Steel Flap Shoes?

[David Freed]

I may soon have to start wearing steel toe shoes again. The problem is, the inside edge of the steel toe of every pair I have ever worn feels like it is going to cut my big toe off. I have been in some factories and seen workers wearing shoes that have what appears to be steel toes with a flap on the outside of the shoe. I have typed several different things into google and I am not finding them.

Does anyone know what these are called?

[Jerry Bruette]

David

You might be refering to metatarsal guards. They don't protect your toes but all the little bones between your toes and your ankle bone. Some visitors where I work are required to wear over the shoe guards, but you get the plow horse clop, clop, clop when you walk.

I personally buy a pair of Red Wing safety shoes with an extra big toe box to avoid the problem you're talking about, that may helpyou.

Jerry

[Ken Fitzgerald]

David...find a really big shoe store nearby that specializes or carries a large quantity of safety shoes and go try them on. I have very hard to fit feet and I find the "box" style..."moc" style fits my hard to fit feet. It gets even more difficult for me as I have to wear only composite toe safety shoes because of the work I do.

[David Freed]

My feet (and the rest of me) thank you both for the info.

Ken,
Do composite toes provide more or less protection than steel toes?

Jerry,
I am trying to find shoes on Red Wings web site with the "extra big toe box" you mentioned, but nothing is coming up. How do you find the styles that have that?

[Bruce Page]

My feet (and the rest of me) thank you both for the info.

Ken,
Do composite toes provide more or less protection than steel toes?

David, the composite toe has to meet the same ANSI standard as the steel toe.
The powers that be recently changed the rules where I work so that we have to wear protective shoes whenever we use the overhead crane. I ordered some composite toed safety shoes made by Converse that look like tennis shoes and are very light. These are the first pair in 40 years that I can wear all day.

[Scott T Smith]

David, the shoes that you're referring to are used by welders. They have a heavy leather flap on top of the shoe to protect it from the welding spatter. Do a web search on Metatarsal Guard Boot and see if these are what you've seen in the past.

As far as normal steel toed boots are concerned, a couple of years ago I started wearing some sold by Carhart that are extremely comfortable. The stock number is 3904, and they have a spongy rubber sole with the vibram lug pattern. I have not had any problems with them cutting my toes and I wear them on my farm almost every day of the year.

Caterpillar also sells some steel toed work boots that are extra wide in the toe section.

[David Freed]

Thanks for all the help. I will look into all of the diiferent ones mentioned. I think I had Red Wings the last time I wore steel toes, but I don't have any idea what stock number they were. It was almost 20 years ago. Those Carhartts must be gold plated at $175, but if that is what I have to spend to keep my toes from killing me, it will be worth it.

[Scott T Smith]

Those Carhartts must be gold plated at $175, but if that is what I have to spend to keep my toes from killing me, it will be worth it.

Shop around, I think that I paid around $120.00 for my last pair.

[Belinda Barfield]

Thanks for posting this David. I have to buy new work boots and the responses you have gotten are very helpful. I wasn't aware that there were guards for the metatarsals. My foot was broken several years ago by a falling, heavy piece of granite. My steel toed boots protected my toes, but the metartasals couldn't stand the weight. Thank heaven for the Internet because it can be difficult to find steel toed boots in a women's narrow. Good luck in your search for the "perfect" boot.

[Brent Leonard]

the metatarsal guards are worn by people in all sorts of heavy industry.

RedWing has them.

[Brian Elfert]

The main problem I have had with steel toe shoes is wearing out socks. My toemails will cut right the top of the sock, but only when I wear my steel toe shoes.

I haven't had to wear steel toe shoes for work for almost a decade and a half, but I like to wear them when doing work around the house or in the shop so I wear them nearly every weekend.

My current pair is a decade or more old and falling apart, but I can't find a decent replacement pair that doesn't cost $150 and comes in wide widths. My current pair is the 3rd or 4th pair of the same model, but Mills Fleet Farm dropped the brand some years back. They only cost like $50 and were made in the USA.

[Rod Sheridan]

I wear protective footwear at work, that has to be rated for electrical use.

These have a composite sole plate and toe cap and are lighter and more comfortable than conventional steel toe designs.

They have an orange omega symbol on them, in addition to the green patch label.

Regards, Rod.

[Jerry Bruette]

My feet (and the rest of me) thank you both for the info.

Ken,
Do composite toes provide more or less protection than steel toes?

Jerry,
I am trying to find shoes on Red Wings web site with the "extra big toe box" you mentioned, but nothing is coming up. How do you find the styles that have that?

David

I checked at work today and the Red Wing boots that I bought are style 2239, and they have a composite toe. I'm really liking the composite toe because it's alot lighter and not as cold as steel, sometimes we have to do some work outside in the winter.

Hope this helps
Jerry

[David Freed]

I wear protective footwear at work, that has to be rated for electrical use.

These have a composite sole plate and toe cap and are lighter and more comfortable than conventional steel toe designs.

They have an orange omega symbol on them, in addition to the green patch label.

Regards, Rod.


David

I checked at work today and the Red Wing boots that I bought are style 2239, and they have a composite toe. I'm really liking the composite toe because it's alot lighter and not as cold as steel, sometimes we have to do some work outside in the winter.

Hope this helps
Jerry


More good info. I will check on both of these. Thanks a lot.