A common question I’ve gotten over the years is “Can steel toe boots be used for hiking?”
The short answer is YES steel toe boots are good for hiking.
You’ve paid over a hundred dollars for these steel toe boots and you want to get your money’s worth. Or you’re like me and didn’t have hiking boots but do have steel toe boots and are wondering if it’s a good idea to just use them instead of spending another $200.
Going hiking with steel toes isn’t as big deal as people make it out to be but there are some factors you should consider beforehand.
Recently my girlfriend and I were going hiking but I simply hadn’t purchased hiking boots but I’m used to days where I’m walking over 6 miles with steel toes and they’re already broken in.
So I used my steel toes and guess what. They. worked. fine.
Before you say “well I’ll just never buy hiking boots then, I’ve already got steel toes” you should consider these things:
- How long of a hike are you going on?
- What the weather is like
- How much ankle support your steel toes provide
- What your boots are made out of
- What the trail is going to be like
How Long of a Hike are You Going on?
Steel toes are going to be heavier than regular hiking boots which, is why you should consider how long of a hike you are going on. I usually go on short day trip hikes of only 4-5 miles. At the end of the day, my feet do not hurt any more than a regular workday.
I’ve always considered how long of a hike I’m going on and If it’s no longer than a regular workday it probably isn’t a big deal to wear steel toe work boots.
Your feet are already used to walking that distance and you’re already used to walking in steel toes for roughly that distance so it should be fine.
Say if it were a trip where I was walking 10 miles a day for multiple days I would just buy lightweight waterproof hiking boots. Even though steel toes would hold up just fine the extra weight is going to seriously tire you out over that long of a trip.
What’s the Weather Like
Is it going to be extremely hot or very cold? Is it going to be a nice 70 – 75 degree day?
These are things you’ll want to think about before hitting the trail. If it’s going to be hot, some steel toes come with a waterproof liner which adds almost insulation while the cowboy style is also not going to breathe well either.
Though most hiking boots will breathe similarly well because they’re often made almost exactly the same except without a steel toe cap.
If there’s snow on the grown and it’s close to the 30’s or 40’s keep in mind that the steel toe cap is going to absorb that cold and transfer it to your toes. You’ll want to add extra thick socks or socks with extra toe padding so your feet stay warm.
When its cold out that extra waterproofing liner is actually going to help keep your feet warm along with the cowboy style.
In most cases wearing your steel toes over tennis shoes is a good decision.
Ankle Support
If you’re deciding between a tennis shoe and your steel toes you want to weigh how much ankle support you want.
The good thing about steel toes is that they provide very good ankle support. When you’re on the trail the last thing you need is to sprain or roll an ankle. Hobbling a couple of miles in pain isn’t how a good hiking trip usually ends.
The good thing is most steel toes are going to help prevent those ankle injuries.
Another reason ankle support is important is it’ll shield your ankles from bugs, scratches, and if your’s are waterproof you’ll be able to walk in slightly higher water and snow.
What type of ankle support should you look for?
The more ankle support the better in my opinion. Lace-ups provide the most ankle support because you can tighten them up more than the pull-on style boot. Of course, either style is going to provide more support than tennis shoes or low cut shoes.
When deciding if a boot or shoe has good ankle support especially for hiking you can simply go by how tall the boot is. If it’s above your ankle or when the boot is on your foot you cannot see your ankle is going to have decent ankle support and probably going to be well suited for hiking provided its made from the right materials.
Good Steel Toe Boot Materials for Hiking
If your boots are made from anything other than real leather or synthetic leather I wouldn’t wear them hiking.
You can tell what your boots are made of by looking at the tag on the inside of the boot near the size or using the stock number, also found near the size tag, and looking it up on that brand’s website.
Here are some good and not so good steel toe boot materials for hiking:
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The suede boat shoe has become one of the most popular steel toes recently and it’s really tempting to wear everywhere including hiking.
They look like regular shoes, are comfortable as regular boat shoes, and are very lightweight. But they’re usually made of suede.
If you’re thinking about wearing your suede steel toes or suede anything hiking, please, please wear anything else.
Suede will get ruined easily by water or mud. Synthetic leather is also questionable around water but if you’re not going to be wading through the water for extended periods of time they will be fine.
Of course real leather is going to be great.
If you’re wondering if your boots are synthetic leather or genuine leather and your tag has faded or it wasn’t printed inside the boot there is a simple to tell most of the time.
Simply LIGHTLY scratch your leather boot with one fingernail. DO NOT dig it into your boot.
If it leaves a slight make behind, it is leather. If it looks like leather but there is no mark its probably synthetic leather.
Synthetic leather is just a fancy way of saying its fake leather and the outer layer will eventually peel away.
If your boots have some fabric you’ll probably be better off than wearing fabric tennis shoes.
Whats the Trail Like?
When I was choosing between my fabric basketball shoes and my leather steel toes I chose the steel toes because it was a trail I’d never been on and it might have large puddles or standing water.
I’ve made the mistake of wearing fabric tennis shoes hiking around some of the smallest amounts of water. One misstep and my sock was wet for half the day. And let me say it was a LOOOOOONNG day after that. So if you have leather steel toes even without them being waterproof they’re going to be ten times better than any tennis shoe.
Other than water you’re also going to want to consider how overgrown the trail is going to be. If it’s very overgrown with little upkeep you’re not going to want to use regular tennis shoes. Bugs, scratches, and ankle support are all going to be in question.
In my opinion, if there might be standing water I go with what’s going to keep my feet the driest. Sure steel toes might be heavier but walking miles with soggy socks just isn’t a recipe for a good time.
If there are going to be slippery rocks your steel toes will probably come in handy because they are probably going to be slip-resistant. I’ve made the mistake of using old basketball shoes and walking on slippery rocks.
You might as well be walking on ice. Having something to give you some slip safety just makes sense.
Conclusion
If you don’t have traditional hiking boots wearing steel toe boots is a viable option. If your steel toes go above your ankle, are made from leather or synthetic leather, are comfortable, have some slip resistance, and have some water-resistance they are a good option.
If the hike is going to be close to what you walk in a typical workday and you’ve got warm socks if its cold steel toes are again a viable option.