Can steel toe boots cause foot problems ?
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Steel toe boots offer the ultimate foot protection. Therefore, many people buy them with the faith that they have no side effects.
And true to those sentiments, you might not suffer foot pain wearing safety boots. But (Yes, there is a but), if you do not fit your steel toed boots correctly, they could cause you endless foot issues.
In any case, everything has its flip side.
Steel toe boot injuries are common. In fact, any pair of work boots can cause foot problems if it is not fitting.
Therefore, it is not really about steel toed boots being bad for the feet. It is about not choosing or fitting your work place safety shoes in the proper way.
Keep reading so we can see the main issues that you can expect from these boots.
Common foot problems from steel toe shoes
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If you have to wear safety boots in your day to day work, you will probably have experienced some of the problems that we are going to discuss here.
Steel toe boots are heavy and therefore, if you spend too many hours on your feet, they will take their toll on you.
So, what are the most common foot problems caused by steel toe boots?
Steel toe boots hurt my big toe
Believe it or not, this is one of the most common complaints that we get from people who wear these boots.
The big toe is big, so it protrudes out. Therefore, if your boots do not fit and you happen to go downhill, the foot slides forward and the big toe hits against the steel.
While steel toed shoes cannot be too fitting, they should also not be too big to allow the foot to slide forward.
You should make a habit of trimming your toenails. If you do not, the protruding nail of your big toe will keep hitting against the toecap. That can cause excruciating pain.
In fact, hikers are advised to keep their toenails short, rounded and filed to prevent them getting into contact with the shoes.
The Steel cuts into your foot
This is not a very common problem but it can happen to you if you do not wear the right size of your boots. When steel toed shoes are too fitting, they may not give your foot the space to bend in the right places.
When walking, your foot must be flexible enough. Of course, shoes themselves are designed to allow the foot to flex without problems.
If the shoes fit too tightly, when you move, the steel will start getting n touch with the foot, right where the foot bends.
This can cause chaffing and hurt you in the long run. If you keep wearing such shoes, they do not become better with time. They keep on hurting your feet.
In fact, some people have had their feet hurt so much such that they had to miss work a few days. In some serious cases, you may even find it hard to stand as your feet develop sores where the metal eats into the skin.
The solution: A steel toed boot can be hard to break in. Therefore, if it fits too narrowly or small, just return it in exchange for a bigger size.
Heavy steel toe boots cause soreness
Are steel toe boots bad for your feet and can they cause soreness? The answer is yes, they can.
You see, work boots are generally heavier than regular shoes. However, when you add the steel toe, the heavy leather and soles that most steel-toed boots come with, the weight increases some more.
When your feet have to carry all that weight day in day out, when you stand many hours a day, your feet will swell. We know that feet expand in the afternoon because of gravity-influenced blood flow. Now, with the heavier weight of your boots, your feet swell much more.
The solution: If the weighty shoes make your feet swell, the saving grace is that when your feet become used to the weight, they will stop swelling. In addition, you can find out some exercises that you can do to make your feet strong enough for the weight.
Blisters on feet from work boots
This problem comes from wearing steel toe boots everyday, especially if they are too loose.
Blisters mainly form when your feet keep moving inside the shoes. This causes friction and because your skin is softer, it starts suffering. It can get injured to a point of bleeding or it can cause painful blisters that could keep you off your feet for days.
The good thing is that steel boots that are too loose are easy to fix. You can start by adding an insert to reduce the volume of the boots. You can also try wearing thick socks with the boots so that you fill up the space.
The main idea is to prevent the skin coming into contact with the hard parts of the shoes because that can cause serious chaffing, injuries and blisters.
Some of the areas that commonly sustain blisters are the heel area, the ball of foot area and sometimes even the edges of your feet. If the shoes are rubbing, there will be blisters and pain.
When the boots lack arch support
Steel toe boot manufacturers can concentrate too much on the safety features such that they forget the support features.
Arch support is one of the biggest support features. Therefore, a pair of boots that is too heavy and does not offer good arch support will be detrimental for your feet.
You can imagine the punishment that such boots can subject you to if you have flat feet. The best solution in such a case would be to buy custom inserts made for people with flat feet.
Wrapping Up
Can steel to boots cause foot problems and if yes, what can you do about it? the first thing is to know how to fit steel toe boots and learning how to stop steel toe boots rubbing top of foot can help a great deal. Steel toe boots rubbing can cause serious blisters and render you immobile for sometime.
Lastly, break in your work boots before wearing them.