So you don't think its my shoes. Think how many hours they have been worn! I work full time (35 hours). If they were 18 months old at the time of raising my request, they would have been worn for 2,350 hours! Then have been worn for probably another 350-400 hours since. So c2,750 hours. I walk between 5-6 miles a day on average. I have discounted annual leave and 1.5 weeks off sick as that was the amount of time I was off sick before now. Apart from managers and team leaders, there are only another colleague that works 35 hours on my grade pay level. The rest work on average 18-20 hours a week. I can't comment on how often the team leaders change their non-slip shoes. The other full time colleague doesn't wear them. So, if any of these part time colleagues wear these shoes, they are only wearing them for half the time. On a few websites about stress fractures, some put under the causes of SFs 'worn out shoes'. I know this information coming up are from walking websites, but they say replace the shoes every 500-600 miles! So, need mine replacing every 6 months, based on my experience! The part timers, once a year. As I work twice the number of hours of the other colleagues, I wear my shoes twice more often than they do, so get worn out quicker. So do you think my employer needs to give me new shoes more frequently than the others? Plus I have requested new shoes at least once last year, perhaps twice. In the new year, I put a note requesting new shoes stating my size on top of some files outside the locked HR office as they only work mornings plus the odd afternoon - I work 2pm-10pm. About a week and a half later, it was one of those rare moments of seeing a HR colleague (the one who has left) and asked about my order. She said she didn't receive it, but its too early to order some. When my union rep comes back later today, I will contact her tomorrow and ask if there is any wording on my employers' policies about when shoes can be replaced. If there isn't, so why have HR have said to me its too early to replace them? The colleagues who I have contacted by text or Facebook messenger support my anger with the shoes.

They are mandatory for working certain departments such as the counters and if you are on the shop floor most of the time. I am a general assistant and work across the supermarket to meet with the store's demands. So sometimes I go on the checkouts for covering the lunches or if there is someone off sick on the deli, I help them out.

I work for a supermarket working 35 hours a week, where I wear non-slip work issued shoes. Flooring is concrete tiles. Other supermarkets in the area of the same company have smoother floors. I've been off sick since the 22nd May with a very painful lower leg, just above the ankle bone. I couldn't walk on it and put on some weight on it. From scans, it has been confirmed I have a stress fracture, on the end of the tibia. Been put into a cast for 4 weeks, then a walking boot cast for 4-6 weeks after that. I don't do any sporting activities outside work. These work issued shoes are the most uncomfortable shoes ever. Other colleagues say similar things. I work 8 hour shifts and by I have done 3-3.5 hours, my feet are crippling me. Earlier this year, I did ask a HR colleague, who doesn't work there anymore (so no comeback), could I have some new shoes and she asked, how long I had them and I said 15-18 months and she said that that's too early to replace them. I don't have issues with my own shoes which I wear outside work. I have also put in insoles into my work shoes and needed the bigger size as it made my feet tight in them. My job involves a great deal of standing and walking. I had a look at the colleague intranet, which we have access at home and they state that we are not allowed to wear our own non-slip/safety shoe. They provide just one type and they presume everyone's feet are the same. That is not the case. I'm a member of an union, so I will get in touch with the rep later this week as on holiday til Wednesday. I am worried that once I return to work, I will be forced into wearing those horrible shoes and risking my health even more - plus I'm more prone to getting further stress fractures. I am thinking, should I change jobs as my job has somewhat contributed towards my injury. Then some potential new employers may not want to know about someone who has had at least 3 months on the sick very recently. If its my work issued shoes that caused the injury, would that then be classed as a workplace injury? During my last 2-3 weeks, before I was off sick, I have asked supervisors that I needed to sit down, more times than in the past. I cannot sit down on my job all the time. There is always at least one colleague off sick with some sort of leg, foot or back problem from standing/walking too much in these shoes and on the flooring. I am the first one in my store to have a stress fracture on the leg. Apart from speaking to my rep, is there anything I need to do?