How to Get the Best Work Shoes?

September 26, 2024

Author: Ningbo Toprise Security Products Co.,Ltd

Ningbo Toprise, as a professional work shoes manufacturer since 2019, is dedicated to providing effective foot protection to customers worldwide. The work shoes we manufactured are in strict accordance with CE standards for international markets. To get a knowledge on their types, let’s first have an overview of the importance of work shoes.

Importance of Work Shoes

As we know, there are various work shoes designed for different purposes. But there is one thing, which never changes in spite of the variety of safety footwear designs. We need steel-toe shoes to shield our feet from injuries caused by falling tools, materials, or debris; We need non-conductive or nonmetallic composite-toe shoes to provide insulation against electrical hazard; We need safety shoes with slip-resistant soles in case of any slips and falls; We also need puncture resistant shoes in construction or waste management industries to protect our feet from injuries of sharp objects like glass and nails. Work shoes are so important that they are widely used in construction, agriculture and farming and food processing in wet environment.

Work shoes are essential because of their benefits for workers. We can select the right features to our benefits and customize the work boots we desire. Here are some key features, unique to the work shoes.

Feature	Description
Steel/Composite Toe Cap	Provide protection against impact and compression from heavy objects.
Slip-Resistant Soles	Enhance grip and prevents slipping on wet or oily surfaces.
Puncture-Resistant Soles	Protect the soles of feet from sharp objects like nails or glass.
Electrical Hazard Protection	Prevent electric shocks in high-voltage environments by insulating the wearer.
Waterproof Membrane	Prevent water from entering the shoes while allowing moisture to escape.
Breathable Lining	Allow airflow to keep feet dry and prevent excessive sweating.
Shock Absorption	Reduce the impact on joints and feet when walking or standing for long hours.
Lightweight Materials	Reduce overall weight of the shoes, improving comfort and ease of movement.
Heat-Resistant Out-sole	Protect our feet when floor temperature is high

Types of Work Shoes

There are various types of work shoes, as their applications are quite different. Based on its functions and different safety standards, we are going to introduce it in details.

Types of Work Shoes Based on Functions

Steel-Toe Work Shoes

Steel-toe shoes are best for construction, manufacturing, and industrial jobs to protect feet from heavy objects. Because one of the most importance of the steel-top safety footwear is that it can bear an impact resistance (typically up to 200 joules). For example, 1 joule is equal to 1 newton meter; and 1N is nearly equal to lifting up to an object up to 0.1KG. That is to say, 200 joules is the same as an object of 20KG, falling from a height of 1m.

Besides the industrial safety shoes are more often made from genuine leather or strong synthetic fabric to withstand tough conditions. The durable safety shoes indeed provide the best impact resistance for our feet. But the steel toe cap meanwhile increases the weight of safety boots by 160g to 180g per pair.

Composite-Toe Work Shoes

The composite toe caps are usually non-metallic like plastic, carbon fiber, Kevlar or fibreglass. With composite toe caps, the safety shoes are most suitable for workplaces with metal detectors (such as airports or high-security areas, where workers need safety protection but cannot wear metal-containing footwear) and electricity; The non-metallic safety shoes are also super light weight, which is around 32-36g each piece, which could reduce fatigue and enhance comfort for long periods of standing; Composite-toe shoes do not contain any metal parts, making them non-conductive, which is also an essential when working in cold or hot temperatures. More over, different from steel toe cap, the composite toe cap does not get too hot or cold.

Despite being made of non-metallic materials, composite-toe shoes can meet or even exceed the same safety standards as steel-toe shoes, such as ASTM F2413 or ISO 20345. However, composite-toe shoes may be slightly less durable compared with steel-toe shoes in environments of high abrasion or repeated impacts. And the thicker toe cap can reduce internal space and make the shoes feel bulkier.

Electrical Hazard (EH) Work Shoes

The safety shoes for electric shock resistance usually goes with composite toe caps, rubber outsoles, Kevlar midsoles and other non-metallic materials. They typically protect against electrical shocks up to 600 volts in dry conditions. These shoes must meet strict safety standards such as ASTM F2413-18 to effectively protect workers from any electrical hazards. So the EH shoes are best for workers in construction sites, industrial settings, utility work or anywhere close to live electrical circuits.

But be aware again that the EH safety shoes are most effective in dry environments and may not be as durable as other regular safety shoes for extreme environments requiring for high abrasion resistance or impact resistance.

Anti-static Work Shoes

The anti-static shoes are mainly to reduce the buildup of static charges on the body through the partially-conductive soles, which have a low electrical resistance, typically in the range of 100kΩ to 100MΩ. They must meet international safety standards like EN ISO 20345 or EN 61340, to safely dissipate static charges. Therefore, the Electrostatic Dissipation (ESD) safety shoes are suitable for workers in industries like electronics manufacturing, telecommunications, chemical plants, and areas with explosive or flammable gases, where static electricity poses a risk. Generally speaking, the ESD safety shoes can even maintain their anti-static properties even in humid or damp conditions, though excessive moisture may still affect performance.

What is the difference between ESD safety shoes and EH safety shoes? Below is a brief comparison for better understanding of the two types of shoes.

Feature	EH Safety Shoes	Anti-Static Safety Shoes
Primary Function	Protect against high-voltage electrical shocks	Dissipate static electricity to prevent buildup
Level of Protection	Up to 600 volts (high-voltage protection)	Low-level static electricity protection
Work Environments	High-risk electrical environments (construction, utilities)	Electronics manufacturing, laboratories, chemical plants
Sole Properties	Non-conductive soles (insulate from electricity)	Partially conductive soles (dissipate static charge)
Safety Standards	ASTM F2413, EN ISO 20345 for electrical hazard protection	EN ISO 20345, EN 61340 for static dissipation
Effectiveness in Wet Conditions	Reduced effectiveness in wet conditions	Generally effective in humid conditions
Use Cases	Electricians, powerline workers, utility workers	Workers handling sensitive electronics, in flammable environments

Slip-Resistant Work Shoes

Safety shoes with a slip resistant sole can help prevent slips and falls on wet or oily surfaces. Many of them are also resistant to oil, water, and other chemicals. Thus, they are mostly for hospitality, healthcare, and food service industries, where wet, oily, or uneven surfaces are common.

Puncture-Resistant Work Shoes

Safety shoes with outsoles reinforced aim to protect against any penetration by sharp objects. Therefore, they are best for construction, waste management, and environments with sharp debris.

Chemical-Resistant Work Shoes

Safety shoes with chemical resistance are made from materials like rubber, polyurethane (PU), or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Their upper and soles should be treated to withstand exposure to corrosive liquids, acids, oils, solvents, and other hazardous chemicals. And the seams of chemical-resistant shoes should be sealed or welded for higher level of protection. As a result, chemical-resistant shoes are typically waterproof to ensure that no liquids or hazardous substances shall go into the shoes. Use the right materials for the works shoes in different chemical environments.

For example, rubber boots are very resistant to fertilizers, ammonia anhydrous, alcohols, milk, wet concrete and animal waste, while they are not resistant to chicken fats and oils. And the boots will fall apart in a chicken processing plant; But PVC or TPU materials could work much better in a work environment with animal fats.

Usually, chemical resistant shoes are best for laboratories, chemical plants, and pharmaceutical industries. They typically meet international safety standards such as EN ISO 20345 or ASTM F2413 to ensure adequate protection in hazardous chemical environments.

Heat-Resistant Work Shoes

The heat-resistant safety shoes usually goes with rubber outsoles that can withstand high temperatures, typically up to 300°C (572°F) or more. The upper portion of the shoes is often made from flame-resistant materials like leather, Kevlar, or treated fabrics that resist burning or charring