Kidding aside, if you’re one of those folks that likes your toes to fly free in your boots, you probably hate most steel-toes — and not just because they’re heavy. Most steel toe boots reign in toe room because they need the extra room to cram in the steel box that gives ‘em their name. Red Wing feels your constriction, though: Their King Toe models offer 44% more toe room.

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Ever since we spent some time in a pair of 8″ Wolverines, I’ve become a fan. I’ve generally worn only really cheap boots because hey — they all seem the same, right? Maybe not. While I won’t argue that there’s nothing wrong with a $25 pair of work boots, the $170 Wolverines kicked some serious ass in the shop and around town.

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ArmyNavyUSA.com is offering a deal on Wolverine’s 6″ DuraShocks Slip Resistant Work Boots for $99.95, and all of their boots over $89.99 qualify for free shipping through January 30.

Toolmonger previously covered Wolverine work boots in 2007 and in 2008 with Sean’s detailed Hands-On review of the 8″ Raiders. This winter, since half the U.S. is covered in ice, these #W02038 slip resistant, waterproof boots might be handy to have on hand (or foot).

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So admittedly Toolmonger’s own Sean O’Hara isn’t exactly recognized as a world-class sartorialist, despite the fact that he owns more than one suit and that most TM staffers agree that he “cleans up pretty well.” But savor this rare moment: GQ — yes, that GQ — agrees with something he’s been banging our ears off about for years. On page 64 of the November issue — the first page of their GQ winter survival guide — they recommend “Start from the bottom: lace up in a classic American work boot.”

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The 21st century must be here; you can now get carbon fiber in your shoes. Not that anyone will notice, but perhaps later on they’ll start putting them on the outside like carbon fiber car hoods or something.

While not all of these new boots use carbon fiber, composite-toe safety shoes are becoming commonplace, using fiberglass or similar materials. Lighter than and just as strong as steel toes, they help to keep your dogs from barkin’ too loudly at the end of the day, without sacrificing any peace of mind. Most of the larger manufacturers such as Wolverine, Bates, and Hytest, have one or more offerings with composite toes, and they generally retail for a few dollars more than their steel-capped counterparts.

Whether a lighter shoe is worth the extra cash depends on how much value you place on comfort, but given how high the cost of good safety shoes can be, an extra $10 or $20 seems like a good trade.

Wolverine CarbonMAX boots [Wolverine]
Bates Composite-toe Boots [Bates]
Hytest Composite-toe Boots [Hytest]

Toolmongers with feet that would impress a yeti know the pain of trying to find a good pair of work boots. Wide-footed individuals the world over have leaned towards New Balance products for ages, but New Balance doesn’t make work boots, do they?  Well, sort of:  Rockport Works, a work shoe manufacturer, contracts with New Balance to design their foot beds and toe caps, leaving the uppers, tongue, and lace arrangement for themselves, at least according to Moe at Harry’s Army Surplus.

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Thankfully Toolmongers who’re required to wear steel-toe footwear now have a number of non-work-boot options from which to choose, including the ever-popular hiking shoe. DeWalt’s Baltimore (above) looks more like something you’d find in REI than the shop floor, but still exceeds ASTI standards for compression and impact protection.

Admittedly these look more than a little like DeWalt’s previous Oxford work shoes, but as far as I’m concerned, the more options steel-toe wearers have, the better. Maybe this will encourage more DIYers working around heavy equipment to ante up and protect their toes. Remember: you won’t know you need steel-toes until, well, you already did. Street pricing starts around $70. Keeping one’s toes starts around, um, priceless.

Baltimore Steel-Toe Hiker [DeWalt]
Street Pricing [Google]

If a busy day for you includes contractor planning meetings, investor face time, jobsite organization, and good old-fashioned hard labor, you know that the jump from jobsite-ready to boardroom-professional can be difficult.  For just such a many-faceted worker DieHard makes their duty oxford shoe.

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I must be worried about my toes for some reason because I keep running into safety boots;  this time the culprit was a radio ad for Red Wing Shoes’ King Toe safety toe work boots.  They offer 44% more room for your toes — essentially what the extended cab in a truck is, but for your toes!  They also feature non-metallic safety toes, which won’t get TSA on your case, and won’t conduct electricity.

I haven’t bought work boots in a long time so I’m not too sure what the going rate is, but I was able to find these on sale for $119.  They look like a decent pair of work boots — if anyone has these, hit up the comments and share what you think of ‘em.

King Toe Safety Boots [Nokomis Shoes]
Red Wing Shoes [Official Site]
Street Pricing [Google]

Yes, it’s called the Original Bootie Butler.  I saw this on a recent Cool Tools episode — it keeps you from tracking dirt, oil, grease, or paint through your house or car.  That’s what happens to me when I paint indoors:  I always seem to get paint on my shoes, probably because I suck at painting, but that’s another story.  So if I could cover my shoes before working and take the covers off when I leave the shop or drop cloth, that would be good.

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I love mucking about in the rain and springtime mud, and a pair of rain boots makes the sticky experience more fun — especially if they’re steel-toed like this pair from Tingley Rubber.  They’ll protect you if something slips out of your hands and falls on your toes while you’re working in the rain, and you won’t be caked in gunk from the knee down.

I found my size for $18, but price varies depending on foot size.

Tingley Rubber [Official Site]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Whether you’re up in the deer stand or on the shop floor, when your feet get cold, life is no longer fun.  You can dress as warm as you want, but sometimes it’s not enough — that’s when it’s time to slip some Cozy Feet foot warmers into your shoes.  Powered by a few AA batteries, they’ll warm your toes in seconds.

The low-voltage insert is shockproof and reaches a safe maximum temperature of 98°F.  The one-size-fits-all insert measures 4-1/2″ long by 2-7/8″ wide by 6 mils thick.

A set of inserts runs $25.

Cozy Feet [Cozy Products]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

How do you tell Toolmongers from average folk? Look at their feet! Flip-flops are for the pool (or community shower) and sneakers are perfect for walkin’ the swap meet. But around the shop, boots rule the roost. We’re a fussy lot when it comes to footwear, and we know that no single pair works for everyone. But when we recently got our hands on a few pairs of Wolverine Raider 8” work boots, we jumped at the chance to wear ‘em around the shop to see what would happen. Hint: they’re very comfortable and durable as hell.

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If your favorite pair of broken-in Doc Martens aren’t waterproof anymore, slide ‘em into a pair of NEOS overshoes. Made of durable nylon laminated with a waterproof layer of PVC film, they keep your feet warm and dry when you’ve got rain, snow, or slush to trek through.

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DeWalt calls these Excavators “soft toe smooth sole Wellington boots,” but where I grew up in Texas we called any large, round-toed boots farmer boots. (You know — to distinguish ‘em from the pointed-toed boots worn by I-came-here-to-do-two-things-drink-some-beer-and-kick-some-ass ranch hands.) Still, they look pretty comfortable. One thing I don’t get, though: can a boot offer both “high abrasion resistance” and “high oil and slip resistance” at the same time?

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If you’ve ever been lacing up your boots on the way out the door (in a hurry) only to have them snap, you’ll love Bull Dog’s boot laces. They’re made of Kevlar – that’s right, the same DuPont wonder fabric they use in bullet-proof vests — for extra durability and longevity.

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