Work Boots

[Tom Slick]

The only con to steel toes is sometimes your toes don't fit the steel toe very well, causing discomfort. I have only found that in one pair of boots I've owned. for the most part I am happy with hiking boots but do wear steel toes when added toe protection is needed.
Bates tropical boots (std issue USAF) are very lightweight, cool, and comfortable.

[Jim1]

Red Wing steel toes for me too......

Jim

[stormdog74]

Wow - 16 responses! Thanks so much for all the advice. I think I have a bit of research to do.

I have always worked in sneakers - old, beat up ones - and have occasionally dropped/stepped on something that caused great pain, although not permanent damage. The sneakers were fine when I just started out as I was just doing little things, but now I do pretty much everything and thought that maybe I should actually get some decent work boots before I regret it.

Thanks again, everyone - as always this is a great forum for information and I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

[JeffG78]

A little over 20 years ago, I worked on a construction jobsite as an engineer. We needed a cart to tow behind a truck that could carry 20' lengths of 4" steel pipe, so I got the assignment to design and make a cart with materials we had laying around. Well, I was drilling a series of 1/2" holes in a 4' long by 6" wide by 1/2" thick steel plate when I learned the importance of proper safety gear. The steel plate was resting on the back of a jobsite office trailer and I was standing on the ground operating the drill with the plate at chest height. The vibration from the drilling caused the steel to drift off the edge of trailer and fall to the ground edge first like a guillotine. It landed right across my feet and I was wearing sneakers at the time. I have no idea how it didn't break all my toes, but somehow I got lucky and only had ten black and blue toes that hurt like crazy.

Steel toe boots would have completely eliminated the injury and regular work boots would have at least helped, but my sneakers did next to nothing to absorb any of the impact. I learned my lesson and now wear work boots, as well as any other safety gear I need to protect myself. It was a simple little project, but in a split second I could have lost some of my toes. Make sure you buy what is right for the job!