One of the most common concerns about steel toe boots is if they are slip-resistant or not. When working around wet or slippery surfaces being slip-resistant is a serious aspect.
In general, steel toe boots are made for people working in dangerous situations and are designed to reduce the risk of injury from many different hazards, slipping or falling is one of them.
In short YES steel toe boots are slip-resistant. Rubber boots are also going to be slip-resistant.
Of course, not all boots are going to be made equally. Some will be more slip-resistant than others and it all depends on what hazards you’re going to be working around.
Other common ratings that not all steel toe boots have are electrical hazard, chemical resistant, oil resistant, heat resistant, waterproof, puncture resistance, and some have a metal-tarsal protection.
what does slip resistant mean
Slip-resistant means the boot’s sole was made to help prevent you from falling due to slipping. The sole is made with treads, grooves, patterns, and made to have more friction than one that is not slip-resistant.
99% of all steel toe boots are going have it to some degree of slip resistance. and the same goes for composite toe boots.
Because your steel toes are slip-resistant does not mean you’ll never slip when walking on hazardous materials or liquids it just means you’re less likely to.
How to Tell if Your Steel Toes are Slip-Resistant
The easiest way to see if your boots are slip-resistant is to look on the sole. Most boots will have “slip-resistant” printed near their company logo. You may also see other safety features like “oil resistant” or “heat resistant.”
Some boots are more slip-resistant than others though it’s very difficult to tell which ones are the most.
If you’re finding yourself slipping a lot at work it may be for a couple of reasons
- Your tread has worn down
- The boot has a lower slip rating than you need
- The material the sole is made of is slippery on certain liquids or surfaces such as oil or ice
Recommended Slip Resistant Boots
Lightweight
Very Comfortable
Waterproof
Oil and Slip Resistant
Genuine Leather
Great Outersole
Goodyear Welted
Oil and Slip Resistant
Extremely Comfortable
Waterproof
Very Durable
Slip and Oil Resistant
Made In The USA
Slip Resistant
Genuine Leather
Very Durable
How to Tell if a Boot is Slip-Resistant Before You Buy it
Not all boots are made equally. I’m sure you’ve had boots wear down in a couple of months, the sole starts talking before you’ve got 6 months out of them, the inside liner tears and you have had to cut your boot off, we’ve all been there.
Just like all boots are not equally comfortable not all boots are going to be equally slip-resistant.
To see how slip-resistant a boot is I’ve always looked at the boot’s sole, there should be rounded edges to displace water or liquid and lots of surface area that provides a lot of friction.
The friction is what going to keep your butt off the ground.
You can also check online for slip-resistant ratings on brand websites or even amazon. Most brand websites, like Wolverine, Justin, etc. will have a star rating or a number out of 10 for how slip resistant they are.
If you’re in a store ask to look at catalogs from brands you’re considering. These catalogs will even have all the ratings for that brand’s boots in them along with information the salespeople have probably forgotten.
What Brands are the Most Slip-Resistant
Almost every steel toe brand is going to have highly slip resistant steel toe boots and some that have next to no friction. In my experience worrying about how slip resistant the boot is or how well suited it is for my job is more important than what brand to pick.
Having said that a few of the brands I’ve worn and recommended over the years are:
Of course there are more but what boot you pick is going to depends on a bunch of factors like how comfortable they are, your budget, what features you’re looking for, what job you have, etc.
If you do your due diligence and pick from one of these brands you’re going to be just fine.
How Slip-Resistant Should Your Boots Be?
The more slip-resistant the better in most cases. When you’re working around chemicals and liquids the last thing you should worry about is falling on your butt.
If you’re around oil, grease, ice, water, or uneven surfaces you’re going to want something slip-resistant. If you’re looking at a scale the minimum you should consider is a 3/5 stars or 6/10. Anything less than that is going to be pushing your luck.
Oil and grease tend to cause more trouble than just standing water and should be treated so. If you’re working around these materials I’ve always recommended 4/5 or 8/10 or “very good” in some catalogs.
Below is a table to visualize my recommended ratings.
When you’re looking for new boots the box can say “oil resistant” which only refers to the material such as the fabric or leather that makes up the boot not the sole itself.
Just because it says oil-resistant does NOT mean its more resistant to slip around oil.
| Hazard | Recommended Star Rating | Recommended Number Rating | Recommended Descriptive Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Water |
3 Stars |
6/10 |
Good |
|
Oil |
4 Stars |
8/10 |
Very Good |
|
Grease |
4 Star |
8/10 |
Very Good |
|
Ice |
5 Stars |
10/10 |
Best |
Can I Make My Steel Toes More Slip-Resistant?
There are ways to make your steel toes more slip-resistant depending on what you’re working around. If you’ve bought a steel toe boot without ice slip resistance there are ice grips you can buy online that do a decent job.
Other than ice If you’re having trouble with slips or falls one of two things has happened.
- You’ve worn down the soles so much so the tread has lost its friction
- Your boots were not made for the type of hazards you’re working around
Either way, you’re going to need to either have them resoled or consider buying new boots. Having your boots resoled should not cost more than $100 depending on where you live. The process can take some time, possibly a week or more in some cases.
There are of course some home remedies that I just do not recommend. I’ve heard of using hairspray on the soles, using glue and salt, or roughing the soles up on grating or cement.
These are all short term fixes that will come back to bite you. Instead invest in your boots, because they are one of your most important work tools.
Cheaping out is only going to hurt you and your feet.
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Read MoreConclusion
Yes steel toe boots are slip-resistant though how slip-resistant they are depends on the boot itself. When looking at your own boots you can check the bottom of your boot’s sole to see if it says “Slip Resistant.” If so it has some degree of slip-resistance to it.
When Shopping for new steel toes first consider what you’ll be working around, oil, water, grease, and ice are all factors that should go into consideration. Oil, grease, and ice are going to need a higher degree of slip-resistance.
The boot boxes will say if they are slip-resistant or not with either the words “Slip Resistant” or a picture.
To make sure you’re getting a boot that will work for your job check either steel toe boot brands’ websites for slip-resistance ratings or ask a salesperson to see a catalog that will have the information.
If your boots are slipping because you’ve worn down the soles either get them resoled or consider investing in new boots. If you’ve bought steel toes and are working around ice consider buying ice guards or in boots made for working on ice.
I hope this cleared up some of the confusion around steel toes and slip-resistance. If I’ve missed something or you’ve had different experiences than my own please let me know!