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Wear | July 2022

Your practical guide to choosing the best work boots for your trade

best work boots for every trade

Safety footwear enabling you to excel

Work boots can be just as important as uniform for today’s builders. They’re a productivity tool, safety measure and support mechanism all rolled into one.

The best work boots provide support for long days and protection against the hazard of the job:

  • Designed to minimise slips, trips and falls
  • Lightweight to let you move
  • Heavy-duty toe protection
  • Whole-body support
  • Comfortable to reduce strains and pain

Whether you’re a construction worker or farmer, installer or boilermaker, you can’t do your best work without the best equipment.

Here’s our guide to choosing the best work boots for your trade, so you can step confidently knowing you’re equipped to excel.

work boots in every trade

How to find the best work boots for your trade

Before we elaborate on the environmental and safety considerations, here is a quick guide to choosing the best work boots for your trade.

  • Material: High-quality leather will outlast nylon in most conditions
  • Toe protection: Steel toe caps provide exceptional protection
  • Outsole: TPU outsoles suit most trades, while Nitrile provides greater heat protection
  • Height: Choose work boots that offer ankle protection while still giving you the flexibility to move
  • Fastening style: Adjustable fastenings provide greater comfort in changing conditions, whereas zip boots are a popular choice for people on the go
  • Design: Ensure your work boots are made to fit your feet; many women’s work boots aren’t made using a true female last
  • Weight: Lightweight work boots reduce injury and strain risk over time
  • Comfort: High-quality work boots mould to your foot and support whole-body health

There are many work boots out there with legitimate claims to quality and comfort. So let’s dive into a little more detail on what makes an exceptional work boot.

Performance: Consider the conditions

Not all work boots are built the same. Thanks to design and technology innovations, a range of industry-specific safety footwear options are available today.

For example, the Steel Blue Warragul boot built with premium TECtuff® chemical-resistant leather are popular among Industrial Cleaners, Heavy Diesel Mechanics and Welders who work with harsh chemicals.

For exceedingly wet conditions like Oil and Gas or dock work, look for waterproof work boots which keep out moisture better than water-resistant boots.

For hot work like roofing and mining operations, our Nitrile Outsole can withstand temperatures up to 300°C and is designed with superior abrasion resistance. Most of our popular styles are available with Nitrile Outsoles, including Argyle men’s and women’s work boots, giving you a greater choice and better protection.

Protection: Choose proper toe protection

Toe protection is a standard feature on almost all high-quality work boots* and often a requirement for stepping onto a job site.

Most people are familiar with steel caps. But are composite toe caps better suited to your work?

  • Steel toe protection: Capable of resisting a 200J drop force, 15kN of rolling force, nail gun puncture, power saw cuts, corrosion and impact compression, our steel toe caps are the ultimate in job site safety
parkes steel blue

Prevention: Consider all the risks

The way we work is changing. At the same time, the technology behind the best work boots is continually improving.

So before replacing your old boots with the same model, consider whether they’re still the best fit.

Prevention, as they say, is better than the cure. So pause to consider everything your job throws at you before buying your next pair of work boots.

Excellent work requires excellent equipment

The right work boots are an investment in your health, productivity and safety. So before swapping out your old work boots for the same standard safety shoe, consider whether you could be upgrading your toolkit.

Visit a Steel Blue stockist to find your fit from our extensive work boot range.

Before you go, browse all our boots online to determine the style, ankle height, safety features and accessories you need to excel every day.

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