7 Top Work Boots for Sore Feet – Reviews & Rating 2020
In today's day and age, there's a high premium put on durability. We want something to last for as long as possible. And the technology to create and evolve this trait continues to find remarkable ways to do so, even in work boots.
Sometimes, it fails to see the human side of the workers wearing these boots because it puts aside comfort level. And for workers that toil their hours away, sometimes in blistering conditions, any comfort is a luxury.
There is a need to equip these workers with not only sturdy work boots that provide unquestionable robustness but also maximum support and comfort. These features will help them be safer from hazards and be comfortable while stay upright for long periods without sore feet and other orthopedic ailments.
Here we provide you with seven top comfortable work boots for sore feet and the necessary characteristics to consider before buying one.
Our 7 Top Picks of the Best Work Boots For Sore Feet Reviewed
Thorogood American Heritage - Breathable
Made from a Goodyear storm welt. It also has an electric shock-resisting synthetic soles, and heels.
This feature gives it the stunning ability to endure a charge of 18,000 volts for one whole minute. Note that this is without any current flow or leakage in the remainder of approximately 1.0 milliamperes under dry environments.
Similar to the person to whom it is built for, these boots are made for some serious day-to-day grind. Extremely durable, built to last, and looks all the more appealing as it ages, these stylish shoes, primed with tobacco oil-tanned 100% full-grain leather, give your feet ample room to breathe.
Equipped with MAXwear Wedge heels means you can walk through any surface feeling certain of not ever slipping. And with a removable ultimate shock absorption footbed on Poron comfort cushion insole coupled with a sturdy fiberglass shank, it can also offer you protection and ease for your joints as you work.
PROS
CONS
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Electric Shock-resistant
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Durable
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Stylish
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Breathable
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Slip-resistant
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Weak Stitching
KEEN Utility Milwaukee - Non- Marking Sole
Looking for boots that can help you get through those long, tough jobs?
This heavy-duty shoes can take it. And in any rugged terrain imaginable, too. With these Milwaukee steel-toed work shoes Keen Utility, protection for your toes is definitely guaranteed.
This patented toe protection involves the outsoles of the shoe winding up and over the toes for absolute protection. But a durable construction does not necessarily mean that flexibility is compromised. On the contrary, anatomically correct steel, aluminum, and combination toe designs give you a spacier toe box and comfort.
An internal support mechanism is also skillfully built to provide exceptional arch support and cushion the natural contours of the foot.
It has an oil and slip-resistant non-marking sole and electrical protection. It also has a water-resistant and abrasion-resistant full-grain leather feature. This means that you can do your job without worrying about hazards, even in the long haul.
PROS
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Heavy-duty
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Toe Protection
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Spacious Toe Box
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Great Support
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Water Resistant
CONS
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Heels are a bit stiff
Wolverine SR - Dri- Lex Lining
With an essential slip-resistant and synthetic sole for guaranteed safety, this Wolverine DuraShocks work boot is uniquely designed for energy in each step.
What is DuraShocks? These are compression pads cleverly molded in the heel and forefoot with a removable, cushion footbed that works synchronously to take in the shock and dispel energy.
Robust yet lighter materials give you extreme protection and comfort without the nuisance of unnecessary weight. It has a direct-attach construction and its patented Dri-lex lining, which controls moisture to help keep your feet dry, with sturdy yet light to fight against tiredness.
Wolverine is an iconic American brand that mixes masterful materials with quintessential craftsmanship. Primed with 100% genuine leather with a nylon shank that is 75% lighter than steel and lightweight polyurethane midsole, Wolverine boots are engineered to defy the harshest of conditions and simultaneously imparts all-day comfort as it stabilizes the foot and decreases fatigue.
PROS
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Steel toe protection
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Removable insoles
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Electrical hazard resistance
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Crossdress look
CONS
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Laces wear over time
Timberland PRO Hyperion - Anti- Fatigue
In its commitment to innovation, Timberland is expanding its PRO collection with the Hyperion, a sturdy boot created with unrivaled safety and performance features.
The Hyperion has a Dynamic Anti-Fatigue Technology. This incorporates an innovative design to minimize shock upon impact and returns the energy back to the foot in crucial areas to make sure that you won't have to bother about your footwear while you toil through long days on your feet.
A naturally contoured insole supplies you with absolute support at pivotal pressure points and impact regions like the heel and ball of the foot.
It can secure your workdays at the site with comfort and safety. This is made possible with a light EVA midsole, cement construction, and to finish it off is a waterproof, premium leather upper with extreme resistance to abrasion and also featuring an alloy safety-toe cap to give you that ultimate protection on the job.
PROS
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Sturdy
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Anti-Fatigue Technology
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Shock-resistant
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Great Support
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Pressure Relief
CONS
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Rubber Toe Peels Off
Irish Setter 83605 - Resists Water
Working in a high-heat worksite?
These shoes are for you. Irish Setter has coordinated outsoles that have been arranged and tested to execute its duty on high heat surfaces.
Soles tagged as HRO are heat-resistant to a melting point with a minimum temperature of up to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
It also packs in additional protection for electrical hazards, with a meticulously constructed sole and heel to reduce these types of dangers owing to the contact of the outsole with electrically energized areas, to impart a backup source of defense. Not only that, but they look good too.
With a Trout Brook leather handcrafted explicitly by the S.B. Foot Tanning Company, this Red Russet leather is crafted only for this brand. The leather naturally resists water, and its non-woven nylon lining delivers comfort. The Irish Setter has become one of the leading brands in terms of durability, comfort, and protection.
PROS
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Heat-resistant
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Electrical Hazard Protection
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Stylish
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Comfortable
CONS
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Not Waterproof
Caterpillar 2nd Shift - Strong Footing
Less is more.
And the Second Shift by Cat Footwear embodies that. This basic work boot is built for every situation imaginable. It has been considered a staple on numerous worksites around the world.
The Second Shift has a rugged full-grain leather upper accompanied by a trio of synthetic rubber outsoles, an extremely sturdy Goodyear welt construction, and a Climasphere sockliner that supplies you with strong footing at all times as it resists slips and falls.
If you want classic styling with robust detailing, then these boots are an easy choice. This simplistically styled Second Shift boots from Caterpillar is a work shoe that was made to last, capable of withstanding the harshest of environments. As the world's premier manufacturer of heavy equipment, the Cat brand is known around the world as an epitome of tough work, fortitude, and truthfulness, and these values are similarly handed down to its shoes.
PROS
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Sturdy
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Slip-resistant
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Classic Design
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Strong Footing
CONS
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Leather Chips Off
Skechers Verdict - Stitched Seams
Want to keep yourself cool and comfortable?
The Skechers Verdict may be the right boot for you. Equipped with 100% genuine, oiled smooth leather upper, it offers a waterproof feature so that you won't have to worry about getting wet. These stylish shoes, designed with a natural finish, go well with any garment.
With an accompanying rounded plain toe front, side reinforced stitched sealed seams, and 3/4 inch shock-absorbing midsole, this shoe will offer you ultimate protection for your feet to reduce fatigue and thus keep you on your daily grind.
The steel shank in the midsole also provides some additional support and prevents your feet from overturning, giving you that much-needed stability as you work. The padded collar and tongue, cushioned insole and smooth fabric shoe lining also mean you don't have to put to side your comfort for durability and protection.
PROS
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Stylish
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Comfortable
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Cool Ventilation
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Shock-absorbing
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Great Support
CONS
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Size Runs Small
How To Choose a Comfortable Work Boot for Aching Feet
Safety Toes
Steel Toes
These shoes are sturdy and come with protective features in the toe. A steel toe cap is reinforced into the toe box of the boot during construction to supply additional defense to your feet and legs. These shoes were specifically engineered to protect the foot from falling debris or hazardous obstacles ahead.
They are customarily accompanied by a midsole plate that wraps under the sole to make it resistant to punctures below. As such, steel toes boast one of the strongest and most compact properties since its main goal is to offer extraordinary protection.
Though a large bulk of the population may deem steel-toed boots as awkwardly solid, there are some work boots with steel toes that offer a decent amount of comfort. If you work in a risky work environment, steel toes are precisely designed to take in pressure so you can do your job without worries.
Composite Toes
Though quite similar to steel safety toes, composite toes provide you with benefits that cannot be found in steel toes. It also offers protection.
As the name suggests, composite toes are made of non-metallic materials such as Kevlar, plastic, fiberglass, carbon, rubbers, and other homologous elements.
So how does it differ with other safety toe shoes?
First, it weighs less than steel toes. Second, you can go into construction sites with electrical risk or in areas where metal detectors are placed. Lastly, they do not conduct heat or cold like other metallic materials, so it is more comfortable even in extreme temperatures.
Alloy Toes
Possibly one of the most widely accepted work boots is alloy toes because they are made from exceptionally lightweight substances. These materials can be a mixture of elements such as silicon, iron, chromium, magnesium, copper, zinc, and titanium.
A lot of people like alloy toes because they are lighter than most but without sacrificing durability. It is still as strong as steel. This type of toes can be thicker than other work boots, but it is a good alternative for people searching for a lighter choice of footwear, without unnecessary, excess weight. This is a great choice for people who want more flexibility and mobility while they work.
Soft Toes
Soft toes are universally known as non-protective toe shoes because they provide you with no defense, such as composite or fiberglass toe boots. But even without protection, they do offer the wearer with many benefits. This work boot is typically reserved for workers who go into construction sites without safety hazards or risks.
Some workers would rather wear a shoe that is lightweight and supplies them with high levels of comfort and mobility. That is not to say soft toes offer absolutely no protection at all. Some soft toe boots can handle electric substances and live wires. It is also slip-resistant and can dispel electrical bursts of energy.
So if you are the type of worker that is not in immediate danger of being punctured or getting crushed, these soft toe boots offer you with just the right amount of protection but with extraordinary comfort.
Right Sole and Heel
Puncture-Proof
This is one of the most crucial characteristics to consider when buying a work boot. In construction sites, hazards are present in almost every corner. Sharp objects like broken shards of glass, debris, and pointy nails can harm you and even put you out of work for a couple of days.
No matter what job you are putting yourself into, it is prudent that one wears a shoe that can withstand strong levels of penetration to protect the worker from being punctured or worse, impaled. To achieve this sort of feat, most work shoes are reinforced with steel, aluminum, or fiberglass midsoles to offer protection against such dangers.
Slip-Resistant
Some work areas are wet and slippery. And who wants to work in an environment that makes you worried about slipping and falling from time to time? This is why when choosing shoes, it is important that you consider work boots that provide you with remarkable traction and a slip-resistant sole.
These shoes are meant for workers who are specifically assigned to wet areas such as slip-prone warehouses with all the water puddles here and there and also those work in garages where oil puddles are common.
In more extreme scenarios, some slip-resistant work boots include soals that are acid-resistant so that workers do not slip and fall into extremely dangerous chemical spills.
Boot Construction
Being knowledgeable about boot construction can help you form an insight into what work shoes to choose among a wide variety of boots out in the market today. It can narrow your choices down and leave you with the shoes that are a perfect fit for your condition.
This is because the way shoes are designed and engineered will eventually determine the features that stand out or the characteristics that are most prioritized. And depending on your work environment, these features can help you select which shoes are the most befitting pair. How a work shoe is made will surely affect the durability, performance, mobility, and even weight of certain shoes.
There are two principal methods of boot construction:
a. Cement Construction
More widely known as direct attach, this type of construction includes attaching the upper part of the shoes to the sole with a notable type of shoe cement. This construction results in an extremely mobile and lightweight work boot that accords you with an exceptional degree of flexibility and comfort.
Cement-constructed boots also wrap around the natural contours of your feet more readily to supply you with immense absorptive capacities for shock and impact. Cement-constructed boots are also the cheapest of all the types of boot construction, but it does not mean that you would not give you a bang for your buck benefits.
b. Goodyear Welt Construction
This is probably one of the most common and also one of the most favored types of boot construction methods in the world. This is because Goodyear Welt construction, as the name suggests, involves the incorporation of a welt.
This welt can be made from a variety of materials like leather, plastic, or rubber. It is stitched to the upper part of the work shoes and the sole of the shoes. This strong and durable strip of materials serves as an unyielding anchor that holds the whole boots together.
After this, the welt is then encircled or wrapped by being cemented and stitched to the outsole of the shoe. The noteworthy advantage of this construction is that it offers high levels of durability. As a matter of fact, Goodyear welt construction is said to be unbreakable.
Shopper's Guide: Work Boot for Sore Feet
Comfort
Comfort is a necessary part of any type of work. This is to ensure lasting and efficient performance without stopping from time to time because of inconvenience or fatigue. Human feet and legs can only bear so much, so it is important to consider every part of its anatomy.
After all, the last thing any workers want while doing their job is pain and discomfort in our muscles and joints. Hard work is tiresome. And our feet are oftentimes the one being beaten at the end of a long, arduous day. So choosing a shoe that provides you with comfort while you grind should be an indispensable feature.
Fitting
A shoe should be a perfect fit, that goes without saying. A properly fitted shoe should be an important thing to consider because if it is too big, you will have a hard time moving about or keeping your balance.
On the other hand, if a shoe is too small that it does not leave your feet ample room to breathe will compromise mobility. Not only that, an ill-fitted shoe can give you a myriad of problems like calluses, blisters, and even ingrown toenails.
Most people make the common mistake of buying small work boots in the hopes that it will ultimately adapt to the desired fit once it has been stretched out. However, work boots are durable and have a specific, unyielding mold, so it is crucial that one pick the right size right away to get the most natural and comfortable fit.
Weight
Unnecessary weight is a hindrance to any type of work. Excess weight can contribute to fatigue and burnout. It can even slow you down. A lot of people tend to not pay proper attention to the weight of their work boots.
But weight plays such an essential role in our day-to-day work, especially if one is involved in jobs that require walking or moving long distances. Or if you carry your work shoes going to and from your areas of work.
These people should probably avoid heavier work boots like steel toes and opt for lighter alternatives like soft toes and alloy toes. It can make a huge difference in the comfort it brings and may aid you in lasting for long hours in your job.
Waterproof
Waterproof shoes are a must for people who work in wet environments or if your areas of work are rife with wet gravel, rubbles, puddles of mud, or even snow. Weather is also an important aspect.
Are you working in a place where it rains most of the time? A shoe that is resistant to water can help because it will not even permit a single drop of water inside the shoe so you can keep working undisturbed.
There is a wide array of waterproof shoes that differ in their design and construction. Still, they are similar in their ability to keep water out, so you do not have to soak your feet and expose them to symptoms like dryness, itchiness, or formation of blisters.
Insulation
Working in extreme environments, especially those that have scorching temperatures or wintry weathers, can make you feel more uncomfortable because it surely will spoil your work environment.
Since human feet are sensitive to these conditions, any change in temperatures can affect them. In such conditions, one ought to select a work boot that is very well insulated so that the temperature inside the shoe remains constant.
Cold or hot feet can hinder the way you work because the affected body part can not work effectively. So it is important to ensure that feet are well-insulated so as not to cause an immense inconvenience.
Breathability
The shoe has to be breathable to avoid your feet getting unbearably moist and warm. That way, the heat can easily be dispelled outside. Extremely high levels of temperature can make your feet sweat more and thus make you feel uncomfortable as your work.
The shoe needs to be breathable to avoid excessive sweating. Sweat could lead to a pungent foot odor or even infections. Ensure that work boots are breathable enough to allow a continuous flow air flow.
Electric Surge Protection
Some jobs have electrical hazards like handling or using electrical equipments. If you are an electrician or work in a similar field, then you have a higher probability of being electrocuted on the site.
This is why you must select a shoe that has protection against electrical surges with the proper hazard rating and reinforcements. These work boots should include non-conductive materials like work boots made of rubber or composite toe boots. These shoes contain non-metallic materials and cleverly constructed to ensure that no electricity can transmit through them.
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of pain in the heel. It is a type of inflammation that happens inside a wide band of tissue called plantar fascia that runs along the base of your feet and brings together your heel bone to your toes.
The usual symptoms of plantar fasciitis include a pricking or a thrusting discomfort that customarily happens when you take your first steps after waking up. But as you move continuously, the pain decreases in intensity but can recur after long periods of rest or sitting.
This type of illness is also common in runners. Additionally, it is also frequent in overweight or obese people and those who wear shoes that have insufficient support.
Treatments:
a. Stretching
Stretching and programs that focus on strengthening specific sets of muscles like the calf muscles or soleus muscle serve a crucial role in the treatment and management of plantar fasciitis.
These types of exercises can rectify certain risk factors like tightness and weakness of foot muscles. The elevating flexibility of our foot and leg muscles are particularly important and can also increase stability. Frequent examples of stretches include wall stretches or stair stretches.
b. Cold Compress
Ice is placed on the affected area by way of ice massage, an ice bath, or simply a regular ice pack. For ice massage, a paper or foam cup is frozen first, then the ice is put over the heel and massaged in a circular motion in just the right amount of pressure for approximately five to ten minutes.
An ice bath involves soaking the heels for ten to fifteen minutes in a basin or pan filled with ice and water. Lastly, ice packs are used for about ten to twenty minutes, and it should be wrapped in a piece of cloth or towel. Cold compresses are customarily done after a day's work.
c. Rest
You mustn't bear too much weight on your foot and legs as much as possible. So rest does not absolutely mean a complete bed rest but rather limiting daily movements or cutting down certain workloads that involved standing or walking for long periods. Resting your feet can help in rehabilitating the foot and relieving the inflammation.
d. Surgery
In cases where nonpharmacological management fails, a release of the thick band called the plantar fascia may be an alternative. This procedure is called plantar fasciotomy, and it can be done using either an open approach or a minimally invasive one. The success rate of this procedure is approximately 70 to 90 percent in patients suffering from plantar fasciitis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Also Non-Work Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis?
There are a number of orthotic shoes in the market today that cater not only to people with plantar fasciitis but also with a myriad of orthopedic problems as well.
Some shoes have a wider and suitably cushioned midsoles that are made up of a high-quality and high-density material like ethylene vinyl acetate. This is also the kind that found in running shoes that may aid in decreasing pains frequently resulting from lengthy periods of walking and standing.
Several arch supports, as well as orthotics, can also be used as mechanical corrections to provide transient support in the arch of the foot.
What Is The Importance of Good Work Boots For Company Staff?
Having a good work boot is important for any staff worker because it can help you protect your feet and by extension, your general health, and well-being.
The additional cost may be high for some people, but it is worth it when you think about all the possible hazards or dangers you might come across if you wear footwear that offers no protection or stability at all.
Are There Brands For Women?
Much like their male counterparts, brands for women's work boots are wide and diverse. They also offer the same design principles as protection, comfort, durability, and flexibility as the brands intended for men. Most brands of work boots offer shoes for both men and women like Timberland, Keen, Caterpillar, and many more.
Can I Work All Day If I Have It?
Again, if you are suffering from plantar fasciitis, it is best to rest your feet for a while. This is not to say that you should completely put off working or stay in bed all day but instead involves limiting your movement and putting off the weigh-in your feet as often as possible. Rest is an important part of any type of rehabilitation.
Conclusion
To summarize it all up, the treatment of plantar fasciitis involves rectifying training mistakes. This commonly requires an ample amount of rest, the use of icing techniques after a day of work, and a thorough assessment of a person's work shoes or boots and of course, the type of activities he or she is usually involved with.
Then, the rehabilitation of the foot begins with correcting mechanical aspects like strengthening and stretching of the foot and leg muscles to improve stability and mobility. Night splints and orthotic devices might help in providing mechanical support.
Exhausting all these nonpharmacological treatments is a necessary first step before moving onto more invasive ones. Most importantly, prevention is key. Protecting your feet by wearing proper footwear is sure to prevent you from spending future costs of treatment.