Every worker knows that there’s no substitute for the right tool, and work boots are no different. The right footwear can keep you comfortable, soften long hours on your feet, prevent foot injuries, or even save your life. Thorogood builds work boots with safety features designed for a wide range of jobs. After all, something that helps a worker doing one type of job may not help in another type of work. If boots are tools, they’re probably the tools you use more than any other. So with so much riding on your footwear when you’re on the job, it’s important to pick the right pair for the right work.
HEEL OR NO HEEL
It is important to consider outsoles, since they’re the contact point between your foot and the ground. Most work boots feature either a wedge outsole or a 90-degree heeled outsole. Which is more appropriate for your job depends on the work you do and where.
On flat surfaces like pavement, you want as much surface contact between the ground and your foot as possible. That will create the highest friction coefficient. Wedge boots that feature an outsole with siping, fine tread, or very low lugs to allow the boot to maximize contact with the ground are going to make sure as much of your foot is planted as possible, even when conditions are wet or slippery.
But for outdoor work, especially work on rough terrain, heeled boots may be more to your advantage. The same is true if you spend a lot of time climbing ladders and large equipment (or if you have specific OSHA requirements to follow). The heel acts as a useful hook to catch on obstacles and irregularities in the terrain or equipment. It adds a dimension of stability to the outsole as a whole.
SLIPPERY WHEN WET
Whether you opt for a heel or a wedge outsole, the benefits of a work boot that is slip-resistant cannot be overstated. When you’re moving fast, working on slippery, wet, or oily surfaces, or you need roofing boots for working high above ground level, a lot depends on your footwear’s ability to keep you steady on your feet.
Slip-resistant rubber or polyurethane (PU) outsoles have high-friction coefficients. They will prevent your feet from sliding even if a lot of lateral force is applied. The terrain you work on is a big factor. Working on rough terrain might necessitate deeper lugs to grip onto the ground, as with specialized logger boots. But a warehouse worker or someone doing work in a shop where the ground is smooth will probably prefer fine treads or low-profile lugs. Those will maximize the surface area making contact with the ground while allowing the weight of the boot to squeeze water away.
SAFETY TOE OR NON-SAFETY TOE
A safety toe boot has a toe cap reinforced with either metal (usually steel) or a durable composite material (which can be made from Kevlar, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, plastic, or fiberglass). Proper ASTM-rated safety toe boots will protect your feet from impact and compression hazards on-site. So if your work involves heavy objects and equipment, especially the movement of such equipment, good steel toe boots or composite toe boots can make the difference between suffering a serious injury or not. If you work on a job site, you may be required to wear safety toe boots.
The way steel, alloys, and lightweight composite materials are used in modern work boots has decreased the weight of safety toe boots. It's also decreased how much they conduct heat, cold, and electrical currents. Still, if your job doesn’t require safety toe boots, and your work does not involve high risk factors for impact or compression hazards, the lighter weight and cost savings of non-safety toe work boots may appeal to you. This is especially true if you do fast-paced work, where any increase in weight at all adds up throughout the day and can contribute to fatigue by the end of your shift.
EH RATING
Electrical hazard (EH) protective boots have shock-resistant soles and heels to keep you safe from electrical currents. For electrician and lineman boots, electrical hazard protection is absolutely essential. But EH-rated work boots are good for anyone who might be in contact with exposed wiring or dangerous electricity at their job, whether on a construction site or doing electrical work inside. Make sure that your work boots are certified for electrical hazard protection (ASTM F2413 for safety toe footwear or ASTM F2892 for non-safety toe footwear).
REINFORCED SHANKS
The shank is a long, thin strip of stiff material between the midsole and insole that runs along the underside of your foot and provides added structural support and stability. Shanks work to reinforce the boot, allowing no flex, holding the boot’s shape as uneven pressure is placed on the sole of the boot. For an illustration, think of the pressure placed on the arch when climbing a ladder. A shank can improve the longevity of your work boots, but they have other benefits as well. Construction workers, linemen, factory workers, and other occupations that work in conditions with uneven or rough terrain can benefit from the added stability, weight distribution, and arch support that work boots with a tough shank provide.
Just like safety toes, work boot shanks can be made with different materials. The most common materials are steel, nylon, and composites like fiberglass, TPU, or carbon fiber. Of these, steel provides the best durability and most reliably-stiff structure. But steel shanks are heavier than the nylon and composite alternatives. So if weight is an important factor for you, you may be better off with a nylon or fiberglass shank.
THE RIGHT BOOTS FOR THE JOB
Thorogood’s mission is to build dependable, high-quality, job-fitted footwear for working people. Whether you need lightweight work boots for landscaping work, or safety toe boots for heavy construction, we craft a wide range of footwear tailored to every type of work. You can find the best work boots for your line of work at Thorogood.