some of the current players in the postal shoe market, and where they make their shoes:

Thorogood shoes: Our personal favorites. These shoes are made by Weinbrenner of Merrill, Wisconsin. I believe they are the only union made postal shoes, with employees represented by local UFCW chapters. One of these days I will visit their plant in Wisconsin, but rest assured it will be in the summer!

New Balance: They have five factories in Maine and Massachusetts, and besides their postal shoes they also make 25% of their other shoes sold in America right here in the good ole USA.

Converse: Made in Puerto Rico.

Timberland: Made in Puerto Rico.

Rocky: Made in Puerto Rico.

Rockport: Made in Puerto Rico.

Perhaps you have noticed on the side of your postal approved shoes a little black tag with the letters sr/usa in green. All postal approved shoes have this label sewn on, indicating that the shoes meet the strict “slip resistant/usa made” requirements. Don’t let anyone sell you a pair as postal approved if it doesn’t have that tag on it as you may not be able to claim workman’s comp if you are hurt while working. The USPS will on occasion allow an employee to get an exception to purchasing and wearing apostal approved shoe (I would suppose for mainly medical issues). The protocol for exceptions can be found in section 939.12 of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/elm/elmc9.pdf).

Try on your shoes when you first buy them. Do so on a soft carpet indoors. The postal uniform companies don’t like taking back new shoes that look worn in any way, including wrinkling of the leather. But make sure that they are comfortable as postal shoes are way to expensive to have to throw away without getting much wear out to them. Luckily, there are a few styles that offer an unconditional thirty day guarantee so you don’t have to suffer postal shoe buyers remorse!

To view all of the approved postal uniform items, please visit our websitewww.postaluniformdiscounters.com.

Here at Postal Uniform Discounters we sell all of the approved USPS uniform items, including the brand name shoes listed above, at very reasonable pricing with great service.

Michele Ward

The Uniform Girl

Any new postal uniforms in the pipeline?

New Uniform Items in the USPS Pipeline

As many of you realize, in October the USPS authorized the release and wear of a new button down “woven” shirt for letter carriers and for clerks. Many of you have purchased one of these new shirts. The reaction from letter carriers on their new shirt is mixed; we are finding that some customers are loading up on the remaining stock of the old red striped shirt as they don’t like the look of the new plain light blue shirt. On the other hand the retail clerks that we have heard from don’t really care about their new shirt as most only wear the polo shirt for clerks anyhow.

So is anything else new coming down the pipeline? That is difficult to answer for a couple of reasons. First, the people who handle postal uniform items and postal uniform decisions for the USPS are part of the Labor Relations department. As you know they are in the midst of the negotiations with the various unions on new contracts (NALC, APWU, NPMHU), so they have bigger fish to fry than thinking about postal uniforms at the moment. Second, those decision makers used to meet with representatives from the manufacturers and postal uniform dealers like ourselves four times a year. Those meetings have been indefinitely suspended as the USPS questions the legality of these meetings under the Sarbanes-Oxley act.

When we did meet a couple of years ago, the last new items being discussed at that time were a new solid navy short sleeve and long sleeve knit polo shirt for both letter carriers/mvo’s and for clerks. I believe that wear tests have actually been done, but they were done in an extremely hot weather location during the summer and the feedback on the shirts was “too hot” because of the dark color. The various shirt manufactures were going to go back to the drawing board and find a material blend that could help mitigate this problem, and we might actually see this shirt for letter carriers in late 2011.

Another item being discussed was a pair of pants for letter carriers/mvo’s that were not all polyester. The only two material options for letter carrier pants now are 100% lightweight polyester, or 100% elastique polyester which because of the tightness of the weave provides more warmth (and are often called the “winter weight” pants). Adding cotton to the mix, perhaps in a 65%poly/35% cotton blend, has been looked at but presents a couple of issues, mainly cost of the fabric, durability, and color fastness. The USPS even discussed perhaps adding a bit of stretch lycra to the woman’s pants. At this time it does not look like any of these options will be approved. In the past ten years we have seen two different other blends disappear as options; a “midweight” poly/orlon blend and a wool/poly blend. The “midweight” pants were discontinued as no U.S. mills make this fabric anymore, and the wool pants are no longer being made due to little demand (they were very expensive).

As we mentioned in a previous article, the best way to get a new item is to suggest it to your union. For the NALC, their national officer that handles uniform issues is Myra Warren. Her predecessors were Brian Hellman and before him Fred Rolando, so she has huge (postal approved) shoes to fill! In the APWU, Patricia Williams has taken over this role dealing with retail clerk uniforms from Rob Strunk, Michael Foster handles the MVO uniform issues, and Idowu Balogun is in charge of overseeingMaintenance division uniforms. So although these national officers are very busy negotiating contracts between their organizations and the USPS, you might want to drop them a letter (not an email!) with your suggestion for the next approved postal uniform item!

To view the newest items please visit our websitewww.postaluniformdiscounters.com.

Here at Postal Uniform Discounters we sell all of the newest items at very reasonable pricing with great service.

Michele Ward

The Uniform Girl