Welders need proper shoes for many reasons. The first reason is safety, as it’s important to protect yourself from getting hurt while working with molten metal or other materials. It can also be dangerous if you don’t wear the right type of shoe because they could get caught up in machinery. If this happens, then you will have an accident which may lead to serious injuries like burns, cuts, bruises, broken bones, etc. Most welders are also going to be required to wear steal toes by OSHA so having steel toes is going to be in your best interest.
OSHA Welding Footwear Requirements
The Occupational Safety Health Administration has set standards that require employers to provide their employees with proper welding shoes. These requirements include:
• A steel toe cap or metal plate must cover all exposed areas of the shoe’s sole. This protects workers’ toes from crushing injuries when walking over uneven surfaces.
• All welders should wear steel-toed boots because these protect the wearer’s legs from electrical shocks.
The safety toe cap must also meet ASTM safety standards.
Important things to look for in welding boots
Defined heel – a defined heel is a boot with a 90 degree heel instead of the sole being completely flat. Most job sites will require a defined heel to be compliant with safety requirements.
Leather – Fabric boots are not recommended for welders because it can easily burn. Leather boots instead will not burn and will last much longer.
Lace covers or leather laces – Welders are around fire and burning debris so it is very important for your boots to be able to withstand fire. The lace cover should be leather or flame resistant, preferably leather as it’ll last longer. You can also purchase leather laces to replace the fabric laces, these will last much longer.
Waterproof – You want to make sure that your boots are water resistant. It’s still highly recommended that you use footwear which is waterproof or water resistant, even though it depends on your particular working conditions.
It’s possible to cause a massive failure in electrical systems and at the very least wet socks tends to be one of the quickest ways to ruin a day.
Water resistance is offered by some boots, but they may not be fully waterproof. Most of the boots we looked at are made from leather. Leather is good at resisting water on its own and can also be made waterproof through Sno-Seal or mink oil.
Comfort – Boots being comfortable on your feet is one of the most important aspects of any work boot. As a welder you’re on your feet throughout the day along with stooping and crouching. Having comfortable boots means your feet won’t be killing you after a long hard day.
Electrical Hazard – Those who work with electricity, including welders, need to wear electrical hazard protection boots. You don’t want your boots to be vulnerable to electrocution – as a result, all of the boots on this list are rated for electrical hazards. It is also a common safety requirement for most job sites.
Slip Resistance – There is no need to worry about slips with any of these boots because they are all slip resistant. In addition, all steel-toe boots will have slip-resistant soles. Usually, the soles of the boots will have “Slip-Resistant” printed on the bottom. Alternatively, if you are shopping online either from the manufacturer or from a seller, you can take a look at the description of the boots or if you’re shopping in-store you can look on the boot box.
#1 Timberland PRO Hypercharge
$169.95
| Insole | Outer-Sole | Waterproof |
|---|---|---|
|
GREAT |
GREAT |
YES |
The Timberland Pro Hypercharge boots come in at #1 of our best Timberland boots for welding list. These bad boys are full grain leather which will stand up to fire, spatter, and sparks and everything else you’ll face throughout the day as a welder.
One thing these boots lack is a toe guard. As you’re crouching the toes of your boots will get scraped and the friction will eventually expose the steel. Having said that, by applying Tuff-Toe you won’t ever have to worry about this issue and honestly Tuff-Toe is better than any pre made toe guard.
The composite safety toe will also meet your ASTM And OSHA requirements while also transferring less heat or cold than the steel toe counterpart. Composite toes also weight slightly less than steel toes so that is another plus.
Of course these boots meet the electrical hazard requirements set forth by OSHA and any job site.
when it comes to comfort, these boots comes with my favorite insole on the market today, the Aniti-Fatigue insole. This is one of the thickest foam insoles available and is just outstandingly comfortable. I recommend purchasing these insoles when buying most new work boots but the Hypercharge Timberlands come with it included.
These are one of the few boots that actually provide a guarantee when purchasing. Specifically the Timberland Hypercharge comes with a 30-day comfort guarantee, which means you have 30 days to test them out and if you aren’t happy with how comfortable they are you can return them no questions asked. Not included in the return though is shipping.
When looking at the outsole of these boots, they are also one of the best available. It is heat, oil, slip, and abrasion-resistant. Basically these outer-soles are not going to have any trouble with spatter or hot metal tearing them up like some other brands do.
Overall this is my preferred choice of any Timberland Pro Welding boots.
#2 Timberland PRO True Grit
$169.95
| Insole | Outer-Sole | Waterproof |
|---|---|---|
|
GREAT |
GREAT |
YES |
These safety toe work boots are Waterproof which is very helpful for welders because the last thing you need is wet socks water logged boots. For added water protection I recommend using a product like mink oil to further condition the boots along with waterproof the leather. The Timberland PRO True Grit has a waterproof liner on the inside which may tear but having the leather also waterproof will be helpful. Not only that but mink oil also conditions the leather to last longer.
When it comes to comfort of the True Grit you’ll be happy to know they come with a best in class, in my opinion best on the market, insole – the Timberland Anti-Fatigue foam insoles. These have great cushion in both the heel along with the toes.
Safety compliant composite toe that meets OSHA and ASTM requirements. You won’t have any trouble with the safety man.
I would recommend using Tuff-Toe on these boots if you find your past boots have worn through to expose the steel. Welders are known to wear through leather toe boots and by using Tuff-Toe you’ll extend the life of your boots considerably.
When looking at the outsole, bottom of the boots, these are one of the best soles on the market for welders. They’re heat, slip, and oil resistant. That means spatter, sparks, or hot metal won’t eat through these boots.
#3 Timberland PRO Men's Powerwelt Wellington
$159.95
| Insole | Outer-Sole | Waterproof |
|---|---|---|
|
GOOD |
GOOD |
YES |
The Timberland PRO Powerwelt Wellington is a unique work boot with the abrasion resistance on the top of the boots that is resistant to fire, friction, spatter, and heat. If you’re someone who rubs through the toes of your boots and exposes the steel toe cap these boots will be great for you. The abrasion resistance is why these boots rank so highly along with their lack of laces.
As mentioned these are steel toe caps that will meet al ASTM and OSHA requirements so you can be sure these will pass the safety man check if you’re to have one.
Along with their abrasion resistance they are also waterproof and full grain leather on the top portion.
Timberland is one of the few brands that offer a guarantee. Specifically a 30-day “comfort” guarantee. If you’re not happy with the comfort within those 30 days you can return them with no questions asked The only caveat is that shipping is not included.
the outsole on these steel toes are also very durable being the Timberland Pro Rubber. The outsole is of course slip and oil resistant. Additionally they are heat resistant which is rare to come by.
The sizing of the boots runs very true to size, so if you’re wearing size 9s right now you will probably find size 9s work for you. Keep in mind that if you’re wearing square toes you’ll want to go down half a size because square toes do give you additional room.
#4 Timberland PRO Hypercharge 6 Inch Lace Ups
$134.95
| Insole | Outer-Sole | Waterproof |
|---|---|---|
|
GREAT |
GREAT |
YES |
They include a thick foam insole that is exceptionally comfortable, and the electrical hazard requirements are met by using a composite toe that is both safer and more comfortable than a steel toe. These boots also have a guarantee, and if you are not satisfied with them after 30 days you can return them without question.
What I really like about these Timberland 6-inch lace-ups is that they are made from full-grain high-quality leather and even the boot tongue is made from high-quality leather. As a welder you need to be sure your boots won’t burn throughout the day as your doing your job.
These Hypercharge boots share many of the same qualities as our #1 pick on this list including the high-grade outsole that is heat, slip, and oil resistant.
The only real drawbacks to these boots are the laces which will burn if they catch sparks or spatter. For that reason, you should highly consider purchasing leather laces or a lace cover. You also want to consider adding a Tuff-Toe to the boots’ toe for protection against friction as you kneel and crouch.
They are also full grain leather meaning they’ll last much longer than a fabric competitor. These boots are not inherently waterproof but because they are fully leather you can use Sno-Seal to make them waterproof.
This of course come with the Ultimate Shock Absorption insole for comfort throughout the day.
Because these boots are pull-ons that means no lacing them up in the morning and no untying them after a long day. You’ll also never have to worry about buying new laces.
#5 Timberland PRO Powerbelt 6 Inch Lace Ups
$121.95
| Insole | Outer-Sole | Waterproof |
|---|---|---|
|
GREAT |
GREAT |
YES |
The lace up Timberland PRO Powerbelt work boots come in at number 5 in the best Timberland welder boots.
These are the lace-up version of the #2 boot on the list. the drawback to these boots are the laces, which are not fire proof and you’ll need to either purchase leather laces or purchase fire resistant laces.
The great thing about these welding boots is the abrasion resistant material that goes around most of the boots which will resist spatter, sparks, fire, and from wearing down. In addition to the abrasion resistant material on the boots, the outsoles are also heat, slip, and oil resistant.
These boots also have the 30 day comfort guarantee that allows you to return these boots if they do not meet your expectations.
They are also full grain leather meaning they’ll last much longer than a fabric competitor. These boots are not inherently waterproof but because they are fully leather you can use Sno-Seal to make them waterproof.
This of course come with the Ultimate Shock Absorption insole for comfort throughout the day.
Because these boots are pull-ons that means no lacing them up in the morning and no untying them after a long day. You’ll also never have to worry about buying new laces.
Are Timberlands Good For Welders
Yes, Timberland boots are good for welders. In my opinion they are the most comfortable work boot brand thanks to the Anit-Fatigue insole they provide in some of their boots, they are very durable, and made with high-quality materials.
Other Brands Welders Should Consider
While Timberlands are some of my overall favorite boots for welders, here are other brands you may want to consider when picking up a new pair of safety toes:
- Thorogood
- CAT
- Irish Setter
- Justin
- Double H
- Ariat
- Durango
- Wolverine