To work safely, keep your feet healthy, and stay comfortable, here are the best safety shoes to buy this year for all categories of workers.
Safety shoes are required by law in many workplaces. As a result, they are in demand in factories, heavy industry, and construction sites, in various craft activities, including carpentry and ceramics, in some branches of the food industry, and in many loading and unloading activities.
The main function of safety shoes is to protect the foot from accidental impacts in all directions, from weights that could fall from above or from dangerous objects on the ground, such as sharp tools or corrosive liquids.
Modern safety shoes are extremely advanced, guaranteeing high safety levels and comfort to preserve the health of feet, ankles, and the whole body. There are safety shoes for those who walk or stand a lot, which consider the foot and the repercussions on the back.
Depending on our activity, we can obtain safety shoes that are more comfortable and lighter than those of the past and be much more aesthetically beautiful. Safety shoes are not only useful for legal obligations.
Even if our workplace is not included among those at risk, we can buy shoes independently to better face our tasks without getting tired and subjecting feet and legs to excessive workloads.
We must also consider our hobbies, such as gardening, carpentry, the workshop, and many other do-it-yourself activities. Safety shoes are highly recommended to avoid accidents and injuries in the workplace.
Table of Contents
How to Choose Safety Shoes
Let’s see the main features to consider to choose the best safety shoes for our business. In particular, we take into account legal obligations and safety classifications. These rules also apply as guidelines when we buy shoes on our own, ensuring we have the proper protection.
Given these factors, we can rely on other equally important characteristics such as comfort, breathability, and the shoe’s flexibility, especially if we keep them on our feet for many hours daily.
Safety Shoes and legal obligations
The mandatory safety shoes are part of the PPE (personal protective equipment) and must be provided by the employer. He is always accountable to the law and must ensure that the right shoes are used based on the risk factor.
We remind you that the worker also has his obligations, and if he does not wear shoes, he can be subjected to disciplinary proceedings and, in the worst cases, to dismissal.
We think that accident shoes exist for our health without going that far. The worker can oppose using the employer’s shoes only in malformations or particular problems to the foot. In this case, the choice of a different shoe is allowed.
In many workplaces, it is possible to choose a shoe other than the one the employer offers as long as it meets the essential requirements for that precise risk factor. For example, we may need a lighter than the proposed safety shoe or a more flexible sole that does not cause back problems.
Security classification and levels
The entrepreneur knows the right type of footwear to provide to the worker based on workplace assessments. If, on the other hand, we want a safety shoe for our hobbies or the jobs we do independently, here is the classification of the shoes according to their intended use.
The European standard UNI EN ISO 20345 classifies shoes according to safety levels:
- SB. SB shoes offer basic safety that requires a reinforced toe inside the shoe. This must withstand 200 joules of a load equivalent to a weight of 20 kg falling from 1 meter in height. Also, the sole is non-slip.
- S1. In addition to the previous category, the S1 shoe has an antistatic sole. The S1P category also has a metallic foil that prevents sharp objects from piercing the sole.
- S2. The S2 shoe adds waterproofing to the previous categories thanks to water-repellent materials. With these shoes, you can stay in contact with water for 1 hour.
- S3. The S3 shoe extends the puncture protection to the heel and absorbs vibrations.
- S4. The S4 category is completely waterproof and is suitable for work in continuous contact with water, mud, or other liquids. However, it is not equipped with an anti-puncture sheet.
- S5. The S5 safety shoes offer maximum protection and include all the advantages of the previous categories: reinforced toe cap, anti-slip, anti-static, and anti-puncture sole, total waterproofing, and reinforced and enveloping heel.
Parts of the shoe and materials
Let’s see how the different parts of the safety shoe are made and the most-used materials.
Tip
The shoe’s toe is equipped with a reinforcement that protects the forefoot and toes from accidental bumps and heavy loads. The shoe must withstand at least 200 joules of pressure and a 20 kg weight falling from 1 meter in height.
In this regard, the traditional reinforcement is always in steel because it guarantees maximum resistance. However, today we find aluminum toecaps that allow for a lighter shoe than steel in the face of the same safety level. Besides, they offer better thermal insulation, useful both in winter and summer, to prevent outside temperatures from sweating.
In some work environments, the tip can be high-quality plastic material with the same resistance as metals. For example, this choice may be necessary to offer greater protection from electrical elements or provide metal detectors.
Sole
The sole of the safety shoes is always made of rubber with numerous variations. It is a non-slip sole thanks to the material used and thanks to the tread design, designed in such a way as to offer maximum grip on the ground and different types of material.
These are indispensable soles on roofs or stairs, smooth and slippery floors, or in the presence of liquids, humidity or snow, sawdust, and soil.
The safety shoes can have a sole up to the heel or a separate heel. The difference depends on the workplace and the risk factors. If the heel is separate, it is advisable to know if it has the same protections as the sole (for example, the anti-puncture plate).
Regardless of whether the heel is present, the sole can be designed to absorb and distribute the load across the foot to save excessive heel strain and allow for a smoother walk. In addition, it is an anti-shock system that absorbs and distributes energy on impact and helps avoid the ankles and the foot’s sole problems.
Also, it avoids back problems due to unnatural walking that forces the spine to arch. We also find a certain degree of rigidity or flexibility among the sole and midsole characteristics. This choice also depends on the conditions in which we will work.
For example, when we have to walk a lot, it is more useful to have a cushioned shoe to facilitate movement. In other cases, when we need more stability, a more rigid and stable shoe can be useful.
Midsole
The safety shoes have a midsole with an anti-puncture plate between the sole and the upper. The foil prevents nails, glass, or other sharp objects from going beyond the sole and injuring the foot. This is often made of metal (steel or aluminum), the simplest solution to avoid injury, and offers 85% protection.
Alternatively, safety shoes with non-metallic foil are available, mainly made of ceramic or kevlar fiber. Kevlar is the latest-generation synthetic material that is stronger than steel but offers more flexibility and better thermal insulation. Also used for bulletproof vests, Kevlar can resist flames and is a must-have choice for work environments where high-temperature casting materials are present.
Upper
The upper can be made with different materials. One of the most used is leather, smooth or suede, in all shoes that do not require waterproofing. On the other hand, other models are made of synthetic materials or rubber to ensure total waterproofing. Thus, depending on the design and materials, the upper can differentiate between a too-stiff and a comfortable shoe.
On the upper, we also find the shoe closure system. Although the hook and loop fasteners made of Velcro are more useful in some cases, strings are prevalent. An instant closure system is essential in environments where there is a need to undo the shoe quickly with a single gesture, for example, in places with corrosive materials or molten metals. Finally, we can find reflective bands on the upper, useful to signal our presence even in low light.
Seashell
The back of the shoe called the shell, is essential to ensure stability and comfort at the same time. It is one with the upper but has a sturdy structure to protect the heel from the outside, while inside, it provides soft support that avoids chafing and pain. On the shoe’s sides, additional protection safeguards the ankle from accidental impacts.
Ankle
Considering the ankle area, we distinguish between high-safety shoes and low shoes. The high shoes have the typical boot shape and offer additional protection to the ankles, both in terms of waterproofing and impact resistance, and prevent sprains and ankle bending on one side or the other by protecting bone tendons.
Seams
The seams and joints between the various parts of the shoe must be safe and resistant to compromise the structure’s tightness. Furthermore, whether waterproof or not, they must prevent foreign bodies’ entry from the outside. It would help if you made seams and joints not to cause discomfort to the foot. They must not have protrusions inside the shoe.
Antistatic and ESD safety shoes
Antistatic shoes are made completely without metal parts. In this regard, there can be no anti-hole sheets or metal tips. You must always make the loops for the laces and other small parts with materials that do not conduct electricity. We will then use plastic, rubber, or other materials to build each shoe part.
ESD (Electro Static Discharge) safety shoes are required in some work environments. These shoes are antistatic and continuously discharge electricity to the ground as required by EN ISO 20345: 2011.
They are used in environments where highly flammable liquids are present or electrical elements are produced. In any safety class from SB to S5, all safety shoes can also be classified as antistatic and ESD when they meet these characteristics.
Orthopedic safety shoes
Numerous tools exist to overcome this problem, particularly foot problems or poor adaptability to the safety shoes, such as hallux valgus or diabetes.
The best orthopedic safety shoes, certified by the TUV, are prepared or already equipped with removable anatomical insoles, sometimes also present on the heel.
When the standard features are insufficient, it is possible to insert orthotics, sole or heel lifts, inserts, and braces to allow workers to wear the most suitable safety shoes. In this way, everyone can work safely without aggravating existing pathologies or giving rise to other disorders.
Breathability
For maximum comfort, the shoe must ensure a certain degree of breathability. In addition to generating an uncomfortable sensation and transmitting heat to the rest of the body, Sweaty feet can easily swell, making a recovery slow and tiring at the end of the day slowly and tiring.
Furthermore, the worn shoe will begin to ” stay tight ” due to the foot and ankles’ swelling. Working in these conditions is uncomfortable and can compromise our steps’ stability, which is precisely why we wear safety shoes.
As mentioned, the latest generation of safety shoes can guarantee the wearer a high degree of comfort that improves foot health and safety at work. In addition, we can generally distinguish summer safety shoes from winter ones for a high degree of breathability, which is necessary as temperatures rise.
They usually differ in the upper, made of lighter and more breathable materials, capable of dissipating heat and reducing sweat production. The result is lighter and easier to wear shoes. In this regard, even winter shoes, used for many hours in some scorching environments, must overcome condensation and sweat.
If the shoe guarantees maximum impermeability, the upper must necessarily prevent moisture ingress, so it will not be possible to make it breathable. In summer and winter shoes, the difference is given by the sole, which can absorb most of the sweat produced, keeping the foot dry throughout the day.
The durability of safety shoes
The duration of safety shoes is between 4-8 months, depending on the model and brand, considering that they are shoes to be worn daily for many hours. It may seem too short compared to other shoes, but we must consider that they are subjected to more wear.
This is also why we must choose the best safety shoes suitable for our work. For example, if we have water-repellent shoes, we can face a few hours of rain but not soak our feet in the mud all day because the water will enter sooner or later. So using the right shoe is the first step in extending its life.
Maintenance of safety shoes
Safety shoes are essential to prolong their lives and avoid spending more because they could lose effectiveness and fail in their protective function. Therefore, it is also important to check the shoes and pay attention to any damage or signs of wear.
Shoes must always be clean and kept dry inside and out, remove any debris that gets stuck in the sole and remove the removable insoles to wash them periodically.
The best safety shoes to buy
Below are the best safety shoes with their respective characteristics and prices.
- Padded mesh collar for added comfort.
- Work shoe with steel toe and electrical hazard protection.
- Abrasion-resistant synthetic toe guard for added protection.
- 100% Waterproof
- Made in USA
- 16" height for maximum protection
- HIGH QUALITY, THICKER, & STRONGER – 40g Heavy Duty non-woven Polypropylene is thicker...
- EASE OF USE: easy to put on and easy to take off with the use of industrial-grade elastic...
- SMART DESIGN: Boot cover is made using heavy duty polypropylene fabric. Booties come with...
- GOODYEAR WORKMANSHIP : Goodyear workmanship is purely handmade, it makes the soles of work...
- DURABLE CRAZY-HORSE LEATHER: The surface of this work safety boots is frosted oil dipped...
- DURABLE STEEL TOE：The men work boots have steel plates embedded in the toes, the steel...
- EVA insert
- Meets ASTM F2413-17 I/75 and C/75 impact and compression safety standards
- Slip-resistant outsole properties are tested according to ASTM F2913-17 to provide...
- Robust Protection - TOES2GO Steel Toe Cap Overshoe safeguards the toe area from accidental...
- Visitor-friendly - These steel toe covers are great for guests and temporary workers,...
- Flexibility Assured - Crafted from pliable PVC, these overshoes offer versatile use,...
- SIZE: Length 5.9inches, wide 3.9inches, high 1.5inches, thickness up to 0.12inches.
- MATERIAL: ABS. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is a blend of three different plastic...
- APPLICATION: The metatarsal guards is used to prevent metatarsal injury. It can reduce the...
- PREMIUM MATERIAL : Our waterproof shoe cover is made of 100% high quality non-toxic...
- ALL-ROUND WATERPROOF, REUSABLE : Stretchable silicone And very resistant to tearing,...
- WIDELY APPLICATIONS : Silicone shoe covers fits for occasions of mud-spattered, rain,...
- DURABLE and HEAVY DUTY – Our slip-resistant shoe covers are made of 100% heavy-duty GSM...
- MACHINE -MADE – Better quality compared to hand-made shoe covers.
- EASY SLIP-ON AND OFF – These shoe covers are super elastic and very easy to slip on and...
- Vibram outsole, top grain nubuck leather and CORDURA ripstop fabric offer great protection...
- Sole: extra durable and rugged Vibram rubber sole provide extremely strong grip on rubber...
- GORE-TEX lining: 100% waterproof technology combines optimized breathability and wet...
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