Anastasia Kraft — Founder & CEO, Xena Workwear
Founder & CEO · ASTM Committee Board Member
Anastasia Kraft
She was handed the wrong boot on her own job site. So she built the right one — and the company that makes it.
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The wrong boot, and what came next
Ana Kraft got handed a men’s steel-toe boot in a too-big size on her own job site. The blisters and the wobble that followed weren’t a fluke — they were the whole industry’s blind spot. “Women’s” safety footwear was a downsized, pink-washed afterthought. So in 2019 she founded Xena Workwear to build safety footwear engineered specifically for women.
How she builds it
Safety footwear that actually fits
Under Ana’s leadership, Xena designs every style on a true women’s last, certified to ASTM F2413 — so women get protection that fits instead of downsized men’s boots. Xena is a certified women-owned business (WBENC and WOSB), and Ana serves as an official ASTM Committee Board Member, helping shape the very standards for women’s safety footwear.
Beyond the boot
An advocate for women in the trades
Ana is a frequent voice for women in the trades and for closing the gender gap in personal protective equipment. She and the Xena team author the brand’s safety guides, including ASTM F2413 & OSHA, explained, EH-rated footwear, and SD/ESD footwear.