Who is better? Steel toe safety shoes or composite toe safety shoes?

Who is better? Steel toe safety shoes or composite toe safety shoes?

    As we all know, safety shoes need to have a protective safety toe cap in front. The toe cap is to prevent feet injury from falling objects, such as falling bricks, working tools, drop hammers etc. Many workers will ask, when buy safety shoes, should I choose steel toe safety shoes or composite toe safety shoes?

    Now, let’s compare all these materials of toe cap. We find the popular toe caps from the market: steel toe, composite toe, aluminum toe and carbon toe. Let’s analyze the advantages and disadvantages of these 4 material toes.

1. Weight: The aluminum toe is lightest, and steel toe is more heavy than 3 others.

Aluminum toe > Carbon toe > Composite toe > steel toe

2. Comfort: Consider from the thickness of 4 toe cap, steel toe is more thin and offer more gap for the wearer’s feet.

Steel toe > Aluminum toe > Carbon toe > Composite toe

3.Quality: Consider from time durability, both composite toe and carbon toe will never rust. However,  Aluminum toe and steel toe will cause rust after long time use even though producer make special treatment.

Carbon toe= Composite toe > Steel toe = Aluminum toe

4.Protection: All 4 materials will pass same test under EN ISO 20345:2011 or ASTM, that is to say 200 joules from falling objects. There is no difference based on same quality standard.

Steel toe =Aluminum toe =Carbon toe = Composite toe

5. Metal free for Magnetic resistance or security check. These are some workplaces need to be  magnetic resistance, esp for those high-voltage electric workers. There are also some workplaces need to be security check, esp for airport, train station etc. Then we have to choose metal free safety shoes.

Carbon toe = Composite toe> Steel toe =Aluminum toe

6. Cost, surely we must consider the cost. We compare all 4 materials price:

Steel toe >Composite toe> Aluminum toe > Carbon toe

    To summarize all above, we can make one table together.

    Now we can see clearly, if you have special requirements for magnetic resistance or metal free, we recommend you to buy composite toe safety shoes. If you want better price, steel toe safety shoes is the best choice. Now Safetoe safety shoes mainly use these two kinds of toe caps, steel toe and composite toe.