WHY IT MATTERS WHAT YOUR BOOTS ARE MADE OF
Modern work boots draw on centuries of experience and innovation. New manufacturing processes and styles have greatly increased the longevity and safety of footwear, while some tried-and-true methods have stood the test of time. You can see this mix of new and old when you look at the basic make-up of modern work boots – the materials that they’re crafted from. Material science has brought about new ways of building quality work boots, from the toe to the collar, but science has been unable to improve upon some of the natural materials used for centuries in building footwear. And when doing tough work where safety, comfort, and versatility are non-negotiable, it’s worth knowing what you’re looking for.
LEATHER WORK BOOT UPPERS
A boot’s upper makes up the bulk of the boot above the sole. Think of it as the skin of your boot. Not only does it hold your foot in place, but like your skin it protects your foot as you move through the world, and holds the whole boot together. A lot is riding on the quality of the upper, and so quality stitching of quality materials is important.
One of the oldest – and in many ways still the best – material for crafting a work boot upper is leather. Leather can be a little heavier than some of the newer synthetics developed by the footwear industry, and it is more expensive, but its benefits far outweigh its drawbacks. It is water-resistant even without the addition of DWR waterproofing or waterproof membranes. It fits better and provides improved ankle support compared to synthetics. It’s true that leather footwear requires a break-in period that footwear made from synthetics doesn’t. But after the break-in period, leather boots will hold their shape and fit much better than other types, which become less comfortable over time, making them some of the most comfortable work boots in the long term. Where leather really shines, however, and the reason it is so valued in work boots, is its durability. Synthetics just can’t compete with the longevity of leather and its ability to take a beating and keep working.
Of course, not all leathers are created equal. In the marketplace, you’ll see terms like “genuine leather,” “top-grain leather,” and “bonded leather.” These refer to leathers that take only part of the animal’s hide, or use scraps that are bonded together to make a whole. But for tough work boots for men and women with tough jobs, what you want is “full-grain leather.” Full-grain leather includes all the outer layers of the animal’s hide, including the natural grain of the tanned skin. Because it includes the strongest part of the hide, it’s the most durable form of leather, resisting cracking and peeling and lasting much longer than other forms of leather. And because it utilizes and preserves the natural grain of the hide, it maintains the hide’s porousness, making it the most breathable form of leather as well. Full-grain leather doesn’t look as uniform and smooth as other forms of leather, but those imperfections are actually signs of its quality, the natural state of the animal hide carried over into the boot.
TEXTILE UPPERS
Many modern work boots are built using textiles in their upper. Lighter than leather, textiles used in footwear are often synthetic, and have several benefits over leather. First, they’re less expensive than quality leather. Since they’re lighter and more breathable than leather, they can help reduce fatigue and greatly benefit those working fast-paced jobs on their feet all day or doing strenuous work in hot weather. Textiles are flexible, and feature a shorter or no break-in period (but beware, as they will grow less, not more comfortable, with time).
Textiles have gained popularity in footwear broadly. However, their drawbacks in durability and protection from hazards have prevented them from gaining widespread use in work boots. However, for some types of work boots, the skillful, strategic use of leather and textiles together can provide workers with the best of both worlds. Work sneakers and tactical boots designed for first-responders and police like those in Thorogood’s Crosstrex Series use a leather upper to provide durability at high-wear points, with breathable nylon mesh strategically placed at low-wear points to help your feet breathe better during strenuous activity.
RUBBER VS POLYURETHANE (PU) OUTSOLES
More often than in the boot’s upper, you’ll find rubber in the boot’s outsole. The outsole is the part of the boot that makes contact with the ground, and it needs to be durable, flexible (but not too flexible), and slip-resisting. Rubber has been the go-to material for footwear outsoles for a long time, because it excels at these qualities. Many work boots, especially boots for work outdoors, use rubber outsoles with deep, terrain-gripping lugs to navigate rough worksites like logging camps.
However, unlike synthetic uppers, synthetic outsoles have gained traction in work boot manufacturing in recent years, and for good reason. Outsoles made with polyurethane are extremely tough. In short, they stand up to punishment better than rubber can and are an improvement over rubber in most urban work environments. For that reason, many Thorogood boots are constructed using MAXWear Wedge™ and MAXWear 90™, our own proprietary PU outsoles that offer maximum durability and grip to prevent falls.
OTHER WORK BOOT MATERIALS
The upper and the outsole do the lion’s share of the work. But several other work boot components are worth mentioning. The first is the safety toe. Depending on the job you do, OSHA rules might require that you protect your feet from impact and compression hazards with work boots featuring a safety toe cap. Most commonly these are constructed of steel. Steel toe work boots offer serious protection from these hazards, and the steel is heavily resistant to cracking. However, some workers whose jobsite involves metal detectors or serious electrical hazards may opt for a composite safety toe. These can be made of Kevlar, carbon fiber, plastic, fiberglass, or some combination of those materials. These materials are non-conductive, and will not set off metal detectors. In addition, they’re lighter than steel, reducing fatigue for those who are on the move a lot at their job. In recent years, breakthroughs in nanotube technology have allowed manufacturers to build “nano composite toes,” which are small and lightweight but incredibly strong. When combined with fiberglass resin, nano composite toe work boots are some of the strongest and lightest safety toe boots on the market. Regardless of which type of safety toe you opt for, however, always make sure that your safety toe boots are ASTM-tested and certified.
Another important work boot component is the midsole, a piece of material between the insole (which cradles the foot) and the outsole. Midsoles are often built with ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), which provides an excellent shock-absorbing cushion for street shoes or hiking boots, for example. Work boot manufacturers, however, often use polyurethane to construct midsoles instead. This is for the same reason that PU is favored in work boot outsoles – PU holds up to impacts and stresses much better than EVA, so a PU midsole will hold its cushioning much longer than a midsole made of EVA. But both materials have their benefits, and so do rubber midsoles, which are sometimes used to improve the flexibility of a boot.
Finally, shanks are long, thin strips of stiff material that are placed between the midsole and outsole of work boots to provide the extra support and stability that other types of footwear do not require. A shank allows the work boot to hold its shape even under heavy duress – think standing on a ladder or a piece of equipment that places uneven pressure on the bottoms of your feet. The strongest shanks are made with steel. Steel shanks last a long time, but have a couple of negatives. First, they add more weight to the boot than other types of material, and second, they conduct electricity, so should be used with care by manufacturers hoping to craft boots that are electrical hazard-resisting. For these reasons, you may find you’re better off looking for work boots made with nylon or fiberglass shanks – they are nearly as durable as steel, but do not conduct electricity, and create much more lightweight work boots.
CONCLUSION
Finding the best work boots for you depends greatly on the type of work you do. But regardless of the job-fitted design you’re looking for, you should always seek out work boots made with the highest-quality material available. Good work boots are an investment in your work and in your long-term health, so don’t short-change your feet. Thorogood work boots are always made with the highest-quality materials, assembled by skilled craftsmen who know their way around boots.