Gloves for our feet

[Mainely,Bob]

We`ve talked a little about hand protection here recently and that got me wondering about what what my metalworking brothers and sisters wear to protect their feet while beating hot iron.
Any brands or types you can recommend or warn others off of?How about modifications to improve comfort or safety?
Anybody like ripple soles and metatarsal guards besides me?

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Just thought the title was funny. The German word for gloves translates as "hand shoes" (Handschuhe).

[Wesley Chambers]

Sadly my budget sticks me with walmart cheap-o steel toe, they last ok for $30, I tend to use an insole for comfort. I know shoemakers but I just cannot afford my custom shoes "yet" but its worth the price when they are custom molded to your foot/ankle/leg. When I was cast I found out I seem to be one of the 3% of the population that has equal sized and shaped feet, I had no idea :)

[Mainely,Bob]

Just thought the title was funny. The German word for gloves translates as "hand shoes" (Handschuhe).

When my wife got her first pair of Redwing work boots she told me;"I can see why you like these,they`re like gloves for your feet".

Another thing that got me thinking about this was a conversation with a DO(Osteopath as opposed to a MD)who was wearing a very strange pair of shoes that looked like toe socks as they had individual toes built into them.I looked down and said;"What the heck are those supposed to be?" when I caught sight of them.She went on about how fashion is ruining our feet and how "the foot bone`s connected to the...".Long story short,if she as a DO thinks they are the hot ticket then it made me think.

Along the warnings end of things,Crocs are aptly named in respect to wearing them while dealing with hot anything.They melt and/or burn as one of my friends found out.
Forging,cutting or welding with those things on your feet is like BBQing dynamite while wearing gasoline shorts.

[arftist]

Souds like you already know about Redwings. I have heard their are other, even better boots (Frosty), but good Redwings are safe, comfortable and last.

[Mainely,Bob]

Souds like you already know about Redwings. I have heard their are other, even better boots (Frosty), but good Redwings are safe, comfortable and last.

Redwings are rebuildable too.

One of the tricks that shipfitters used to do to keep steel toed boot leather from wearing through at the toes was to take the old steel caps from worn out boots and spread them a little then bond them to to the leather toe of the new boots.This made a double steel toe,the steel on the outside was strictly a wear factor but this worked FAR better than those urethane bumpers that Redwing offered as toe protection which would hold about 2-3 weeks in a shipyard environment.
Another trick for wear points was a compound that came in a tube and was called"Shoe Goo". it was the same consistency as caulking compound and you`d spread it over the area that was wearing.It hardened into a tough rubbery patch and that patch wore far more slowly than the leather.
We also used Shoe Goo to bond the second steel toes to our boots after either blasting the inside or giving it an acid bath to give the surface some tooth.

I was also hoping Frosty would see this thread and talk a little more about his smoke jumper boots.They seemed like the hot ticket for folks who have to walk and work on concrete.

[JamesG]

I bought my first pair Redwing steel this last winter.I love them.For my big foot I buy one pair of boots.I had pair of wolvirens and they lasted about 10 months the 12 month was sore.For me I pair the extra for Redwing.

[edge9001]

redwings. lol I got a pair they are great! I got mine for free. when I worked for my local cable company they sent me to get a pair on the company dime. I was supposed to pay anything over $125. they never charged me for my part of it. so I got a expensive pair of "metal free" steel toed boots. I have no idea what the toe box was made of but it wasn't metal.

[pkrankow]

Didn't feel like retyping, love copy/paste. From the owning/doing our best thread

I have been wearing Wolverine boots for years, and bought a pair of boots "completely made in the USA from materials from the USA" and will not buy a pair of that brand again. The insoles were inadequate, stitched in under the steel cap, and glued in with a soft set adhesive that allowed the insole to slide! Boy howdy did that make my feet, knees, ankles, hips, and back hurt! And I _don't_ live in my boots!

I spent a few hours scraping the insoles out to put in Dr.Sholls (Why YES I am Gellin') because I have very wide feet and new boots were out of the budget since this pair was only 6 months old and nothing was wrong with the upper or sole.

Phil

My wife is all about Dansko shoes since she is on her feet all the time! She used to buy shoes $20 and less, and complained about being sore. I told her to spend $100 on a pair of shoes, and she thought I was crazy at the time, but went and spent money. Shoes that support the foot well really do help the body move.

I would buy Redwings, but they never seem to fit my over wide feet correctly!

Phil

[Mainely,Bob]

Didn't feel like retyping, love copy/paste. From the owning/doing our best thread


My wife is all about Dansko shoes since she is on her feet all the time! She used to buy shoes $20 and less, and complained about being sore. I told her to spend $100 on a pair of shoes, and she thought I was crazy at the time, but went and spent money. Shoes that support the foot well really do help the body move.

I would buy Redwings, but they never seem to fit my over wide feet correctly!

Phil

Nothing else we wear,with the exception of eyeglasses,effects our work life like shoes/boots.As a kid I always got cheap shoes as I had 3 brothers.I hated shoes and would kick them off at every opportunity and now I have 8-1/2 EEEE feet with high insteps but fallen arches,go figure.
Joining he Army and getting fitted for orthotics and properly fitted boots was a REAL eye opener.For the first time in my life I had quality footwear that didn`t hurt my feet.I almost wanted to sleep with them on(that would get old later).
Then I got assigned to the Infantry and learned that even the best boots mean very little till they are broken in properly and become part of a system.They need to be used with high quality socks that are also properly fit.I also learned that different surfaces and environments require different footgear.Roadmarching on paved surfaces or hours on the drill pad required cushioning and things like rippled soles were added to my favorite boots.Summer and wet environments brought out the jungle boots(with appropriate soles attached)and Gore-tex socks and colder weather called for Danners or Matterhorns with silk or Thermax sock liners under thick wool socks.
I also learned that boots needed to be maintained and cared for and that polishing them did more for them than just make them look good.Polish kept the leather soft and pliable and helped shed the water outside and resist the sweat inside.

As I stated elsewhere,It`s the small things that count and once you become aware of the big impact that small things can have on your overall well being and comfort you rethink things like boot laces,polishing gear,etc.
The little things don`t have as big an impact if you sit behind a desk or the steering wheel all day.It`s when you have to shoulder 70+ lbs in your rucksack and then walk 10 miles or more in a few hours that those little things really add up,pay off and make the difference between limping in on feet that look like you pulled them from a forge or just rolling out with slightly stiff calves,stretching a little and ready to do it again the next day.
Once you truly understand the basics and how things interact and impact each other it changes the way you think and look at things.Your endurance and comfort levels improve dramatically and you are able to get far more accomplished,day in and day out.All from carefully chosen and fitted then well maintained shoes.
Makes all the difference in the world to get up smiling and glad you bought the best or hating life and those bargain basement clodhoppers you have to strap back on.

Like Larry said"How you do one thing is how you do everything".
Every little bit of gear that an experienced "groundpounder" touches is carefully evaluated and cut back to it`s basics.If you don`t need it to live or it doesn`t greatly improve your comfort level it gets left behind.Having to carry it on your back,wear it every day and have your life and your team-mates lives depend on it changes how you look at every little thing.
Once you flip that switch and turn that on it changes you and you rarely ever turn it off.I choose to look at that as a blessing rather than a curse.

So much for late night/early morning philosophy and leaking trade secrets to the masses.
The rooster`s crowing and I need to put my pants on. :)

[pkrankow]

At 11 1/2 EEEE I have the added challenge of many mfg stop producing half sizes at 11.
Phil

[HWHII]

MainleyBob, " I have a 8 1/2 EEEE with high instep " We have the same size foot. I wear Hawthorn Boots with metatarsal guards and Dr. Scholls work boot inserts. There are made by White's Boots custom made for my feet. I payed alot for them but they are the last pair of boots I will ever buy. I just keep sending them back for resole and repair. I have been wearing metatarsal boots for over 20 years. I can't imagine wearing anything else when I am working. You can't put a price on foot comfort. It is what gets me through the day. I also have a pair of Whites Smoke Jumpers and hiking boots. I can live in both of theses too.

[Dale Russell]

Blunstones & nothing else

18 months ago i had a 740 kg / 1600 lbs + weight drop on my left foot , without the steel toe cap i'd have no toes no , weight messed up my shoulder ( hanging onto it as it fell , then lifting said weight off my then trapped foot ) Was about to walk fine withing a week , shoulders another story

I still have those boots , wont get rid of em for a long time either

Dale Russell

[forgemaster]

Elastic sided Redbacks for me, I have 2 pairs on the go, one pair I use as my good going home boots, go to see th customer boots, the older pair are my workshop boots. When my workshop boots have had it (they are now coming up to two years of use) I ditch them make my good boots the workshop boots and go buy a new pair to wear home. I don't buy lace ups any more too many times I have had a big globdule of oxy slag land in the laces and youi cant get the boot off quickly enough, its a run to the water tub and stick the whole foot in. And why is it that when ever I drop or place something heavy on my foot it always misses the toe cap and lands behind it effectively trapping my foot?

Phil

[Mainely,Bob]

Elastic sided Redbacks for me, I have 2 pairs on the go, one pair I use as my good going home boots, go to see th customer boots, the older pair are my workshop boots. When my workshop boots have had it (they are now coming up to two years of use) I ditch them make my good boots the workshop boots and go buy a new pair to wear home. I don't buy lace ups any more too many times I have had a big globdule of oxy slag land in the laces and youi cant get the boot off quickly enough, its a run to the water tub and stick the whole foot in. And why is it that when ever I drop or place something heavy on my foot it always misses the toe cap and lands behind it effectively trapping my foot?

Phil

Two words Phil,metatarsal gaurds.They`re like steel toes for your instep.

How is it that someone who can drive tacks at 500 meters with a rifle(me) can`t seem to hit his big old steel toe with whatever he`s holding in his hand(me also)?
You ain`t the only one brother,thus the metatarsal guards.
They also provide a nice smooth ramp so those big(and small)globs of red hot stuff slide right off the boot completely.
I found out about these guards when I worked in the oilfield.Many of us would put a foot under the steel pipes to prop them off the ground while we threaded up hammer unions and then we`d keep the foot there while we hammered that union tight.Try THAT with any other type of boot!

[Marksnagel]

The most comfortable longlasting pull on, high top boot I've ever had: Durango

I have had many types of boots. Since my employer pays for new boots every year I get a pretty good pick. I have two pair of wolverines which I would recommend only to an enemy. Maybe. They have the durashock sole which sounded good but I have never had a pair of boots (both pair) that hurt my feet like these. The break in period is probably longer than my lifespan. Maybe it's my feet size 13US but I have had other brands that were great. I like a tall boot because I have dropped a weld bead into the top of a short loose fitting boot before and that is where my limited dance experience began.
I like a slip on high top boot. On and off fast and I'm getting too lazy to bother with laces. One of the wolverines are slipons and the other are lace up. I recommend neither.
Sneakers are asking for trouble.

[Frosty]

MainleyBob, " I have a 8 1/2 EEEE with high instep " We have the same size foot. I wear Hawthorn Boots with metatarsal guards and Dr. Scholls work boot inserts. There are made by White's Boots custom made for my feet. I payed alot for them but they are the last pair of boots I will ever buy. I just keep sending them back for resole and repair. I have been wearing metatarsal boots for over 20 years. I can't imagine wearing anything else when I am working. You can't put a price on foot comfort. It is what gets me through the day. I also have a pair of Whites Smoke Jumpers and hiking boots. I can live in both of theses too.

Hey, we have more things in common Harold! The boots guys keep referencing to me are my White's Logger Smoke Jumpers. Expensive to be sure but they not only fit really well they last a long time and are rebuildable.

I also have Redwing slip ons but don't like the open tops around hot stuff.

Z-coil now makes a work boot with the spring heal enclosed so they're not trip hazards and they really help if you're sensitive to concrete floors.

Frosty the Lucky.

[Panzom]

I have always liked Danners very comfortable and well built.

[junker]

at size 13 workboots are a bit hard to find, but i really like wolverines.Honestly i wear flip flops while forging. every1 makes fun of me until they drop something hot down their boot. with the flipflops i can just flip'em off or just shove my whole foot in my quench tank (5gallon bucket)

[philip in china]

I wear fairly cheap steel toecapped boots from a local store in UK. What I have, though, are external steel toecaps. I prefer these to internals. As I not only blacksmith but also do all sorts of other maintenance type jobs I spend a lot of time on hands and knees. This, I find, tends to wear away the leather on the front of internal toecapped boots. Then they leak. Of course this doesn't happen with the external toecaps.

I also tend to use my toecaps as a tool. If moving anything and I need a fulcrum, for example, in goes the toe.

I am just about to start with a new group of students here. I have recommended that they buy ear plugs (muffs are available), I have suggested they get their own safety goggles but I have said categorically- no toecaps, no smithing.

[pkrankow]

I also tend to use my toecaps as a tool. If moving anything and I need a fulcrum, for example, in goes the toe.

And here I thought I was the only one who did that...

Phil

[Frosty]

And here I thought I was the only one who did that...

Phil

That's my favorite use for steel toes. It's much preferable to dropping things on my feet you know.

someone may have already addressed it and I missed their post but safety toe boots that'll pass a metal detector or are approved in a spark sensitive area are Phenolic impregnated fiberglass.

Frosty the Lucky.

[Dragons lair]

Hey Jer. never heard of fiberglass toes. I think I'll skick with STEEL. Yeh a few tons will will cut off your toes.
How much heat and pressure will Fglass do.
Ken.

[Mainely,Bob]

And here I thought I was the only one who did that...

Phil

You guys need to get out more,and meet more shipfitters.
We`re an inventive bunch.
As I posted previously,metatarsal guards make a wonderful stand/fulcrum too and they`re taller than toes.

Actually,many trades use their feet or footgear as tools,I know most of us who have spent time around carpenters have seen the rather foolish practice to hooking a toe under a piece of plywood so you can cut it and not run your skillsaw into the ground.Works great till you get over confident and open up your instep.

The biggest advantage to fiberglass that I`ve seen is that it doesn`t get as cold when working in sub zero temps.Something the Southern boys don`t pay much attention to but makes a big difference to folks in my neck of the woods.They also look odd cause the toes are bigger than normal.

[Double Y]

My Dad is a bootmaker/saddle maker. He also has a need for custom made iron tools from time to time...so periodically I get in line for a custom made pair of boots.

I forged and fabed him last pullers and lasting stands. And I am always on the lookout for boot and shoe making tools on my scronging. Boot making is much like blacksmithing. There are some very good modern tools made, however some of the best tools are old/antique.

There really is nothing like pulling on a brand new pair of boots that fit perfect from day one. No break in required. The first pair went on like I had worn them for two years.