Safety shoes that are worn in a cold climate have to protect from work hazards and at the same time offer thermal comfort to the wearer. The lack of co-ordination between the two types of protection has made existing safety shoes clumsy and ill fitting. Work in the cold is more strenuous than working under normal conditions thus emphasising ergonomic or human factor aspects of safety shoes. In order to prioritize the needs of safety shoes used in the cold, questionnaire surveys were carried out among the users and manufacturers of safety shoes as well as among experts on personal protective devices. The surveys reveal that the following aspects are most important when designing safety shoes for a cold climate: fit, thermal comfort, protection from work hazards, low weight and anti-slip. To evaluate safety shoes with regard to the thermal properties a test method is being developed. The effects of air layer movements within the shoe and the foot has not previously been considered. In order to simulate real conditions, a new method for measuring the thermal properties of shoes will include foot movements taking into account heat losses due to the pumping effect. The method will be further developed to include simulated sweating.