I know that this can be a touchy subject with some folks (steel toe vs. non-steel toe), but any and all opinions are welcome:

I am looking to buy some new boots for work. I am typically around heavy equipment so I am looking at steel toed boots. I am more particularly looking at some that have metatarsal protection on them. I have never had steel toed boots that had a meta cap on it before, so I am curious as to whether or not they restrict your movement any more than normal boots. Any insight would be appreciated.

- Bill

 

Im not alowed to wear steeltoed boots, and even if I was, I dont like them for some reason. I wear altimas, and am very happy with them. I could walk all day, I could walk all night in them.

31C

 

All I know about steel toeds is that they were designed to rip your toes clean off if heavy equipment fell on them. This was what they were originaly designed for, I don't know if that's still true.

 

Mafialouie, I am required to wear steel toe boots by my employer as well as all of the jobsites that I go to and I often wonder the same thing, if something did run over or fall on your toes it seems to me that the steel toe would just bend back and slice all of your toes right off. I know someone this happened to, all I can hope is that a loaded forklift never runs over my toes. As far as what brand boots go, I would either go with redwing or wolverine. They are the two most comfortable and easy wearing boots that I have found with steel toe, the rest tear your foot up. Imo, they are expensive but well worth it, and they last forever as well.

 

I will second that.

 

Though I do not know for sure...I would assume that they require steel toe because it is easier to repair a severed toe then a completly smashed one...thus lessening the chance of aputation

 

Oh, I wanted to add:

Carolina Steel Toe Boots are nice, fairly pricey, but pretty comfortable.

 

Yeah, these Carolinas are the ones I have been looking at...I guess I will be going boot shopping this afternoon...

 

Wolverines have a soft sole that wears out comparatively quickly, but they are more comfortable than most in their price range.

I wear boots but not steel toe. About 5 years ago I gave up on work boots and started searching out other options. For the last 4 years I've been wearing these or these. The black ones seem to last longer but the brown ones are lighter and have better traction.

 

Countless times a safety professional hears this violin! Lame arguments proffered by those who do not want to wear them include such claims as the steel toe hurts the wearer's feet, the steel toe can lead to frost bite in cold weather because the metal causes heat loss, or the steel toe crimped by a heavy load can cut toes off. As steel toe work shoes are mandated by regulation, mitigating factors for each of these arguments are worth consideration.

Feet will not get sore when workers purchase a quality steel toe shoe in the correct width, which is key for keeping the edge of the steel guard away from the toes or foot. To determine if the width is correct, wiggle the toes in the new work shoe and notice if the edge of the steel guard can be felt against the toes or foot. If the guard can be felt, seek a better brand.

For workers convinced that the steel toe causes heat loss during cold weather, rest assured that a variety of cold weather safety boots will keep the feet warm. And, while the steel toe in a safety shoe can be crimped down, cutting into the toes and requiring surgical removal of the shoe, that scenario certainly beats the alternative — having the toes smashed off by the same amount of weight that crimped the metal.

Your feet are the most important part of your workday body. If they hurt, your work is going to suffer, too. As stated above, make sure they fit right, and go for a long-lasting brand like Redwing or Carolina.

 

My last pair of steel toed boots were Timberlands from Sears, ANSI certified and stuff, light as a tennis shoe. I loved them, until they got submerged up to my ankles in sewer water (long story...) I'll be buying another pair eventually.

 

Quintin-
That is exactly why I love the Gore-Tex lined boots I've been wearing. My feet used to get soaking wet every morning just from the dew on the grass, and then my feet would start sweating and they would stay wet all day every day. Once I went to a Gore-Tex lined boot, my feet never got wet. Even the sweat wicks away and my socks are bone dry all the time. As a result, my feet no longer stink either.

If you have a problem with wet feet, go Gore-Tex. Another suggestion is to buy two pairs of boots at the same time and rotate them, so if your boots happen to get drenched in a sewer pipe you can rinse them out and let them dry for a couple days while you wear your other pair. And good boots are worth every dime. If you can afford a $20K truck, you can afford upwards of $200 on a great pair of boots.

 

Steel toes have to be worn at my work. The main reason for steel toes is if you drop a wrench or tool or something to that effect, it will bounce off of your steel toe boot unlike a none steel toe, which would hurt like hell. Otherwise thats the only use I find steel toes boots for, everyone else already stated what else they will do.

 

I vote for redwings (steel toe) or Altimas (non steel toe) I'm not allowed to wear steel toed boots, but I always wore Redwings before the Army. I never had a problem with them except the day I stepped on a magnet (don't ask)

 

red wings
love them.