Work boots

Year round Dunlop Purofort Thermo+ wearer here. They’ve saved my toes on a few occasions! See a few tradies (been having building work done at work for last 6 months) just wearing trainers, actually most of them.

When I did site work,the company* used to moan about how much my boots cost (£150-200).

My reply/justification, was always that this was the set of footwear that I would be wearing for hours,most days ,every week, so I want something that is comfortable and fit for purpose.

I think it's always a strange one that (some) people spend so much on 'best ' shoes/boots that they often only wear for a few hours.

* bean counters 🙂

My other half gardens in that well-known safety boot called Havianas. Including hedge cutters and electric chain saw and was helping me move 3.6 m sleepers yesterday. I am resigned to trying to explain to an A&E doctor why.....

Me on the other hand wears Grisport hi leg s3 safety boots.

or if you stand on a nail

The sensation of being instantly furious but having no idea why you’re angry or why this plank of wood is following you a about

Walking kills my boots - as I don't actually work in them - but  walk around/ between sites on a daily basis.

I've changed to a composite midsole as the steel one in my last ones snapped leaving me hobbling home early!

Bought v12 boots for the first time this time and i'm very impressed. Comfy, light and hard wearing so far.

I saw a nail go through a kids foot at boys club - grim. Theres a good reason for that puncture protection!

all of my guys use Steitz Secura boots, with custom measured orthotics.

Rubbish safety boots cause a lot of musculoskeletal and posture issues.

Exactly that ^^^. My last pair of steelies were more expensive than the budget I was allowed and were still not that comfortable when my [clown-sized] feet kept bumping into the toecap. I did a lot of walking in mine and it was always uncomfortable.

I saw in the local builders' merchants that (I think) Vans do a safety trainer. I would buy them if I could be sure they did a size 47/48.

When I was less then 10 one of the older teenage kids at the swimming club was labouring and dropped a large block on his trainers. Totally took his big toe and the next one off. I saw the aftermath a few weeks later and then realised the importance of decent boots! Its one of those early childhood memories that 40+ years later I can still see.

I was in a workshop last week, and we'd all initially walked to the office in casual shoes (works shutdown so no real work going on).

Soon as we started doing stuff with some big  lumps of metal (some broken stuff + measuring devices / instruments with steel frames), my toes were curling up in fear,  and I had to stop and go put my steelies on.  I just felt so exposed without them.

If the glazing company and any builders are not even able to organise or require normal PPE, what other corners are they cutting? I'd not trust any gang who can't even be bothered with the most basic attempt at safe working.

Short cuts are all too common.  I currently composing a polite email to a customer to note how disappointed I was at a site visit with their contractors lazy approach to safety i.e. hard hats missing/damaged, dumper truck driver driving no handed, no seat belt, no banksmen on reversing vehicles, un marked deep excavations, no safe walking routes, etc.  It was truly shocking.

You'd probably be better composing that e-mail to the HSE ernie.

Re attitudes of trades to safety; many moons ago I was a theatre porter at a hospital.

One day one of my punters was a glazier, in to have numerous tendons re-joined in his wrist after a big sheet of glass slipped and cut through them. He had been in for a while as he had nearly died from blood loss at the scene. This was the THIRD TIME it had happened to him 😮

I've had to have toetectors for various site and workshop visits ever since I started working, I'm less "hands-on" these days but I need to wear them probably for at least 1 day out of every 10 (so maybe ~10% of my working).

TBH I'm happy enough with something basic that fits from the ARCO catalogue with a Toe cap and midsole protection to ISO 20345.

A fresh pair every 18-24 moths for what I would consider an occasional user at ~£40-50 seems fair, while I don't see anything wrong with someone who spends their whole working day in work boots spending ~3x that every 12 months or so.

Every employer I've had for the last 25 odd years have stumped up for PPE without complaint, generally you are prompted not the other way round.

I do find it odd if a business like the OP describes that are going to have people conducting multiple lifts daily,  across a range of sites don't insist on proper PPE.

Working 12 hour shifts on steel decks was hell on my feet.

The best thing I ever bought was a mouldable set of footbeds.

The same as walking boots, try as many as you can, until you get a pair that fits.

Working for a well known construction machinery brand you'd think we'd get the branded boots. No. We don't. We get some really naff uncomfortable things. I have some of the proper branded work boots and got a ticking off for wearing them at work. Bizarre. THere was something to do with the non-slip ratings on the sole although the factory issue ones don't seem any better.

Also had some nice DM rigger boots but apparently they aren't suitable for a lot of sites we may visit.

Upshot is, I have some nice work boots to wear whilst working at home.

One place I was at stopped letting us buy our own boots and claim for them.

Then they found a boot supplier and we could choose from a catalogue with a range of styles.

They were absolute rubbish and everyone complained. Totally ignored.

A H&S guy came out to observe a job and got some of the new boots. He was in agony after day one.

They went back to the old system and we got decent boots.

Currently wearing Redwing ‘Petrokings’,£35 off eBay. Most comfy steelies I’ve had. Not waterproof but great leather and don’t let by much even in long wet grass. They are Italian made not U.S. Bought a second pair for when these die which looks like it’ll be years away at this rate. I do about 8k steps at work a day.

Redwing boots for £35?

Last place I worked required steelies as we were moving vehicles around all day, sometimes in fairly confined spaces, so we were provided with them, along with hi-viz jackets, and vests, waterproof overtrousers, gloves, wooly beanies, trapper hats, fleeces, tees, sweatshirts, the whole works.
The boots were Portwest ones, I wore the soles out on two pairs, still got them for gardening, got another two pairs which I wear in wet weather, they’re incredibly comfortable, which is a desirable quality when you’re on your feet for twelve hours in the pissing rain, regardless of the time of year. We were also provided with a Portwest hi-viz jacket which was breathable, with a huge collar, so with the hood up it turned into almost a snorkel type thing. Mine’s out in the boot of the car, it’s not insulated so wearing it you don’t turn into a boil-in-the-bag human.

Could do with a clean, though.

just watching window fitters lifting big heavy units wearing only white trainers 

A mate of mine went to pick-up some units from a wholesalers and was unfortunate enough to time it right to catch the skulls in action. He ended up applying a tourniquet to the dumb tweed who cut his forearm down to the bone spurting his blood all over the shop. Held the job right up!

Yep £35. Model number 3225. Redwing ‘Petroking’.

I work for a Constuction products manufacturer so spend a lot of time visiting sites but I’m also in London a lot and walking or getting the tube between visits . What’s a good safety shoe that is also comfortable to walk in?

What’s a good safety shoe that is also comfortable to walk in?

I worked on a site where I was clocking up over 30k steps a day…… without leaving the building!  3 stints there all about 8 months long. So road tested a few shoes for comfort!

I found weight was as important as fit / shape as even in comfortable shoes / boots my knees would start to suffer

I settled on cofra aluminium toe trainers and swapped out the footbeds for ones from super feet.

I’d say swapping out the footbeds is a smart move whatever you buy - I keep them from old walking boots and trainers as options to try in safety boots as safety boot companies seem to have some quite whacky ideas about insoles that sound better written in a catalogue than they feel on your feet.

lifting big heavy units wearing only white trainers definitely not steelies

what sort of site is it where the only item of clothing is footwear?

The same as walking boots, try as many as you can, until you get a pair that fits.

Then buy a 10 year supply!

Composite toe caps weigh less than steel. , but you pay more for them..
De Walt pro lite are a reasonable price.

@lambchop your £35 redwing eBay recommendation is tempting

Is this the same seller you’ve used?

I cannot find any reference on the redwingsafety.com website but if you believe they are genuine and the quality is as good as your experience then they seem worth a punt

Emetts, that’s where I bought my 2 pairs from. Totally genuine. As I said not U.S.A made but Italian.

I work for a Constuction products manufacturer so spend a lot of time visiting sites but I’m also in London a lot and walking or getting the tube between visits . What’s a good safety shoe that is also comfortable to walk in?

A very personal thing. I find Dewalts really comfortable.

I’m not sure how good they are but I can happily drive/walk long distances in them.

I don’t do much in the way of heavy work these days, used to get involved in shifting gas cylinders up to 400kg.

Mostly light work now where PPE isn’t strictly needed but it’s better to have them on then have to go get a pair as the client requires them to be worn or someone ticked every box in the RAMS.

I use Apache ap715 dealer boots. I don't use them for work, they're for personal work boot use. They're so comfy I often wear them casually. They're better than all the other boots I've had (eg timberlands, blundstone, DM, caterpillar etc), often walk the dog in them and always use them in the garage/workshop. The only problem is they wear through the backs of my socks quite quickly

Have worn through part of the sole and when they fully go ill probably get another pair. Been wearing them today to run errands in the rain

Had my safety flip flops queried on a marquee site years ago. Told them I wasn't dropping anything on my feet and neither was anyone that wanted to keep their job ?

All very safety now, chainsaw boots consistently good, but about £300 these days so should be.

@benp1 and others with boots that wear out sock heels, try the NZ comfort socks from sugar loaf clothing, tough as and non sweaty.

I took a punt  and got some of those £35 Redwings off Ebay, really nice boots feel really comfy straight away.

windyg, I really like mine. Been wearing them for work 5 days a week since April.  Made really well and comfy. The soles hardly look worn either.

They look a great deal but just a pity they are black leather, I only buy tan

Why do DeWalt supply boot with such crap laces or the hooks for them snap off so easily and no one from DeWalt are interested as they say they have nothing to do with DeWalt boots , they just use the name

Steel is so cold, composite toes and mid soles are so much more comfortable. DM industrial work for me, but all feet are different.

£££ doesn't equal the best unfortunately.

I can't remember the brand of my current ones but they had a RRP of ~£140 and the inner heel has blown to bits.  I can cover a lot of steps in my current job.

Probably back to DeWalt next.

Why do DeWalt supply boot with such crap laces or the hooks for them snap off so easily and no one from DeWalt are interested as they say they have nothing to do with DeWalt boots , they just use the name

Metal hooks on mine, had them for a couple of years, wear them daily for work, soles are wearing thin now.

Couldn’t say what they cost but under £100 I’d have thought.

I did drop a 7ah lead acid battery on my foot and it hurt like ****. Always misses the toe box..

Been wearing DeWalt Titanuim boots for the last few years and done plenty of big walks in them (6+ miles).  Certainly the most comfortable work boots I've owned, and a few colleagues have started wearing them as well.