One of many available Redbrick models, these Red Safety Sneakers have suede uppers, a composite toe cap, and a Kevlar midsole.
Redbrick One of many available Redbrick models, these Red Safety Sneakers have suede uppers, a composite toe cap, and a Kevlar midsole.

I was once on a crew with a carpenter who insisted upon wearing running shoes, even though we were required to wear work boots. The boss saw his unapproved footwear and told him to wear boots the next day. As a sort of protest (and joke) the carpenter cut the soles off an old pair of work boots and wore the uppers over his running shoes. From a distance it looked like he was wearing boots—well, kind of.

My coworker would have had an easier time of it today, what with the availability of various hiking style and sneaker style safety boots. But he’d be out of luck if he wanted safety shoes with that Chuck Taylor vibe; for that he’d have to go to Europe and buy some Redbrick Safety Sneakers, which are not available here. What’s that about? Didn’t we invent Chuck Taylors?

You can see Redbrick Safety Sneakers for sale on this Dutch website. They are priced in Euros. Not that you could buy them here, but for purposes of comparison one Euro is currently worth $1.35 U.S.