Riding with Steel Toe Boots?

[MidLife]

Any objections against riding with steel toe boots?

I have a pair of waterproof workboots that turns out to be very comfortable for riding and am wondering if there are any drawbacks to the steel toes?

Thanks for your advice.

[sherob]

I've read mixed feelings about them. Getting the toes crushed under the steel and not being able to get them off... but they offer better toe protection too :rolleyes:

[sparkinator]

It takes more force to crush the steel toe than it does to crush your toes.
The only riding boots I have are steel toe. They have got to have a little more protection in the toe area than without. I think on a bike though, there are other areas of the foot that are in need of protection more so than your toes. They aren't as warm as others, but the company I work for buys me a new pair every year, so I wind up with a pair of motorcycle boots every other year.

[Medicine Bear]

Didn't Mythbusters do a show on steel toe boots? I seem to remember that they came to the same conclusion that Sparkinator did.

Fred :03biker:

[MidLife]

Thanks for the replies. I'll keep on riding with mine!

[BC Rider]

Agreed that the only real problem with steel toes is the cold weather factor. In my experience though, the type of cold where steel toes kick in are 10 or more degrees below freezing where you would not want to be riding much.

I've never heard of a documented safety problem (trapping toes etc) with steel toed safety boots. The trapped toe myth is just an excuse to try avoiding them in the workplace.

I spent a lot of years on dirt bikes using these types of boots. The pain they saved me from rocks is immesurable. They took some pretty hard hits and never caused any problems.

[forgitaboutut]

Any objections against riding with steel toe boots?

I have a pair of waterproof workboots that turns out to be very comfortable for riding and am wondering if there are any drawbacks to the steel toes?

Thanks for your advice.

That's ALL I ride with...
I laid my 650 nighthawk down many years ago on a slippery turn...
the leather was scraped down to the steel toe...didnt hurt a thing!:)

[Gonzo]

I ride with steel-toe work boots. Never had a problem. I believe I read a post once about how they will rip your toes off in a crash. I consider it just a myth, because I never read about an actual incident where this happened.

gonzo

[dteel]

I think one other thing that may be a concern, some steel toed boots are a bit thicker in the toe area. I've had some riding buddies complain that it made it difficult to get their toes under the shifter. That's the only complaint that I've heard (other than complaining about the cold).

[blatherskyte]

I've got a pair of steel-toe Doc Martens that I ride with and love the extra protection. Most of the other comments about weather/water are correct though. They don't stay warm enough.

my 2¢,

[Del]

Up until very recently I wore steel toe exclusively. About 20 years ago my front tire threw up what I think was a piece leaf suspension that due to its rounded shape whacked my left foot toe area very hard, to the tune of a huge dent in my stee toe. Today I have a few pairs of Timberland Pro's, 6" & 8" with steel toes. One of my favorite pieces of footwear that I ware daily and find very comfortable are the Tim Pro series with titanium toe. They are very light, good protection and I also can walk miles in them with the gel inserts I added. As a bonus they are great summer riding boots since they flow a lot more air than the steel toe, so much more air that I do not ride in them much below 50F.

[Caper]

All my steel toe boots are lace up boots, and I almost dropped my 1200 Bandit on my leg when my lace caught around the footpeg. I won't wear lace up boots on a motorcycle anymore. I also find the steel toe tends to get cold.