New Safety Boots: Your recommendations

[beech1948]

I am about ready for a new pair of safety boots. The old ones just have not lasted and are worn out after 8 weeks. Utter rubbish but not the cheap option.

I am sort of retired now aged 68. I do a number of jobs which require a safety toe ( usually steel) and also a lot of digging both for trenches around new house builds and my two allotment sized veg patches. Its the digging which has worn out the old boots.

I have preferred these style boots for workshop wear, outside work and machinery refurbs for many years and do not want to go back to simple shoes.

Many of the modern factory produced safety boots look like plimsolls or cheap trainers.

What is your experience and what do you recommend.

 

[Jacob]

These are OK from Screwfix. Cheap, comfortable. Neither very waterproof nor breathable, but these cost.
If you don't need the steel toe caps and it's just clean woodwork I'd go for good quality walkers boots - much more comfortable, very hard wearing soles, but not suitable for digging or dirty work such as concrete. And cost a bomb.

 

[paulm]

I've been using a pair of these for the last year http://www.screwfix.com/p/site-topaz-ch ... e-10/56650

Didn't expect too much from them, but still going strong, comfy, easy to get on and off, steel toe caps, just the job for around the workshop, allotment/garden or building site, although you may be better off with rigger boots or similar if working in trenches and mud a lot ?

Cheers, Paul

 

[KevM]

I've been using a pair of VR6 safety boots like these for a couple of years now.

Though the shine is long deserted they still keep out the rain!

 

[Steve Maskery]

Ray buys the cheap screwfix own brand, but I didn't find them that comfortable and after a while I was getting through a pair of socks EACH DAY as they wore a hole. And No, I didn't have toenails the size of a Golden Eagle.

For the last year or so I've been wearing DeWalts and am very happy with them. £40 a pair. When they wear out I shall buy another.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I bought a pair of Site rigger boots from the offers in the display rack at my local screwfix 3 years ago. I wear them everytime I do anything in the workshop and they've been fabulous. They were £19.99 and clearly the "cheap" option. I didn't have high hopes for their longevity for that reason but they've surprised me with their lengthy mortality and they're still going strong. I don't generally use them for digging mind.

 

[Steve Maskery]

They were the ones that wore my socks out. Well, not the riggers, but Site brand safety boots. I guess it all depends on how well they fit your feet.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

They were the ones that wore my socks out. Well, not the riggers, but Site brand safety boots. I guess it all depends on how well they fit your feet.

I think there's an awful lot of variability in all footwear, bit of a lottery at the end of the day as I've had ones that rubbed like mad too...and years ago I bought a pair of £120 walking boots for the lake district and they were useless!

 

[Woodchips2]

I bought a pair of safety shoes with steel toecaps from Lidl for £14.99 about a year ago and they have stood up well including gardening. I think you can get the boots for a similar price but they are periodic offers so you may have to wait. If they split tomorrow I've still had good value out of them.

Regards Keith

 

[-Matt-]

Pricier option, but I have a pair from a company called Cofra

https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=cofra+mozambico

I've worn these 9-10 hours a day, sometimes 6 days a week for both work and home workshop stuff. They have take some serious abuse (I'm a metalworker, and until a year ago worked at a blacksmiths) so they have had hot coals on them, welding slag and spatter, angle grinder sparks well against them (when on site, holding work with foot and cutting with 9" grinder) they've been covered in mud, concrete, paint, glue, oil. Best boots I've ever had and they're just coming apart at the seams on the side of the heel now.

Bit more expensive yes, but they'll certainly last you (I purchased another pair last year, January I think on the assumption that my current pair were on their way out. They're still in the box ready to be used)


-Matt-

 

[beech1948]

Interesting replies.

I think that my problem boots are because of the soft moulded on soles. They like so many of the suggestions have large complex fancy ridges and tread like a car tyre. When pushing down on a spade to dig the top of the spade seems to destroy these softer moulded soles.



I will have a look at the DeWalt offerings today and also see what else is around maybe with harder soles and less patterns.

 

[JohnPW]

Aldi have them at the moment at £15, and a couple of weeks ago Lidl had some also at the same price.

 

[MMUK]

I've both the DeWalt mentioned above (£40 ones) and Makita Anjo (currently no offer at ITS for £27). Both are extremely comfortable. The Makita ones I've had about ten months and they're still good as new.

 

[RossJarvis]

I've had a pair of these for a couple of months now, done a fair bit of digging in them and they are easy off-and-onable;

http://www.hoggs.co.uk/prodcut_details. ... uct_id=143

Took a weak or so to break in but are dead comfy now.

 

[Yetty]

I don't think anyone has mentioned the width of the foot or boot - this has a big effect on foot comfort, whether safety or walking boots. Are you a narrow / standard / wider footed person? I think I'm a wider fit, and have got on well with both Caterpillar and also the Dewalt safety boots.

Surely the best way of finding a comfortable boot is to try it out in shop rather than internet. In the past, I looked at lots of internet reviews, and found trying out the same 'best buys' in a shop didn't mean they were a fit for me.

Let us know what you get!

 

[charlibalv]

I've had a pair of Sievi shoes for some time and really like them.