Steel-toe boot

A pair of well-worn steel-toe shoes
A pair of ISO 20345:2004 compliant S3 safety boots

A steel-toe boot (also known as a safety boot, steel-capped boot, steel toecaps or safety shoe) is a durable boot or shoe that has a protective reinforcement in the toe which protects the foot from falling objects or compression. Safety shoes are effective in keeping the feet of industrial workers safe from sharp and heavy objects while working in factories.[1]

Safety footwear now comes in many styles, including sneakers, clogs, and dress shoes. Some are quite formal, for supervising engineers who must visit sites where protective footwear is mandatory.[2]

Some brands of steel-toe footwear have become fashionable within subcultures such as skinhead, punk, and rivethead. While brands that were previously renowned within the fashion industry have also diversified into the safety footwear market, industrial brands like Caterpillar, Rock Fall and JCB have also issued licenses to produce safety footwear.

  1. ^ Masand, Dev (30 April 2024). "Steel Toe vs Composite Toe Boots | Which one is Better?". Safaripro.in. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Work Boot Safety Toe Caps – Explained & Demystified". workwear.org. Luke Davis. Retrieved 27 February 2023.