Looking for my first pair

Bob Gibson

Member
Messages
11,472
Location
Merrimack, New Hampshire
Of steel toed work boots.

I've always worn sneakers or regular work boots in my shop. Dropped a few things on my foot from time to time but no big deal.

Until yesterday........I brought a beautiful piece of 5/4 13" wide X 10 foot long curly maple (wood gloat coming in another thread) from my garage to my basement shop. Making a long story short, one end caught on the step of my ladder and when it slipped off the other end fell out of my hands and landed across my toes. Xray showed I fractured both bones in the big toe. My right foot looks like its been painted black from the bruising. Man, it's painful.
So, I no longer think that guys who wear steel toed boots in the shop are a bunch of sissies.:rofl: In fact, I'm almost thinking about trying to remember where I put the blade guard for my table saw.......:saythat:
 
Well Bob you can join my "sissies" club:)
I took the plunge in December and treated myself to a pair. Frankly they one of the most comfortable shoes i have owned. I did get a pair of inners at the same time.

But here is another positive about it. You feel a lot more solid when you plant your feet to work a machine or at the bench.

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I wear steel toes about all the time. I bought a new pair for work, yah I work in the parts dept now but I still like them. The old pair a wear to the shop here at home. I buy my shoe off the Matco tool truck that comes to the shop at work. These are the most comfortable shoe that I have ever had while standing on concrete. They are not cheap, about $200.00 but are well worth it when you are on concrete all day. I do wear tennis shoes in the shop at home in the summer when I do some finish work.
 
I've never worn steel toed boots, but I can and do sympathize on the broken toes... I kicked a downhole gun off a pile a few years ago...it was blocking a dock door and I just wanted to move it... I shoved it off the stack so it wouldn't block the door, it rolled back onto the foot I was standing on, hit my big toe right on the end... cracked the bone in 6 places... essentially crushed the tip of my toe... the gun only fell about 6 inches so I thought it was just mashed, until I felt the blood oozing and realized my sock was getting wet... it's been nearly 20 years and that toe is still stiff....
 
I've had a pair of Red Wing steel toed work boots for a few years now. I just about always wear them in the shop, when I stack firewood, and always when I run the chainsaw. Certainly makes me feel safer.

I once took care of a guy who was a construction worker, had a 2,000 pound pipe fall onto his big toe, crushing it. He was weeks with daily dressing changes, oozing, a mess. He was wearing sneakers when the accident happened. He told me over and over, that if he'd been wearing steel toed boots, his toes would've been amputated. I dunno. For what we do in our shops, I think steel toes are the way to go. One bit of warning, try them on carefully, there's no give if they are tight, and if the overall boot is too heavy, you won't want to wear them.
 
Jim mine came from a local store that had em on sale Canadian tire.
One thing i wanted to see on them was CSA mark. Thats the Canadian safety Ass. mark.

But Walmart also has a variety of safety boots.

Btw mine are mid height just on ankle but there are "shoe type " and full boot type available. I dont see the need for a full past ankle height boot. The inners i got are inner soles but good ones with orthetic qualities. I haul the manufacturers stuff out on these.

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When I worked in the factory of Kal Kan pet food (Mars)...we had to wear them. I tried the heavy boots at first and they just looked funny with our white uniforms. We could get new ones every year and I went with the tennis shoe style...they were wonderful and comfortable and really felt just like regular tennies.
 
I go through a couple of pairs a year, but they are the sneaker kind and i wear everyday for finishing work ( toes wear out) . I have two pair of the high top work boots for regular construction out in the weather and a couple of pairs steel toe gum boots for concrete work and one pair of thermals for working in the snow. Just a part of the job and a must in any shop. I find that no matter how often I wear them I still drop things and though they save my toes it doesn't help when you drop things that land higher than the steel toes ( and that does happen lots).
 
I've had a pair of Red Wing steel toed work boots for a few years now. I just about always wear them in the shop, when I stack firewood, and always when I run the chainsaw. Certainly makes me feel safer.

I once took care of a guy who was a construction worker, had a 2,000 pound pipe fall onto his big toe, crushing it. He was weeks with daily dressing changes, oozing, a mess. He was wearing sneakers when the accident happened. He told me over and over, that if he'd been wearing steel toed boots, his toes would've been amputated. I dunno. For what we do in our shops, I think steel toes are the way to go. One bit of warning, try them on carefully, there's no give if they are tight, and if the overall boot is too heavy, you won't want to wear them.

I've only owned one pair when I did commercial construction. My dad had tried to talk me out of them. As much squatting as I did working on stuff on the ground, they killed my feet as they cut off circulation bending my feet. I'd probably use them for the shop, but depends on the projects. For bending over and working on the ground, like welding up something, probably not.
 
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