2021 test12 productsWorkwear & Safety Gear
Which Work Boots Brand Wins?
We compared 12 work boots options head to head. Skechers came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Skechers
Price shown in test: $51
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Runner-up
Keen
Price shown in test: $225, the most expensive boot tested
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Budget pick
Skechers
Price shown in test: $51
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Weight | Dry Traction | Oily Traction | Sole Puncture Resistance | Top Puncture Resistance | Electrical Protection | Heat Resistance | Toe Crush Resistance | Falling Object Toe Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Skechers$51 | 4 lb 0.4 oz (1,828 g) | 100 lb, second best of all brands tested | 21 lb | steel plate in sole, nail could not puncture at 604 lb | 95 lb | 7,300 V average, tied for best at that point in the video | no visible damage | withstood 5,000 lb with a small amount of bending, steel toe about 12 percent thicker than Timberland's | toe plate compressed quite a bit but no harm to the carrot |
| 2Keen$225, the most expensive boot tested | 5 lb 6.5 oz (2,453 g), the heaviest boot tested | 106 lb, best of all brands tested | 30 lb, third best | nail could not puncture at 660 lb, best of all brands tested | 151 lb, best of all brands tested | 7,400 V average, best of all brands tested (least voltage drop) | held up very well, no visible damage | easily made the 5,000 lb mark with plenty of space remaining, best of all brands tested | very little toe compression, no damage to the carrot, best of all brands tested |
| 3Timberland$140 | 3 lb 10.8 oz (1,667 g) | 84 lb | 54 lb, by far the best oily traction of all brands tested | 298 lb | 92 lb | 7,250 V average | did not hold up well, notable heat damage (one of only three brands, with Condor and Buffalo, to take significant damage) | passed the 2,500 lb standard but maxed out around 3,000 lb | absorbed the impact well but experienced quite a bit of compression |
| 4Carhartt$130 | 4 lb 3.3 oz (1,909 g) | 91 lb, third best dry traction | 26 lb, tied third best with Caterpillar | 132 lb | 108 lb | 7,200 V average, tied with OUXX | small amount of smoke, no visible damage | composite toe, made it to 4,700 lb before less than half inch clearance remained, only small damage | toe plate compressed a little, no harm to the carrot, described as very good protection |
| 5Dickies Prowler$50 | 4 lb 2.4 oz (1,885 g) | 92 lb | 27 lb | 102 lb, notably weaker than Condor's 237 lb despite Condor being cheaper | 134 lb, second best of all brands tested | 6,900 V average, nearly the same as Condor | no visible damage | withstood 5,000 lb, steel toe bent a little but held up well | toe cap maintained its shape, did a far better job than Condor |
| 6Irish Setter$140 | 3 lb 12.3 oz (1,711 g) | 93 lb, second best dry traction | 25 lb | 192 lb | 133 lb, third best, one pound less than the leader | 7,100 V average | began to melt, failed the heat test (rated resistant to melting at a minimum of 475 F but underperformed in this test) | uses an aluminum toe instead of steel; passed the 2,500 lb standard but bent noticeably more than the steel-toe brands under 5,000 lb | did a great job absorbing the impact and protecting the carrot |
| 7Wolverine$141 | 3 lb 12.1 oz (1,704 g) | 67 lb, tied with the Indestructible Shoe for the weakest dry traction among the real work boots | 36 lb, second best oily traction | 210 lb, better than average | 100 lb | 7,200 V average | very small amount of damage | composite toe, met the 2,500 lb standard but maxed out at 3,500 lb and did not hold up as well as the steel-toe brands | adequate protection but not as good as several other brands |
| 8Caterpillar$71 | 3 lb 15.4 oz (1,798 g) | 81 lb | 26 lb, tied third best with Carhartt | 131 lb, nail punctured easily | 77 lb, nail made easy work of it | 7,300 V average, tied for best at that point in the video | no visible damage | passed the 2,500 lb standard but did not hold up as well as Dickies under greater load | toe plate compressed quite a bit, no harm to the carrot |
| 9OUXX$84 | 3 lb 7.5 oz (1,578 g) | 87 lb | 18 lb | protective liner, nail could not fully puncture at 480 lb | 109 lb, second best at that point in the video | 7,200 V average, tied with Carhartt | no visible damage | passed the 2,500 lb standard with additional padding at the bottom of the shoe | described as adequate toe protection, though Dickies, Caterpillar, and Skechers were called a little better; no carrot damage explicitly stated |
| 10Condor$30, the least expensive boot tested | 3 lb 15.3 oz (1,794 g) | 61 lb, weakest dry traction of the real work boots | 28 lb | 237 lb | 100 lb, tied with Wolverine | 6,900 V average | outsole began melting almost immediately, one of the worst performers in this test | steel toe held its shape at around 4,000 lb, more than a half inch clearance | toe cap flattened and the sole protruded upward, but no harm to the carrot |
| 11Indestructible Shoe$60 | 2 lb 11.1 oz (1,224 g) | 67 lb, tied with Wolverine for weakest among real work boots | 17 lb, weakest oily traction of the real work boots | thin metal lining, nail punctured at 291 lb | 49 lb, weak | 7,350 V average, second best of all brands tested | small amount of smoke, no visible damage | the only boot with toe protection that did not meet the 2,500 lb testing standard; composite toe material did not hold up | provided better protection than the Buffalo control shoe, but the carrot experienced multiple fractures |
| 12Buffalo$21 | 1 lb 1.3 oz (492 g), by far the lightest of anything tested | 72 lb | 25 lb | 48 lb, very weak | 29 lb, weakest of all | 7,000 V average, weakest electrical protection of all | quite a bit of melting, one of the worst performers | not applicable, no steel toe | catastrophic failure, the test carrot fractured into pieces on impact |
How it was tested
- dry traction (pull force to slip on clean concrete)
- oily traction (pull force to slip on concrete coated in 10W-30 motor oil)
- sole puncture resistance (16-penny nail through the outsole)
- top-of-foot puncture resistance (16-penny nail through the top, behind the steel toe)
- electrical hazard protection (voltage drop from an 8,500 V electric fence charger)
- heat exposure resistance (500 F for 1 minute)
- toe crush resistance (downward force until less than half inch of toe clearance remains)
- falling object toe protection (75 lb weight dropped onto a carrot placed in the toe)
- subjective overall comfort
“The Keen did a very good job, but $225 is a lot of money to spend on a pair of boots. So, if you're looking for a great value, the Skechers is going to be very hard to beat. In my opinion, the Skechers outperformed many of the more expensive brands for a fraction of the price.”