How to Choose and Care for Steel-Toe Work Boots

Whether you are part of the building and manufacturing industry or you work in the world of sheet metal fabrication and warehouse operations, wearing protective boots like steel toe boots is paramount. These types of footwear are needed in order to keep your feet protected from sharp tools, heavy objects and some other possible hazards that can put your health at risk. These types of footwear are also designed to provide protection against electrical hazards, making them a must-have item for electricians, car specialists and utility workers.

The Importance of Choosing Right

The right steel toe boots ensure safety and comfort. They can provide you with excellent protection against impact injuries from falling and sharp objects, slips, punctures and more. Unfortunately, not all boots you see in stores can give you what you need, which is why you should be careful when shopping.

Choosing the right pair of such boots isn’t only about protection, but also comfort. Well-fitted boots can be more pleasant to wear, providing support and cushioning, causing no fatigue and discomfort. Since they are work boots, it means that the steel-toe safety boots are durable types of work boots designed to withstand the rigorous daily use, providing you with long-term protection.

To ensure safety, make sure to choose a model that has slip-resistant soles, comfortable insoles and fit, and a quality steel cap toe which can offer utmost protection from electrical hazards.

How to Care for Them?

Getting the most out of these boots is possible only by taking proper care of them. Just like maintaining and cleaning any other type of boot, these also need regular moisturising and cleaning. This doesn’t mean that you’ll need to spend hours cleaning them, not at all. By taking a few simple steps, you can easily clean them in no time.

Cleaning

Cleaning these boots should be done just like cleaning any other type of work boots. The first thing you should do is to remove the laces (if any), gently knock them together and then remove any loose debris and dirt from them with the help of a soft bristle brush or cotton cloth. Keep in mind that this should be done on dry boots.

Once you do this, you can clean them by mixing a mild soap in warm water and gently cleaning them with the help of a cloth or soft brush. For tougher stains, use a proper stain cleaner designed for the boots’ material, otherwise, you risk ruining their surface. Rinse them gently but thoroughly with clean water and let them air dry completely away from the sun. By any means, do not use the radiator in your home or a hairdryer to dry them as the heat can only crack and shrink the upper boot leather.

Even though the laces are dark and you can’t see any visible signs of dirt and dust, it would be great if you wash them by hand in warm, soapy water, rinse them and let them air dry. That way, you can be sure that your boots are completely clean.

Moisturising

Given the fact that most of these footwear models are made from leather, you shouldn’t forget about moisturising them once they are clean and dry. For that reason, you want to invest in a good leather conditioner and apply it to them to keep the leather soft and prevent it from cracking. In order to restore leather shine and protect it from water damage, you can apply wax or polish especially designed for leather.

Protection and Storage

Since you’ll be wearing these boots on a daily basis at work, you should certainly regularly inspect any signs of wear and tear. This means that you should look for signs of cracks, any punctures or visible damage on the steel toe part.

If the conditions you are working in are wet and humid, you should certainly apply some waterproofing spray, as the constant exposure to moisture can damage the leather. After each wear, you should let them air dry outside, away from the sun, for at least an hour and then store them in a cool and dry space. Keeping leather away from the sun is mandatory in order to prevent it from fading and cracking.

When not in use, make sure to invest in some boot trees in order to keep their shape. In fact, you should do this practice with any type of shoes and boots because these items can keep the shape of your boots/shoes. If not planning to invest in them, you can always try the good old way of stuffing them with newspapers.