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What is considered a “Safety Shoe” for men and women?

Safety Shoes are historically any shoe which is built with a safety toe.  Originally, these were made of steel and called “Steel Toes”, but now, we have safety shoes made with Aluminum Alloy, Composite Material, and Carbon Fiber (new) safety toes.  These Safety Shoes were originally built to just protect toes and were tested to the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards, but then the safety shoe standards were moved to the ASTM (American Standards for Testing and Materials).   

Over the years, safety shoes have morphed into several highly specialized shoes that are asked to do much more than protect workers’ toes.  There are Metatarsal Guards that protect the Metatarsal bones in the foot, Electrical Hazard to protect workers from Electrical Shock, Static Dissipating that reduce the build-up of electric static charge on workers, Conductive that reduce the static charge in explosive environments, Puncture Resistant that prevent punctures through the sole, Heat Resistant that protect feet from hot environments, and Slip-Resistant that reduce slipping hazards. 

There is also a similar term, “Safe Shoes” that is used to describe shoes built for specific safety needs that don’t have a safety toe.  Those include Slip-Resistant and Static Dissipating “soft toe” shoes.

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Do Electrical Hazard Work Boots Have to be Composite Toe?

There seems to be some controversy on whether a safety shoe with a steel toe can meet the ASTM Electrical Hazard Standard.  The answer is, yes it can!  Safety Shoes have had Electrical Hazard Standards for many years, even predating the development of Composite Material Safety Toes, so prior to Composite Toe Safety Shoes, all Electrical Hazard Safety Shoes had Steel Toes.

The Electrical Hazard test checks the ability of a new safety shoe to prevent an electrical charge leaking through the outsole into ground, and the safety toe type has nothing to do with the success or failure of this test.  The Electrical Hazard safety shoes have to be built to hold the charge of 18,000 volts, at 60 Hz, for 1 minute, with no current flow or leakage to exceed 1.0 milli-amperes under dry conditions.  The American Standard (ASTM 2413-11 Section 5.5 and ASTM2412-11) and the Canadian Standard (CSA Z195-09) for Electrical Hazard and/or Electric Shock (as the Canadians call it) were made the same in 2011 when the American Standard was changed effectively to be the same as the Canadian Standard.  Thus this change eliminated the confusion about which standard was the strongest standard.  They are both the same.

The standard does say that no metal may be used in the construction of the sole, but I believe some people think this includes the safety toe.  It does not!  This does mean that the shank of the safety shoe has to be made of a non-metallic material, and neither nails nor screws can be used in the heel or sole construction, unless they are made with non-metallic materials. 

Prior to the onset of Composite Toe safety shoes, all Electrical Hazard safety shoes were steel toe, and today plenty of steel toe, Electrical Hazard safety shoes are available.

So what if the steel toe touches an electrical source.  Well, the sole is still going to protect the wearer because the sole and the sole’s construction are what insulate the shoe and the wearer from being grounded.  So what if the wearer is kneeling down and the steel toe is touch the ground and the person contacts a live electrical source?  The grounding will take place, but the electric current will be grounded through the person’s knee, which is touching ground.  So what if the leather covering the steel toe is exposed; does that have an effect?  No, because the sole and the sole’s construction is still insulating the wearer and the shoes and keeps them from being grounded.  (NOTE:  Any safety toe shoe with the leather worn off of the safety toe and the safety toe showing, should be replaced immediately.)

A couple more notes:  Electrical Hazard safety shoes are only meant to be a secondary source of protection from high voltage environments, never as the primary source of protection.  So, if the Person wearing Electrical Hazard Safety Shoes knows he is going to be in a Hazardous Electrical Environment, all primary means of safety and protection from the Electrical Source should be employed.  Additionally, Electrical Hazard safety shoes are tested in the perfect environment of a laboratory and in NEW CONDITION.  Over time, wearing these shoes makes them less effective protection because the thickness of the sole is reduced and that lessens the soles insulating capabilities.  That happens regardless whether the safety shoe is a steel toe or a composite toe though.  The safety toe material has no effect on the effectiveness of Electrical Hazard Safety Shoes.

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Are Diabetic Work Shoes Made?

We had a client ask if we had a Diabetic Safety Shoe. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a diabetic safety shoe.  What we (the customer and our sales person) have to do is find the most comfortable shoe for these customers.  It’s critical to get the correct fit.

We need to know who the diabetics are, so when they come to our shoemobile we’ll know to take extra care with these customers to make sure they get a very good fitting and comfortable shoe.  (The customers’ toes have to have plenty of room!)  And we’d like to know what kind of shoe they want, like 6 inch waterproof, lightweight athletic, etc., so we can be prepared with the right inventory for these customers.

Wider toe boxes and lighter weight shoes are what is typically needed for diabetics!  We all (the diabetic customers  and the sales person) need to be careful  to get the customer in a comfortable good fitting shoe, but there really is not a certified diabetic safety shoe.

IMPORTANT:  The first day the customer wears their new shoes for work, they should wear their old shoes to work and then change into their new shoes at work!  That way if there is ANY discomfort, the new shoes can be swapped for the old ones and the customer can continue working without discomfort and without creating a problem with their feet.

The client came back and asked about composite toe shoes for the diabetic customers.

As for the suggestion of using Composite Toe Safety Shoes for Diabetics, that is certainly a good suggestion.  Composite toe safety shoes have 2 advantages:  one is they are lighter, which is always a big benefit for diabetics, and secondly, they have a larger toe box, which gives the toes more room.  Toe room is the critical thing for diabetics; and because composite safety toes have to be bigger than steel to provide the same protection, that fact makes them a natural for diabetics.  (The reason they have to be bigger (more toe room) is composite materials are not as strong as steel; thus to make the composite toe provide the same protection as steel, the composite toe has to be thicker than the steel toe and the shape of the toe has to be more bulbous.)

There are some steel toe boots that have wider toe boxes, too, like the styles that have a more “oblique style” to them, as you would see in the old earth shoes (non-safety) or in KEEN Utility Safety Shoe styles.

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What’s the Difference in Protection You Get From Electrical Hazard (EH), Conductive (CD), and Static Dissipating (SD) Footwear and How Do They Work?

The difference in protection is that Electrical Hazard shoes reduce the possibility of electric shock or electrocution, while Static Dissipating and Conductive shoes reduce the possibility of static discharge and static shock.

Electrical Hazard Shoes Provide you with a Secondary Source of Protection from Electric Shock or Electrocution
Electrocution (fatal and non-fatal) is the massive flow of electrical current through a person causing physical damage to the muscular and nervous system. Protection from electrocution is accomplished by insulating the body from physically contacting an electrical source with non-conductive material.

Example: Copper wire, used to wire houses, can be handled manually even though it has electricity flowing through it because the copper wire is wrapped with a non-conductive material (sheath) that protects you from the electrical source. If you touch the copper wire directly while an electric current is passing through it, you will receive an “electrical shock” or be electrocuted.

Electrical Hazard (EH) shoes provide a secondary source of protection for you from electric shock or electrocution the same way as the sheath of the electrical wire. Electrical Hazard shoes have a special sole and construction that insulates you from the electrical source. The special sole is composed of non-conductive and electrically insulating materials, that won’t conduct electricity. These shoes are said to have a high resistance to “electrical current” or the “flow of electricity”.

Technically, these special shoes are rated in the highest range of Resistance for safety shoes at 1 GigaOhm (1 Billion Ohms, 1,000,000,000) of Resistance or higher, which is required by ASTM Standards for all Electrical Hazard safety shoes; and they are designed to resist an electric charge of 18,000 Volts at 60 Hertz for 1 minute with less than 1 milliamps of leakage in dry conditions. Electrical Hazard shoes, or non-Conductive shoes as they are sometimes called, are designed to be use only as a secondary source of electrical hazard protection, but they provide very good protection for Electricians and others working with dangerous, open, electrical circuits.

Conversely, Conductive shoes are designed to make it easy for electricity (specifically, static electricity) to flow from the wearer through the shoes to ground, in order to suppress the occurance of static electricity, static discharges, and static sparks . People working in highly flamable and explosive environments have to wear this kind of footwear because the smallest spark can cause a catastrophic explosion or fire.

Technically, Conductive shoes have special materials in the sole and specific construction techniques that create a very low electrical Resistance (0 Ohms to 500,000 Ohms) in the shoe, so electrostatic charges on the wearer are eliminated when they flow very easily and quickly through the shoes to ground. People working in dangerous, highly flamable and explosive environments have to wear this kind of footwear because the smallest spark can cause a catastrophic explosion or fire.

Static Dissipating (SD) Shoes are very similar to Conductive (CD) Shoes because they do the same thing–prevent static discharge sparks by channelling static electricity from the wearer through the shoes to ground. Technically, the difference in the Static Dissipating (SD) and Conductive (CD) shoes is SD shoes have slightly higher resistance (1,000,000 to 100,000,000 Ohms versus 0 to 500,000 Ohms for CD footwear), which causes Static Dissipating SD shoes to dissipate static electricity a little slower than Conductive shoes do. This is OK because they are used in less “hazardous” environments, like environments where printed circuit boards are vulnerable to static sparks and environments where static electricity discharges are a real nuisance!

In summary, Electrical Hazard (EH) shoes protect people from electrocution because they are built to be “non-conductive” and prevent the flow of electricity through them, and conversely Conductive (CD) shoes protect people from explosions and highly flamable environments because they are designed to “conduct” static electricity and eliminate electrostatic discharges and sparks. Static Dissipating (SD) shoes work the same way as Conductive shoes, but they are used in less dangerous environments ,like around printed circuit boards and where static sparks are a serious nuisance for workers.

EXPLANATION OF CHART:
The higher the Electrical Resistance (Ohms, MegaOhms, GigaOhms) rating in the shoe, the more resistance there is to the flow of electricity from the wearer through the safety shoes to ground. And conversely, the lower the Electrical Resistance (Ohms, MegaOhms, GigaOhms) rating in the shoe, the less resistance there is to the flow of (static) electricity from the wearer through the safety shoes to ground.

The lowest resistance range is for Conductive (CD) shoes, which drastically reduces the build up of static electricity. Static electricity will flow easily from the wearer through the safety shoes to ground, and that keeps the wearer from creating a spark when touching anything . This is critical for explosive and very flamable environments, where a spark can be catastrophic.

Going up the scale, the next range of Electrical Resistance is for Static Dissipating (SD) shoes, which allows for enough flow of static electricity to eliminate nuissance sparks and sparks that could damage printed computer circuitboards

Finally, the highest range of Electrical Resistance is for Electrical Hazard (EH) shoes, which are non-conductive and impede the flow of electricity, thereby previenting the wearers, like electricians, from electrocution and electrical shocks from open circuits of electricity .

If you have any questions, post a comment below!

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What is ASTM F2413?

ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) 2413 sets the minimum standards and testing procedures for safety footwear.  

The identification of the ASTM 2413 standard is:

  • LINE 1 – ASTM F2413-11 (The F2413 identifies the ASTM Standard and the “11” signifies the year of the standard)
  • LINE 2 – F (Female) or M (Male) and I/75 (Impact safety-toe protection)  and C/75 (Compression safety-toe protection) 
  • LINE 3 – Used to reference additional protective features and they should appear in the order that they appear in the standard, i.e. Mt, Cd, EH, SD, PR.

 

ASTM 2413

Every year, thousands of work place injuries occur that could have been prevented with the right gear. Safety work boots are tested according to ASTM 2413 standards for impact and compression safety-toe resistance, metatarsal protection, conductivity resistance, electrical shock resistance, static dissipative properties, and puncture resistance.  Below is a guide to help understand what exactly ASTM is and how safety footwear is tested. 

Impact ( I ) and Compression ( C ) Resistance

A safety test is performed by dropping a 50 pound weight from a predetermined height (1.5 feet) at a designated speed.  The I/75 C/75  rated footwear will protect the wearer’s toes from an impact of up to 75 foot-pounds and compressive loads up to 2,500 pounds.

The clearances under the safety toe after the test is performed are as follows:

  • Men-0.500 Inch (12.7mm)
  • Women-0.468 Inch (11.9mm)

*The standard doesn’t cover the use of ‘aftermarket add-on’ protective toe devices*

Metatarsal – MT

Metatarsal protection is designed to prevent or reduce injuries when the toe and metatarsal areas of the foot are exposed to hazards.  The metatarsal test is performed by dropping a 50 pound weighted bar 1.5 feet onto the metatarsal guard.  (75 foot-pounds of impact energy.)  The impact energy is the same as for the safety- toe impact.  The clearance is measured by inserting a wax foot-form into the shoe to accurately measure the deflection of the metatarsal guard on the interior of the shoe.

The clearances under the metatarsal guard after the metatarsal impact are as follows:

  • Men- 1 Inch (25.4mm)
  • Women-0.937 Inch (24mm)

*The standard doesn’t cover the use of ‘after market add-on’ guards*

 

 Conductive Footwear- CD

Conductive footwear is designed to discharge static electricity from a person’s body through their shoes to the ground.  This type of footwear is designed to minimize static electricity and take the “charge” out of your body so static discharge sparks do not occur.

The electrical resistance of conductive protective footwear should range between 0 and 500,000 ohms.  (One-half Mega Ohm)

 

Electrical Shock Resistant Protection- EH

EH protective footwear is designed to reduce the hazards due to accidental contact with live electrical circuits and is only meant to be used as a secondary protection for electrical hazard environments. 

The outer surface of the sole and heel shouldn’t be penetrated by any electrically conductive component, like nails in the heel.

EH shock resistant footwear must be capable of withstanding the application of 18,000 volts at 60 Hz for 1 minute with no current flow or leakage in excess of 1.0 milliampere.

 

Static Dissipating Footwear-SD

SD protective footwear is designed to reduce the buildup of excess static electricity by conducting body static charge to ground, while maintaining a sufficient high level of resistance that protects the wearer from electrical hazards due to live electrical circuits.

The electrical resistance must be greater than 1,000,000 ohms (1 Mega Ohms) and not exceed 100,000,000 ohms (100 Mega Ohms).

 

Sole Puncture Resistant Footwear – PR

Puncture resistant footwear includes a sole puncture resistant device (usually below the insole) which reduces the possibility of puncture wounds to the bottom of the feet.

PR footwear should withstand a minimum nail penetration force of 270 pounds. 

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Why You Should Wear Metatarsal Work Boots

Metatarsal Work BootsWhy are metatarsal work boots so important? Because the metatarsal bones of the foot are very vulnerable to injury because the front of the foot sticks out beyond the body line, inviting a rolling or falling object to collide with this unprotected part of the body.  This picture of the metatarsal bones in the foot demonstrates how exposed to injury this part of the foot is.  

Just rub the top (or metatarsal area) of your own foot with your hand, and you can feel the unprotected metatarsal bones right next to the surface of the skin.  In fact using the diagram below you can almost feel and identify each of the metatarsal bones in your foot.  Notice how close the bones are to the skin and note that there is virtually no flesh, muscle, or fat, protecting the bones in this part of your body.  

This is why wearing safety-toe shoes with metatarsal guards, or Metatarsal Work Boots, to work is so important.

So why not just wear the safety-toe to protect your feet?  Take a look at the two side-by-side diagrams below.  

Why wear metatarsal work boots

As the left diagram shows, the safety-toe, by itself, only protects the big toe and two to three toes; still leaving the rest of the foot from the toes all the way back to the ankle area highly susceptible to injury. That’s 15 to 20 very vulnerable bones plus all the attached joints, ligaments, nerves, and muscles, which can be 80 to 90% protected with metatarsal boots. (Reference the right diagram.) Each foot and ankle contain 26 bones, 33 joints, and 107 ligaments, 19 muscles, plus tendons and nerves, and together both feet contain 25% of all the bones in your body.

Most all of us have dropped a small object, like a bar of soap or bottle of shampoo, on our foot, and know how much that can hurt, and now you see why. Without metatarsal protection, a small impact to the foot can be painful because there is very little flesh and muscle to protect those metatarsal bones, and it doesn’t take much more of an impact to cause a disabling injury because all those bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and nerves, are exposed and unprotected!

With this obvious need in a work boot or shoe, how do you choose which Metatarsal Boot is best for you?

There are three general types of metatarsal guards – external metatarsal guards and internal metatarsal guards, plus a new External/Internal Super Met-Guard. All have to meet the same ASTM F2413-11 Metatarsal Safety Shoe Standard, using the specific impact test for metatarsal guards ASTM F2412-11. A 50-pound weight in the shape of a 1 inch diameter bar is dropped eighteen inches onto the metatarsal area of the shoe, resulting in a 75 foot-pound impact to the metatarsal guard. A full 1-inch clearance must be maintained under the metatarsal impact area on the inside of the shoe. The results are clearly seen and measured from a soft wax foot-form, which was placed within the shoe before the test and removed afterward to measure the deflection of the guard during impact

So what is the difference between the two types of guards?

Originally, Metatarsal Boots were only made with External Guards, that are made of impact resistant plastic and sit on the outside of the shoe covering the lace (or metatarsal area) and extending down to and resting on the safety toe. Some External Guards are encased in a leather pocket for both looks and added protection from sparks and heat, while others have just the exposed plastic guard.

In the past, External Guards were not very popular with employees because they were stiff, heavy, uncomfortable, and the External Guards often caught on floor stock and material causing trips and falls; but they certainly offered a lot of added protection corporations wanted for their employees. Eventually, the complaints about External Guards causing trips and falls and their unsightly appearance lead to the development of the Internal Guards. One positive for the External Guard is that although both Internal and External Metatarsal Guards meet the same ASTM Standard, the External Guard does seem to test a little better than the Internal Guard.

Footrest Metatarsal Guard

Thus, some corporations continue to require the External Guard for their employees, believing it is somewhat safer. Repeating though, both the External and Internal Guards have to pass the same ASTM F2413-11 Standard and both use the same Metatarsal Guard testing method described in ASTM F2412-11.

Newer versions of the External Guard Metatarsal Boot have gotten better, lighter, more flexible and more comfortable. The use of hinge-style Metatarsal Guards have made the guards a little more flexible than the original stiff, rigid guards, and lighter-weight Polyurethane soles, as well as the use of direct-attach construction and better cement construction techniques have dramatically improved the resilience and elasticity of soles and mid-soles of the External Metatarsal Boots. These improvements have made External Metatarsal Boots much more comfortable today.

The Internal Metatarsal Guard is often the more preferred Guard because External Metatarsal Boots are less attractive, with the large guard attached to the front of the boot.  In the past, Internal Guards had their share of comfort issues too, mainly because of the stiff guard placed under the lacing system and extending and resting on the safety toe. These stiff guards were difficult to flex and also uncomfortable, but in recent years, Internal Guards also have been revolutionized with incredible new, technically-advanced, impact-resistant materials that are thinner, much more flexible, and way more comfortable.

Internal Metatarsal Guard

Today, there are still a lot of plastic Internal Guards, but the exciting, new, Internal Guard is made of PORON XRD® by Rogers Corporation, a microcellular, urethane, open cell, breathable material, that is amazingly effective in dissipating the energy of high speed impacts.   Despite being light-weight and very thin, Poron XRD® can effectively dissipate up to 90% of the energy of a high energy impact.  This new material is revolutionizing the Metatarsal Boot business because now just about any kind of boot or shoe can be made into a Metatarsal Guard, without effecting the look or comfort of the boot or shoe.  This is an amazing development!

Consequently, now, the new Poron XRD® Internal Metatarsal Guard can be used in basically any style shoe from Cowboy Boots to Athletic Style Metatarsal Shoes.

External Guards are typically limited to 6″-8″ Metatarsal Boots and a few Wellingtons.

Now, a new, special third type of Metatarsal Guard is being introduced by HYTEST, a division of Wolverine Boots and Shoes, which developed this revolutionary, new guard in answer to a Client’s challenge to build a stronger, safer Metatarsal Boot—one that would test significantly better than the typical Metatarsal Boot. Thus, HYTEST created the “Super-Guard X”, which incorporates a new triple-guard design, featuring a new, two-piece, External Metatarsal Guard that covers much more of the foot than previous guards, and the Poron XRD® Internal Guard. Together, this very impressive design, is testing 50% better than the typical Metatarsal Boot. Instead of testing with a 1-inch clearance, it’s getting an amazing 1.5 inch clearance.

Clearly Metatarsal Boots are very necessary in many environments.  When shopping for your Metatarsal Boot, it is important to remember that certain industries and companies have specific requirements, regarding which guard they prefer; however, advanced technology has made and is making all 3 options (Internal, External, and the new Internal/External Super Met-Guard Metatarsal Boots) much safer, much lighter, more comfortable, in addition to being available in a myriad of styles that are better looking and more affordable. 

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18 of the Best Work Boot Brands

Listed here are the Best SAFETY and Work Boot Brands on the market.  All of these brands are good and worthy of mention, but this breakdown will most likely help you select the work boot that best fits your needs. What the industry calls a “Brown Boot Company” is not without reason, as the nickname implies a product that meets a very basic, universal need for a lasting, durable work boot.  

HYTEST

HYTEST is the oldest safety shoe maker and is still the leader in innovative safety shoe technology offering many styles for both men and women.

One of their most notable breakthroughs is their invisible and well-constructed XRD Metatarsal Guard, which is 50% safer than other metatarsal guards offered by other companies.

They offer the 6″ and 8″ work boot and Wellingtons to name a few. Their very high quality sub-brand, “FootRests” is the only brand of safety shoe to receive the APMA (American Podiatric Medical Association–The Podiatrists) certification for a comfortable safety shoe. “FootRests” makes very comfortable men and women’s work shoes, boots, wellingtons, and metatarsal guard shoes. 

WOLVERINE

Wolverine is a very popular, legendary brand, offering not only many styles of soft-toe work boots, but also a lot of safety shoes, as well. They are indeed a classic, American “Brown Boot Company”, that has used modern, direct-attach construction and contemporary styling to enhance the Consumers’ work boot experience.

Their best brand, “DURASHOCKS” uses “Direct-Attach Construction”, which contributes to its remarkable durability. Recent upgrades to the DuraShocks brand include their MultiShox and award-winning Contour Welt brands that are similarly constructed. The sole on these brands is attached to the upper while it is in a liquid state, so it cures and attaches to the upper without stitches; creating a highly durable work boot for many different environments. Because this construction is so resilient and allows for the use of many different bottom materials, including Polyurethane, Thermo Plastic Urethane (TPU) and Rubber, these boots are capable of withstanding many tough industrial environments, like high-heat, water and chemical, and oil-based industries. These brands come in all the work boot styles, soft-toe and safety-toe, including oxfords, 6” & 8” boots, hikers, Wellingtons, and metatarsal guards.

While Wolverine makes many casual styles, hikers, and Wellingtons, their claim-to-fame is truly their safety and soft-toe work boots.

TIMBERLAND PRO

Timberland Pro is a division of Timberland. Despite being relatively new to safety shoes and heavy duty work boots, it has retained Timberland’s loyal following by bringing their contemporary styling, beautiful leathers, and high quality, to the work boot industry.

Their most famous style is their 6″ Gold Nubuck leather boot. While that style is their most famous style, their most popular line of boots has been the TiTAN brand boots and shoes, which uses very nice work leathers and a dual-density Polyurethane-TPU (Thermo-Plastic Urethane) outsole to provide good looks and great performance for its loyal customers. 

Timberland Pro’s work boots not only look good, but they use superb technology, as well, offering work boots with features such as electrical hazard and static dissipating technology.

Timberland’s reputation for very popular, high-quality safety footwear clearly continues that tradition with its Timberland Pro line.

ROCKY

Rocky boots are well-known for its waterproof, hunting and outdoor boots, as well as their work boot line. They were one of the biggest users of Gore-Tex waterproofing membrane in their boots and this made them a very popular, American brand. In work boots and safety shoes, they are known for using high-quality leathers and soles in their boots and styling popular with outdoor consumers, including Wellingtons, logger boots, and insulated-waterproof boots and shoes.

One of their most popular lines is their Mobilite® line which features an oblique (extra wide) safety toe, waterproof membrane, high-quality, oil-tanned leather, and excellent slip-resistant outsole. And this style is available in a soft-toe, 6” style RO7114. 

Georgia Boot

Georgia Boot, which in recent years was purchased by Rocky, is another very popular, American work boot brand. The Georgia brand is very well-regarded, especially in the Southeastern United States, and they also use high-quality leathers and traditional styling to produce excellent work boots.

Georgia’s trademark is the distinct use of a “RAND” around the sole of their Georgia Giant brand shoe, which is made in both soft-toe and safety-toe basic work styles, including 6 and 8 inch boots and very popular Wellingtons. This shoe features a very light, polyurethane sole and high-quality, oil-tanned leather, which makes this style light-weight, while providing a very durable leather and slip-resistant outsole.

DR. MARTENS

Dr. Martens Industrial shoes are made in England and are popular with many millennials due to their distinctive look, which includes work-shoe styling, clear PVC sole, and yellow stitching. Dr. Martens are mostly used in lighter industrial environments.

Dr. Martens were made popular with their PVC “Hot Knife” construction process, that bonds the PVC sole to the boot. The unusual, clear, PVC sole is heavy, but it has many redeeming qualities that make it popular. The sole is very resilient and has a cushioning property, and even though it feels “soft” on the feet, it is actually very durable in most environments except heat. (PVC melts at very low temperatures, which makes it inappropriate for metal industries that have hot materials on the floor.) Additionally, though PVC is also a very slip-resistant compound, and that also makes it very popular in slippery environments. And because it is also durable in chemicals and oils, it does a good job in industrial environments despite its limitations in high-heat.

One more unique feature of Dr. Martens is that they have traditionally only been available in one width and whole sizes only (8, 9, 10, 11, etc. no half-sizes), which makes them more difficult to fit comfortably. Dr. Martens will continue to maintain its popularity with young workers because of its unique styling and be important in certain work environments and industries.

THOROGOOD

Thorogood is a brand produced by the Weinbrenner Shoe Company in Wisconsin. They also are traditional American work boot brand and also make a lot of boots for the uniform industry. Their boots feature excellent leathers, durable soles, and traditional work boot styling, and also have many safety specifications, like Electrical Hazard, Static Dissipating, and Metatarsal Guards. Their boots are regarded as some of best for tough industrial conditions, as they use a variety of constructions (welt, cement, and direct-attach) to build boots for specific environments and needs. Whatever they may lack in styling, they make up for in their high quality, durable boots for industrial and work environments.

WARSON GROUP

The Warson Group has licensed several brands to support multiple segments of the work shoe industry; offering everything from dressy-casual and beautiful, colorful athletic styles for men and women to heavy-duty work boots for the steel and aluminum industry. They make static dissipating, electrical hazard, and conductive work shoes and safety boots, as well as soft-toe, uniform shoes.

  • Florsheim Brand, known for dressy-casual styling, features some very handsome, dressy-casual style safety shoes, with excellent cushion insole materials. Additionally, they also have a line of outstanding heavy-duty safety work boots, with excellent leathers and durable soles. including a variety of dressy casuals and safety shoes. Both Static Dissipating and Electrical Hazard styles are available.
  • Rockport Works, also known for their men’s dress-casual safety shoe styling, features excellent styles of popular men’s and women’s boat shoes and other casuals. Additionally, its work shoes, hikers, and 6″ work boots are equally nicely styled and feature excellent outsoles, beautiful leathers, and comfortable insoles. They too, make their safety toe work shoes with Static Dissipating and Electrical Hazard specifications. Rockport Works also make a small line of soft-toe, slip-resistant work shoes for men and women.
  • Reebok, known for its athletic styling safety shoes, brings in the beautiful colors to athletic safety-toe and work shoe industry. Reebok has only been in the safety toe market for a few short years, but already they have made a positive impact on light-weight athletic styling for men and women. They provide outstanding competition for Skechers and Nautilus, especially for women’s styling, which has gotten much better since they entered the market. Reebok makes all varieties of athletic safety-toe and soft-toe, slip-resistant work shoes, including conductive, static dissipating, and electrical hazard.
  • Iron Age Brand is old brand purchased by Warson Group and now used to market their heavy duty work shoe styles. These work boots feature excellent leathers, and contemporary styling, durable outsoles, and comfortable insoles. They are made with Electrical Hazard and Static Dissipating features.

CATERPILLAR

Caterpillar work boots are produced and marketed by Wolverine, which licenses this brand from Caterpillar. Caterpillar is hugely popular in Europe and has a growing reputation in the America because of its great contemporary styling, which is popular with young people

Caterpillar offers both soft-toe and safety-toe work boots, and their work shoes feature very contemporary styling. They have two basic lines of shoes: casual-athletic-hiker styles which have colorful, attractive patterns, while featuring light-weight, durable, slip-resistant outsoles and work styles, which have heavy-duty, high quality leathers and outsoles, great contemporary styling, and comfortable insoles.

Because Caterpillar is synonymous with high quality, tough products, Caterpillar work shoes have taken that reputation and built some outstanding and comfortable work boots, both safety-toe and soft-toe, for men and women, that are very appealing to the younger generation.

NAUTILUS

Nautilus is known for its athletic shoes, but it has made a name for itself in the work shoe industry by morphing their athletic constructions and designs into a line of men’s and women’s athletic safety shoes and also soft-toe, slip-resistant shoe styles as well. Their focus and key products are their colorful and comfortable, men’s and women’s, athletic, safety shoes, which feature some styles with an extra-wide safety-toe, an extra wide width, and extra-large sizes.

They also own the AVENGER and Skidbuster brands, and together with Nautilus, they offer static dissipating, electrical hazard, waterproof, metatarsal, and slip-resistant work shoes.

SKECHERS

Skechers is very popular for their contemporary, men’s and women’s, athletic work shoe styling. They are responsible for bringing great-looking, colorful, lightweight, and comfortable work shoes to the safety shoe industries. Additionally, they have pioneered contemporary styling in slip-resistant work shoes, and more recently, the extremely comfortable “Memory Foam Insole” technology in their athletic work shoes and safety shoe lines. Recently, Skechers is trying to transform athletic styling and comfort technologies into heavier duty work shoes and work boots, including Wellington Boots.

While Skechers has been the leader in bringing great styling, comfort and slip-resistant features to the athletic work shoe industry, they have had a difficult time consistently delivering their products on-time, and they do not warranty their products against defects. Nevertheless, Skechers is very popular with consumers in many environments that want to wear beautiful athletic and comfortable shoes to work.

CAROLINA

Carolina Shoe Company specializing in high-quality, heavy duty work shoes, including specialty boots, like loggers and lineman boots and safety-toe and metatarsal guard safety shoes. Through the years, Carolina has made great boots with high quality leathers and soles, mostly for men, but in recent years, Carolina has produced some nice basic athletic and casual styles, featuring mostly safety-toe shoes for men and women. They have specialty shanks with reinforced steel specially created for standing on small poles for a long period of time.

JUSTIN BOOTS

Justin Boots have been known through the years for their western and Wellington style work boots, and they are considered one of the Best American Work Boot Brands because of their long history of providing high-quality leather work boots. In recent years, Justin has moved and improved their position in the safety toe market by offering a variety of western safety toes, including a new square toe design.

Ariat

Relatively new the work boot industry is Ariat, but they are a very traditional western and work boot manufacturer that uses high quality leathers and classic styling to make both work and safety boots.

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Dielectric Boots Information

There seems to be a lot of confusion with the difference between dielectric boots (DI) and Electrical Hazard boots.

Dielectric is a rubber boot. According to the ASTM standard for Dielectric Footwear, these boots had to be rubber—either overshoe or overfoot type. Most all of these are overshoe type and there seems to be some confusion about whether or not there is a overfoot type of dielectric boot. The thing is the old standard, which was the ASTM F1117-03, was removed from the ASTM standards in 2011, so now there is just the regular safety-toe Electrical Hazard (EH) standard, which is F2413-08.

You will see dielectric rubber boots that say they meet the ASTM F2413-08 standard in the specs, which makes it confusing.

So here’s a little help with this. If someone asks for Dielectric, tell them that to be Dielectric, the boots must be rubber. There is no Dielectric standard anymore, but if they need the extra “Dielectric” protection, then they would need to get an overshoe type Dielectric Rubber Boot and wear their Electrical Hazard safety boots with the Dielectric Rubber Boots, which will be a soft-toe, over-the-shoe type boot, like galoshes. But they will need to get a “Dielectric Boot”, which is still made.

Google “Dielectric Boots” and you’ll get a sense of what is available.

Electrical Hazard Boots, of course, meet the same standard now as the Dielectric boots, but in fact the Dielectric Boots are extra protection.

Electrical Hazard boots and Dielectric boots meet the same standard, but the Dielectric are better.

The test runs like this. Both boots are subjected to a wet, EH test, in which the boot is subjected to 18,000 volts of electricity at 60Hz for 1 minute. The Boots pass if they have less than 1 milli-ampere leakage. (That is not much, but the leather boot is much more likely to leak water than the rubber boot; and that water leak is what would cause a failure or electrocution.) The Rubber Boot isn’t going to leak water and therefore the rubber boot, inherently is safer because it is much more waterproof than the leather boot would be.

So in summary, if someone asks for Dielectric, they are asking for a rubber boot (more than likely, a rubber over-boot); if they want a leather boot, then that is electrical hazard. There are no leather, dielectric boots!

One last thing, Electrical Hazard, safety-toe boots are not meant as primary Electrical Hazard protection against Electrical Hazard Shock. The ASTM F2314 standard says EH safety-toe boots are meant as a secondary form of protection, and other additional measures should be taken to protect the employee/customer from Electrical Hazards. The test means that in the event of an accidental contact with an live electrical source, the boots are meant to protect an employee from a source of 600 volts or less.

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Athletic Safety Shoes: Colorful, Sporty, Comfortable and Protect Your Feet

Hands down, the most popular safety shoe is the athletic safety shoe. In a HYTEST market research group back in the early 1990’s, when asked what they would like to see available, a compelling number of research participants urged HYTEST to make a more comfortable safety shoe, like an athletic safety shoe.

Once they proved to meet safety standards, employers also liked them.  So it was no surprise that once the O.T.’s (HYTEST’s athletic safety shoe brand) hit the market, they became a huge, overnight success; and competitors, like Lehigh and Iron Age joined in the fun. Offering working employees a variety of athletic safety shoes from which to choose.

Today there are four main companies who offer athletic safety shoes, and three technologies to consider when purchasing them. 

Athletic Safety Shoes by Sketchers

Sketchers

Sketchers (formerly L.A. Gear) is the premiere athletic safety shoe company, especially in terms of introducing more styles and colors to the women’s athletic safety shoes market; as well as bringing the super comfortable memory foam insole to safety shoes.

Browse Sketchers Athletic Safety Shoes

 

Athletic Safety Shoes by Reebok

Reebok

Reebok, licensed by the Warson Group (which formerly licensed the Converse brand) aggressively competes with Sketchers, and also offers a wide variety of colors and styles in athletic safety shoes.  Warson Group uses more technology in their Reebok athletic safety shoes than Sketchers does, offering electrical hazard, static dissipating, and conductive athletic safety shoes for a wide variety of work environments.  Reebok also uses more composite toes in their athletic safety shoes, which makes them lighter and more comfortable.   In addition to Reebok, Warson Group also is the licensee for Rockport and Florsheim safety shoes.

Browse Reebok Athletic Safety Shoes

 

Nautilus

Nautilus athletic safety shoes are best known for their wide toe boxes, extra wide widths, and larger sizes, which not only make fitting athletic safety shoes easier, but offer maximum space for the foot, which keeps the foot comfortable during the work day.  Nautilus athletic safety shoes use a combination of steel toes and lighter-weight, composite toes, as well as good slip-resistant soles.  Nautilus shoes also have a combination of electrical hazard and static dissipating technologies, which are discussed further below.

Browse Nautilus Athletic Safety Shoes

 

Athletic Safety Shoes by HYTEST

HYTEST

HYTEST athletic safety shoes, which are a product of Wolverine World Wide and Wolverine Boots and Shoes, have recently introduced many, very nice styles of men’s and women’s athletic safety shoes, making HYTEST  one of the best athletic safety shoe brands.  Their athletic safety shoes have many technologies, including steel toe and composite safety toes and electrical hazard and static dissipating properties.  Additionally, HYTEST has a history of using some of the best slip-resistant soles, which are very helpful in the many slippery industrial environments.  Additionally, HYTEST has designed an athletic safety shoe that has an invisible metatarsal guard.  Actually, it’s a Poron® XRD® internal metatarsal guard safety shoe, and they offer it in Men’s and Women’s.

Browse HYTEST Athletic Safety Shoes for Men
Browse HYTEST Athletic Safety Shoes for Women

 

There are clearly numerous advantages now offered in athletic safety shoes—not only do they have colorful and sporty styling, but they’re lighter weight and more comfortable, too.  And athletic safety shoes offer most every protective feature, including Electrical Hazard, Conductive, and Static Dissipating properties; Composite and Steel Toes, and even an athletic metatarsal guard safety shoe in a men’s and women’s style.  And because of their popularity with employers and employees alike, today SafeShoes.com offers a wide variety of choices in style, color, and features. 

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Steel Toe Waterproof Work Boots: Safety Toe Options

(Continued from our Waterproof Work Boots post)

Any discussion on Waterproof work boots would be remiss without mentioning the value of the safety toe and the safety toe options available on the market today. 

Steel toe waterproof work boots are roughly 50% of all waterproof safety shoes.  Steel is easily the strongest, most versatile material, which can be molded into many toe-shapes and styles, but it tends to also be the heaviest of the components used to reinforce the toe.

The Aluminum safety toe is clearly lighter than the steel toe, but is not as strong as steel.  It is more difficult to provide enough strength in certain shapes to meet safety-toe tests, so the styles are limited compared to steel toes.

The composite toe is the trendy safety toe material because it is lighter than steel, but it’s also considerably thicker than steel to compensate for its strength.  The thickness required to provide strength for the composite safety toe renders a typically wider, more bulbous shape;  which often limits the style choices.  Hence the composite toe is most likely found in work, hiking, and some men’s athletic shoes and casual shoes, but the bulbous toe shape is not as attractive and useful in women’s styles.

The carbon fiber safety toe is a new, non-metallic fiber composite, providing a strong, synthetic material, so it does not require the thickness of the composite toe for durability, making it more useful in styles with lower profile toes.  When looking for comfort, many may opt for the light weight of a carbon or composite toe safety toe over the heavier steel toe, but opting for the lighter weight safety toes also requires a willingness to forego the sophistication of the favored western styled toe or lower profile dress and causal styles that only steel provides.  The new, carbon fiber toe, could become the new, preferred non-metallic toe in athletic shoes, hikers, work boots if it can be shaped into some of the lower profile, smaller toe shapes and pass the ASTM safety toe standards.

Clearly, due to the prolific use of Gore-Tex’s waterproof “bootie” technology and other advancements, the waterproof safety shoe is no longer a specialty item reflected in the highest price point boots.  Instead, technology has offered a huge benefit to not only the industrial worker who can now work longer hours in difficult environments, but the fashion conscious business person, who is simply wanting a well-constructed water-tight shoe.  This wonderful, new technology has made waterproof footwear available to everyone.  And it’s available in all price points and all kinds of styles offered by SafeShoes.com today.