What you need to look for

Think about it. The average driller spends anywhere from 10-12 hours standing on all types of unforgiving surfaces. Concrete, dirt, asphalt, mud and in the summer months, the ground temperatures beneath your feet can get unbearable. Also with all that standing, you need a boot with a wide toe box, so you can maneuver freely and preferably with a steel toe. 

With that said, you want to look for boots that are ASTM certified, which means they’ve been put through the test of the American Society for Testing and Materials, who inspect everything from waterproofing to slip resistance, to whether or not your boots keep you grounded when it comes to electrical hazards.

With all of those requirements, we found boots that were in the range of $140 to $220, some that offer warranties on certain components. Here’s our top three from the seven we inspected at Dick’s Sporting Goods. 

Photo: Carhartt

Top pick: Carhartt Ground Force 8” Composite Toe Boots

$187.99 to $209.99

Pro: We don’t need to tell you that the Carhartt brand speaks for itself but what we liked the most about these was how high the neck of the book comes up to support the ankle. Also, when they say waterproof for these boots they mean it, however it didn’t feel like your foot was in a pressure chamber, offering a fairly decent amount of breathability. Also, according to Carhartt, this has an incidental contact protection in the case of electrical wiring of up to 18,000 volts. 

Con: One would think that with all of the specifications of this particular boot, Carhartt would offer more than a one-year limited manufacturer warranty on the product. Still, if that’s the only downside, this is in our opinion a great boot, that’s comfortable and should last the test of time.

Photo: Wolverine

Great boot, affordable price: Wolverine Chisel Waterproof Steel Toe Boots

$144.99

Pro: When it comes to boots, Wolverine in our opinion has always been a brand that relied more on function than fashion. We can appreciate that and this one is great in terms of being comfortable while still being protected by that steel toe front. What’s great about these too, is that even with all of that protection, these were one of the lighter boots we examined, which is nice to know that even with this price you’re not getting stuck with wearing cinder blocks on your feet all day.

Con: We did notice that particularly around the Achilles area there wasn’t a great deal of give and there’s no way of knowing if that will dissipate once they’re broken in. Still, we likened it to being a new boot, of which very few tried and true work boots don’t start out immensely stiff. 

Photo: Danner

Tried and True: Danner Steel Yard Waterproof Steel Toe Work Boots

$189.99

Pro: One of the most comfortable boots out there and is not just us saying that as there are a number of other reviews that speak to the same thing. They don’t take long to break in and once they do, people have noted they offer an immense amount of comfort and lost lasting durability for the price. Also, they aren’t as heavy as your typical work boot, but still over a steel toe and thick outer sole.

Cons: This boot is very stiff at first and takes an initial getting used to. However, there are methods to speed up the breaking in process of most boots, that we’ve found online. Of course nothing breaks in a good boot faster than putting it to the test and if you can withstand the initial stiffness, then the Danner Steel Yard is a clutch choice.