Who invented steel toe boots

Red Wing Shoes moved into a steel toe line in the s. Also some German marching boots or Marschstiefels, that were used by the non-commissioned officers in World War II, were reinforced with metal toe caps.

The first type of protective shoes were wooden boots, also called sabots. Workers in Europe wore them for protection from falling objects. Wooden boots protected farmers on the field from sharp objects lying in the ground and protected toes in case a horse or cow stepped on them. As sabots were worn in Netherlands, they played important role in its history. During the early industrial revolution, workers used sabots by throwing them into the gears of factories to stop production.

In the U. Congress enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act to ensure a safe work environment for workers. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created to enforce standards for workplace safety and health.

Among the standards enforced are the ones that cover the use of protective footwear in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries. Today safety footwear is mandatory in a wide range of industries, especially mining and construction. Steel toe boots have also been adopted by various subcultures. The sturdiness as well as the steel toe made the boots very dangerous in a fight. In the s some brands of steel toe footwear, as well as other work boots, became popular with the Skinheads.

This trend continued in the '80s and '90s with the punk and rivethead subcultures. By the s, brands like Dr. Martens and Grinders, actually became popular with Skinheads due to the sturdiness of the steel toe boots — they could be considered dangerous in fighting and were used as weapons.

Steel toe boots are built to be long-lasting. Along with having steel as the main reinforcement material, other durable materials, like composite, plastics such as thermoplastic polyurethane , and aluminum are used. These are utilized to provide you with protection, and some styles are combined with sole plates. When you wear this safety toe footwear, your feet will be guarded against rolling and falling objects, and these sole plates resist punctures.

Problem solved. While there may be a credible argument for both composite and steel toe boots, one thing they both have in common is the number of injuries they prevent on a daily basis. Foot related injuries are common in the workplace. A study done by an orthopedic surgeon at The Massachusetts General Hospital and hosts from the popular TV show Myth Busters was done to help quantify the benefits of safety shoes. Five of them had safety shoes on, while the other five had non-safety toes shoes.

The results show that the feet in the regular boots took, on average, 8. The safety toed shoes only took 3. Steel Toe Boots have held prominence in many subcultures. Goths, Punks, and Rivet-heads alike have appropriated safety footwear since the late s. Their continued usage of the boots has helped spread awareness to the forefront of popular fashion. To this day, there are many companies that still branch out into safety shoes.

The Steel Toe Boot is still considered by some, if not most, to be the superior form of foot-safety.