The Best Work Boots of 2024: Certified Tough From Brunt, Keen & More
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While the suede Chelseas worn while sending work emails from a café might technically qualify as “work boots,” the work boot product category is reserved for footwear that’s built for more demanding environments. The best work boots are all about function, and their most important function is protecting the person wearing them.
The only work boots worth wearing meet rigorous, independently set, and verified safety standards, like those promulgated by ASTM International. Bill Ells, the outgoing chair of the organization’s technical committee on walkways and safety footwear, has spent more than 40 years working on these standards, which he said are the first thing to look for when shopping for work boots.
ASTM Standards and Work Boot Safety
While technically voluntary, ASTM standards do have some legal heft. “In certain workplaces, if you didn't have work boots that met these standards, you would be violating an OSHA rule and subject to some kind of penalty,” Ells said. Since OSHA rules are serious business, footwear companies are eager to comply with ASTM standards.
“Although these are volunteer standards, the minute they're referenced by code, in this case, OSHA, brands are very cautious about making sure that they have up-to-date standards,” he said. “I've never come across a safety shoe that is in the market that hasn't been tested to that standard.” Along with protecting businesses from liabilities, Ells is confident that ASTM standards are keeping people safe.
“We don't get reports of injuries. Doesn't mean they're not there, but if they are, they're very minimal,” Ells said. “Due to the lack of that information, one has to assume these standards are doing their job—because you don't get notified when things work; you get notified when things don't work.”
What to Look for in the Best Work Boots
The first step in shopping for work boots, then, is making sure that they meet the ASTM standards relevant to what you’re going to use them for.
Chris Heffernan, president of Brunt Workwear, said “the first filter is ‘do you need to protective toe or not?’” And whether it’s steel, composite, carbon fiber, fiberglass, or another material, checking that the protective toe meets ASTM F2413-18—the latest version of the Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective (Safety) Toe Cap Footwear, last codified in 2018—is essential. It “includes performance requirements for footwear to protect workers' feet from a variety of workplace hazards,” Heffernan said. The best work boots will meet one or a handful of these requirements, which include:
Impact resistance for the toe area of footwear;
Compression resistance for the toe area of footwear;
Metatarsal protection that reduces the chance of injury to the metatarsal bones at the top of the foot;
Conductive properties which reduce hazards that may result from static electricity buildup, and reduce the possibility of ignition of explosives and volatile chemicals;
Electric shock resistance;
Static dissipative (SD) properties to reduce hazards due to excessively low footwear resistance that may exist where SD footwear is required;
Puncture resistance of footwear bottoms;
Chain saw cut resistance; and
Dielectric insulation
How to Check Your Work Boots’ ASTM Standards
There’s a similar standard, ASTM F2892-18, for soft-toe protective footwear. To check before you buy, Heffernan said “The ASTM committee also makes sure that any work boot on the inside of the tongue has a label that says exactly what safety requirements the product meets.” Online shoppers can also typically find this information on manufacturer websites without too much difficulty—manufacturers are understandably eager to advertise their adherence.
Among the boots that meet the relevant safety standards, there are a few other factors Heffernan said you should consider. One is how tough you need them to be. Heavy-duty work boots have a welted construction with a firm sole and are made for strenuous outdoor work—think standing on rebar or walking over rocky terrain. Medium-duty work boots are made for outdoor and indoor settings, which a standard general contractor working on standard construction sites might encounter. Light-duty work boots are made for indoor settings like factories. Choose the best work boots for yourself based on how you’ll use them.
The Best Work Boots of 2024
Frequently Asked Questions About Men’s Work Boots
What are the best work boots?
The best work boots vary by what you need them for. Light carpentry and commercial fishing require very different types of footwear, of course. However, any work boots worth buying meet at least one ASTM standard for protective footwear, and the most heavy-duty options offer that kind of protection against multiple hazards.
What’s the best way to break in work boots?
The best way to break in any pair of boots is to wear them, which means wearing a new pair of work boots when you aren’t working is the best way to ensure they’re comfortable when you are working.
What are the most comfortable work boots?
This varies from person to person, but features to look out for include a moisture-wicking lining, flexible outsole, and padded insole (bonus points if they’re removable and therefore customizable). Despite that, many workers will say they prefer some kind of orthotic insert to go inside their boots.
