How To Make Steel Toe Boots More Comfortable? + [5 Tips]

When you are in a job site, safety remains your top priority for obvious reasons. That’s why from the construction site to woodworking and from plumbing to metalwork, people prefer wearing toe steel boots.

These boots with a thick sole, steel toe and safety requirements safeguard your feet from job site hazards and injuries. However, with its massive steel design and bulky appearance, the safety shoes are often uncomfortable to wear for long hours.

So, you should know how to make steel toe boots more comfortable for a cozy and risk-free job environment. It includes breaking the shoe, proper maintenance, and so on.

The comfort level also includes getting a rightly fitted pair of safety boots. And today, we are heavily going to cover all these issues in the following discussion profoundly.

5 tips: How To Make Steel Toe Boots More Comfortable

A work boot is built mainly for harsh working conditions where safety is the top-notch necessity. That’s why most manufacturers will compromise with quality for the protection of your feet at unforgiving working conditions.

But with some easy tips, you can quickly make the steel toe boots more comfortable. These tips are listed below.

1. Chose Right Size Boots

As with any pair of shoes or clothing, you need to start with the right size. So, when you go to purchase the safety boots, make time to check the fitting correctly.

If you get too small and tight shoes, your feet will get cramped in the toe box. It might prominently lead to serious injuries such as chafing, blisters, and neuromas. And when you get a loose fit, it will create hot spots and increases the chances of ankle twisting.

So, you need to ensure that the pair of shoes if the right fit for you. We will discuss the techniques for getting the right pair of work boots in the relevant section.

2. Wear the Right Socks

Unfortunately, most workers ignore the importance of wearing the right socks with their work boots. So, they will probably get any socks to wear with safety boots. It will then cause them discomfort.

So, we recommend you to get a specially built pair of socks that are right for the work boots. In the market, you will get socks built particularly for work boots. It is even more essential if you are experiencing sores or blisters at the feet.

The socks for toe boots have integrated padding at the heel and toe section of the shoes. The extra padding provides more cushioning and snug-fitting with the boot. It will make the boot-wearing comfortable for sure.

3. Chose the Right Insole

The standard insole integrated with safety footwear is a bit small. So, it doesn’t cover the whole of the footwear inside and gives you an uneven feeling. It can be extremely uncomfortable when you wear these for long hours.

Hence, it is better to invest in the right sole.  So, you should spend on a high-quality aftermarket insole designed especially for the work boots. The insole should be even at every part and support your arch. Also, if you can get a removable insole, it will be better.

Removable insoles allow you to insert and remove the insole whenever necessary. So, it gives you freedom in the workplace.  

4. Break-In Your Steel Toe Boot

If you quickly want to eliminate all types of discomfort that comes from the wearing of steel toe boots, breaking the shoes is probably one step to practice at first.

Nonetheless, breaking a shoe doesn’t mean the use of a hammer and bolts.

Jokes apart, breaking in of the steel toe boots involve wearing it several times at home before you put it on at the workplace. At first, wear the safety boots for a few minutes. Then slowly increase the time to one hour.

Once you feel that the toe and heel have softened and the insole feels comfortable, start wearing it at the job sites.

watch this video for more details

5. Use a Bandage

Another excellent and dependable way to increase the comfort of your work boots is not mainly related to your shoes, instead of your feet. You can wrap your feet with a proper bandage. If you feel soreness or experience blisters or corns, cover the problematic area with a bandage.

Some bandages are available with a healing capacity that can quickly fix the sores with the release of helpful chemicals. The bandage wrapping is crucial during the shoe breaking part as you might develop blisters at this time.

Also Read: Can Steel Toe Boots Cause Foot Problems | Detailed Answer Guide

How Should Work Boots Fit?

When it comes to your foot comfort, getting the right fit for the work boot is mandatory. Unless you choose the right fit for the shoes, no matter what you try after getting it, you can’t achieve the desired comfort level.

So, don’t rush to purchase the boot. Have patience and check at least a few pairs of boots to check which fits the best at your feet. You can apply the following tips for the fitting purpose of the work boots.

1. Start with the wearing of socks you will use in the workplace.  While people have a misconception that cotton socks are more comfortable, the reality is different. Socks made of polyester or wool are most likely to provide you more comfort. Also, get a pair with added padding to prevent blisters and friction.
2. Next, you need to check the actual length of the footwear. For this, slide your toe until it reaches the frontal part of the boot. Now bend the knee of the boot-wearing feet slightly in the front and observe the position of your index finger.
3. The index finger should comfortably insert between the shoe back and your heel. Apply the technique for the other feet as well.
4. Next, tight the laces snuggly. As you fasten the laces, it should comfortably hold your feet within the shoe insole. Observe if the lace feels too tight to keep the feet in the place.
5. The work boots need to be flexible at the ball of your feet. If you find the shoe bending at the arch area, avoid it. These won’t provide you with the right support at your feet.
6. If you are working in a place where the heat is more than average, for instance, in metal works, the boots will swell due to the heat generation. So, make sure your feet will be placed comfortably at the largest swelling of the shoe.

How Do I Stop My Boots from Hurting My Toes?

One of the main reasons for boots hurting your toes is the lack of supports at the arch section of the feet. So, you should get a shoe with adequate support for the arch and heel area. However, these are linked with the insole quality of the shoe.

Unfortunately, despite being a top-notch insole, most work boot insoles will fail to provide you the right amount of support. So, you need to invest in an aftermarket insole. You need to consider three things for it.

1. Try to get an insole as strong as possible.
2. Check whether or not the insole matches your arch contour. You need to get an insole that fits perfectly with your arch contour.
3. Lastly, get an insole that will serve you for at least a year or two. It is necessary since changing the insole frequently can cause discomfort at the arch as well.

How Should I Maintain My Steel Toe Boots?

The maintenance of the steel toe boots is necessary to give it a prolonged lifespan. The maintenance steps include:

1. Instead of getting only a pair of shoes, get two pairs of shoes from the market. Then rotate the shoe pairs. When you wear shoes and boots, alternatively, it will increase the durability quite significantly.
2. When you return from the worksite, dry the boots. Due to long day wearing, bacteria forms in the shoe inside that can wreak havoc in the texture and fabric. Air-dry the pump to eliminate the excessive moisture.
3. Always clean the boot from mud and other debris. You can use a stiff brush for the purpose.
4. You might apply water and vinegar solution to remove the salt from the shoe.
5. If you have a leather boot, then apply a quality conditioner on it from time to time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can steel toe boots cause foot problems?

Yes, a poorly fit steel toe boots can cause foot problems. If you wear tight or lose fitted safety boots for an extended period, it can cause arch pain, sores, swelling, blisters, and many more complications.

How do you stretch out steel toe boots?

There are several ways to stretch out the steel toe boots without wearing them. You can apply a quality conditioner on the leather, insert a broomstick in the shoe inside and turn it to stretch the toe boots. Also, you can add a bag full of water in the shoe and place it in the freezer overnight to pull it shortly.

Will steel toe boots break-in?

Yes, steel toe boots will break-in. We have enlisted the tor breaking procedure in the #2 questions of the list. You can check them. Additionally, you can wear it at home to break in properly.

Conclusion

We are confident that we have successfully described all possible steps on how to make steel toe boots comfortable. We have excluded the techniques that are hard to follow and included only those that you can apply at ease.

Hence, it shouldn’t be a problem for you. Nonetheless, to achieve the utmost comfort from the work or safety boots, start with the right sized pair-always.