Socks for steel toed work boots

Anybody ever bought these socks?

https://www.amazon.com/Dickies-Kevlar-Reinforced-Steel-Socks/dp/B00ND730FE

I have to wear steel toed work boots at my job and an old pair while doing yard work and I constantly wear out the big toes out of my socks. Sometimes a new pair will wear out in one 12 hour shift! Mom will sew the holes up but it's getting ridiculous.

Knowing how hard it is to cut Kevlar so I Googled Kevlar steel toed work boot socks and ordered these made by Dickies.

And yes I keep my toenails trimmed!

I have to do allot of walking at work. I work at a chemical plant and have to cover a lot of area and notice when my socks start to wear out the liner underneath the steel toe is also worn out. The company does buy us a new pair once a year but if they break down where acid can enter the boot they will buy us a new pair.

At almost $9.00 a pair, I hope they don't wear out.

Any of you guys who wear steel toed boots found a pair of socks that will hold up?

When I worked in the oil field I use to buy a new pack of socks every week. Mine would last about 2 days work time before they wore out. I never liked thick socks so I'd buy ankle socks and they aren't very thick. Now that I no longer work in oil fields other than a contract bush hogging job I have no need for steel toe boots and my sock problem is gone lol. At 9$ a pair hope they work out for you..

Years ago I got hired on a job that steel toes were required. They sucked ! Felt fine in the store but after wearing a while at work, they bit into the side of my feet. The second pair, I believe a wider size, faired no better, can't remember same brand or not.
Later on the regulations changed to safety toe boots and I bought a pair of composite toes. What a difference, I can not even tell the difference from a regular work boot.
A bit lighter than steel and can get them shock resistant. Maybe steel toes have improved since I had mine. There are dozens of brands of boots, some good, some bad and I did not want to go through the trouble of keep buying different brand steel toes till I found what worked.
Since, I have had at least 10 pair of composites of different brands and have had no foot discomfort due to the safety area.
Check your regs first, some companies still require the steel I suppose.

We have a boot distributor that comes around and we are limited on what we can choose from because the previous owners only allowed something like $85 for a pair. But since our company has been recently sold, the new company might give us more flexibility. They are a Belgian company and are not chintzy as the American company I worked for!

As long as the boots are OSHA approved and chemical resistant I could buy my own pair. Actually boss wouldn't know the difference anyway. Sort of like putting non DOT approved headlights in a car. Like I've done in about all the cars I've owned.

Yeah work boots really hurt my feet! There are actually only a few places where I can see they are required. Like when we push 800 lb rolls of wood pulp down a ramp to be chewed up.

I'd be more concerned about the chemical resistance. Luckily in my area I only have to work around acetic acid and even at 100% as long as I can wash it off within 1 minute it won't burn me. Thank God I don't have sulfuric acid in my area. That stuff will eat holes in cotton blue jeans. Not at first but once it comes out of the washing machine.

Even though I was a teacher I have been wearing steel toed boots every day for the last forty years, due to an ankle and knee problem. Here is what I have learned by trial and error which may be of some help. 1. Buy a boot that is a half size larger than your street shoes, plus unless your feet are very narrow, buy them wide. Buying them the same size as your street shoes will cause problems, because there is no give in the toe area to stretch into. 2. I know that this will sound dumb, insulated boots are more comfortable and the uppers do not breakdown as fast. 3. Even though I wear insulated boots and sweat alot, I wear two pairs of cotton socks every time. I have never had a sock holes problem and very seldom have an oder problem. You do have to keep the insides dry each night. 4. Once you find a brand you like, DON'T try something different, due to price, I've always regretted it. I have been wearing Rocky IronClad boots for the last 20 years, in a couple different styles. 5. A pair of boots lasts me 2 years, the first year they are my regular foot wear, to break them in and the second year they become my work boot. My work boot is worn about 10-12 hours a day. By the end of the second year my feet start to hurt and I change over to the next pair and buy a new pair. Only time I am not wearing them is when I have a tie on. Maybe this will help someone out, it has worked great for me.

Rivets said:

Even though I was a teacher I have been wearing steel toed boots every day for the last forty years, due to an ankle and knee problem. Here is what I have learned by trial and error which may be of some help. 1. Buy a boot that is a half size larger than your street shoes, plus unless your feet are very narrow, buy them wide. Buying them the same size as your street shoes will cause problems, because there is no give in the toe area to stretch into. 2. I know that this will sound dumb, insulated boots are more comfortable and the uppers do not breakdown as fast. 3. Even though I wear insulated boots and sweat alot, I wear two pairs of cotton socks every time. I have never had a sock holes problem and very seldom have an oder problem. You do have to keep the insides dry each night. 4. Once you find a brand you like, DON'T try something different, due to price, I've always regretted it. I have been wearing Rocky IronClad boots for the last 20 years, in a couple different styles. 5. A pair of boots lasts me 2 years, the first year they are my regular foot wear, to break them in and the second year they become my work boot. My work boot is worn about 10-12 hours a day. By the end of the second year my feet start to hurt and I change over to the next pair and buy a new pair. Only time I am not wearing them is when I have a tie on. Maybe this will help someone out, it has worked great for me.

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I've tried to stick to the same brand and style but it seems when I go back to the shoe store, they never seem to have them, the correct size or the manufacturer has changed the style. Either because the boot company gets a good deal by buying a bunch of boots in bulk and the next time they are not available. I try to get a wide boot but the boots that the company will buy us never seem to come in a size wide. So I usually have to get a shoe that does not feel as comfortable in order to get a wide. I know that sounds contradictory but lets say I find a boot that feels comfortable but could be a little wider.

A good example is the latest pair of boots I am wearing as we speak. Hytest footrests.

Maybe more than you wanted to know but when our division was sold off back in May to the other parent company (which was a joint venture on the outskirts of the big plant), we were no longer allowed to enter the gate to the big plant. If that makes sense. The company that supplied our boots was inside the big plant. But they also have a truck that comes around to work sites.

I showed the safety man where my right boot had split above the steel toe insert. Since the truck only comes around every five weeks on a Friday, it was going to be several months before the truck showed up on my shift. So I told him what boot and size I was wearing and the boot guy dropped off a new pair at the gate but I was not able to try them on. But it was totally different than what I was wearing. But is not any worse or any better than the previous pair.

In the past 25 years I've been required to wear work boots, I have yet to find any that are truly waterproof or more comfortable than the last pair.

I also can't understand why the leather wants to split above the steel toe insert. This new pair I've been wearing for 2 months has already started to split. And it's on my right foot just like the other boot! The only thing I can think of is I was having issues with my left knee so I starter kneeling on my right knee. Ironically I always knelled on my left knew because my right knee hurt me worse!

FWIW I ripped my right fool off back in the 80's so have been wearing boots ever since.
The orthopedic surgeon gave me some very good instructions.
1) buy a pair of boots 1/2 size bigger than your shoe size & 1 size wider ( similar to what Rivets )
2) buy several pairs and do not wear the same pair every day this is very bad for your feet and paticularly for the circulation in your feet.( which is almost nil in the right foot to start with )
3) If they end up feeling a little sloppy, fit an innersole linner.
I have 8 pair of steel caps and I simply rotate them each day,
Fiive of them are different brands and 3 are identical Catapillar boots but 1 year apart.

No boot will ever be waterproof unless you feed it .
You can't get whale oil any more which is a bugger because nothing works as well as whale oil.
My motorcycling boots are 30 years old and apart for 3 new sets of soles are just as good now as when I bought them, because they get a good feed several times a year.

The oldest work boot is 22 years old and now badly cracked but I still wear them because they are the most comfortable.
3 pair came from Aldi and were $ 20 ( Aus ) on special and I started wearing a new one every 2nd year so they would not all wear the same.

I also only ever wear Holeproof Artic Explorer socks in either cotton / nylon or wool / nylon.
These are thick terry style socks are are fantastic for cushioning and I also buy them in the next size larger.

While steel caps are no cheap, a few hours spent at the foot clinic of your local hospital ,seeing all the otherwise healthy men reduced to invalids because they did not look after their feet will change your mind.
Wally Mart & HF would have to sell steel caps as all the glass fronts sell them down here, as do the outdoor shops ( most expensive ) tool shops and funny enough the gay shops had the best range of steel caps. ( though that might not go down well with some of your co-workers )
Military disposal stores will also keep steel cap GI boots in a dozen styles.

bertsmobile1 said:

FWIW I ripped my right fool off back in the 80's so have been wearing boots ever since.
The orthopedic surgeon gave me some very good instructions.
1) buy a pair of boots 1/2 size bigger than your shoe size & 1 size wider ( similar to what Rivets )
2) buy several pairs and do not wear the same pair every day this is very bad for your feet and paticularly for the circulation in your feet.( which is almost nil in the right foot to start with )
3) If they end up feeling a little sloppy, fit an innersole linner.
I have 8 pair of steel caps and I simply rotate them each day,
Fiive of them are different brands and 3 are identical Catapillar boots but 1 year apart.

No boot will ever be waterproof unless you feed it .
You can't get whale oil any more which is a bugger because nothing works as well as whale oil.
My motorcycling boots are 30 years old and apart for 3 new sets of soles are just as good now as when I bought them, because they get a good feed several times a year.

The oldest work boot is 22 years old and now badly cracked but I still wear them because they are the most comfortable.
3 pair came from Aldi and were $ 20 ( Aus ) on special and I started wearing a new one every 2nd year so they would not all wear the same.

I also only ever wear Holeproof Artic Explorer socks in either cotton / nylon or wool / nylon.
These are thick terry style socks are are fantastic for cushioning and I also buy them in the next size larger.

While steel caps are no cheap, a few hours spent at the foot clinic of your local hospital ,seeing all the otherwise healthy men reduced to invalids because they did not look after their feet will change your mind.
Wally Mart & HF would have to sell steel caps as all the glass fronts sell them down here, as do the outdoor shops ( most expensive ) tool shops and funny enough the gay shops had the best range of steel caps. ( though that might not go down well with some of your co-workers )
Military disposal stores will also keep steel cap GI boots in a dozen styles.

Click to expand...

One time I actually developed plantar fasciitis from a pair of name brand work boots. I went to the podiatrist and all he did was wrap my foot. I told my boss my boots were killing me feet and he gave me a ticket for a new pair and my foot issue went away. That was about 8 years ago. I can't remember what brand these were but I wish I could remember so I could not recommend them to anyone.

My big toes also develop these calluses (calli?) on the sides which I have to shave off using this shaver that those Vietnamese nail salons use (don't ask me how I know this!). That leads me to believe my boots are too narrow?

Speaking of boots worn by different classes of people...

Doc Martin's are supposed to be a good boot. I've never worn them. I think Doc Martin (Like Dr. Scholls in the US) was a British podiatrist who developed this orthopedic boot but became somehow became popular with the skinhead and punk crowd back in the 70s. Oi!

To add more insult to injury I have this foot condition caused by sweaty feet from wearing work boots that don't breath well. Or at least that was what the dermatologist said. It's these little water blisters that pop up which are basically sweat pores that get blocked when your feet sweat too much. Not to be confused with trench foot back in WW I.

The weird thing is there is no rhyme nor reason to when I have a flare up. The first time this occurred was in the middle of winter when I was 29. Sometimes the problem will crop up then magically go away for several years. Then one blister may pop up or I could have a sever outbreak. He told me to change my socks between shifts. I have not had a breakout in years.

My Dickie socks arrived today so I am wearing them as we speak.

The verdict:

They are about twice as thick as regular socks. They are quite comfortable. However my feet feel as if they are sweating twice as much!

I'll see how this goes.

Just so long as the socks are mainly wool or cotton.
The fastest way to tinnea is wearing synthetics against bare flesh