When you hear British Oxygen Company, a historic industrial gas supplier that once provided oxygen for medical, industrial, and welding use across the UK and Ireland. Also known as BOC, it was once the backbone of manufacturing, healthcare, and even welding gear production in Ireland. Most people think of it as a relic—a name from old factory signs or hospital equipment manuals. But here’s the truth: the materials and processes developed by companies like BOC helped build the very foundations of the waterproof fabrics, insulated linings, and durable soles in the boots you wear on Irish streets today.
Think about it. Waterproof membranes? They rely on chemical treatments developed during industrial gas research. The synthetic insulation in your winter jacket? It came from polymer science tied to gas separation tech. Even the rubber compounds in muck boots were refined using industrial-grade processes that BOC helped standardize. You don’t need to know how oxygen is liquefied to walk through a Dublin downpour, but you’re wearing the result of it.
That’s why you’ll find mentions of BOC in old Irish industrial catalogs, not because people were buying oxygen for hikes, but because the gear they bought was made using tools, materials, and chemical processes that BOC enabled. In Ireland, where the weather doesn’t wait for trends, durability isn’t a marketing buzzword—it’s survival. And survival gear? It’s built on industrial science, not fashion blogs.
What you’ll find in this collection isn’t a history lesson on gas tanks. It’s real, practical talk about the gear you wear—how it works, why it lasts, and what actually matters when you’re standing in rain for eight hours, hiking boggy trails, or walking to work in Cork with wet socks. From why Crocs are worn by nurses to how Thursday boots fit Irish feet, these posts cut through the noise. They’re written by people who know that a good pair of boots isn’t about brand names—it’s about what happens when the Atlantic wind hits and the ground turns to sludge.
Confused by BOC? In Ireland it often means British Oxygen Company (Linde). But it can also be Bank of China, Blue Öyster Cult, Bank of Canada, or a chemistry term.