Food Service

most steel toe work boots if not all have a non slip sole/surface. don't get the cheapy walmart ones, i have redwings and those things will probably outlive me (literally survived a wildfire, the boots that is)

if youre still not sure make sure theyre ANSI rated

 

I second the red wings. Best boots you will ever buy. I got 3 pairs my last pair I wore every day doing mostly ltl work they weren't steel toe but they lasted 5 years I had them resoled once. I just recently bought a pair of there steel toes it's there brand but they're called worx they are like hiking boots and are as comfortable as sneakers I love them. I just put them on when I go to make a delivery and when I'm done put my black sneakers back on. Red wings will put you on a machine that will fit you properly it's well worth it.

 

and they give you free replacement laces for life. i have lineman boots from them (metal shank insole) sounds painful but i can wear them all day with comfort

 

That's right the laces and they will retreat them for you. They call that a tuneup drop em off and pick them back up. I think it's there polishing or something. They look brand new when you get them back. When you get them resoled they send them back to the factory but only certain ones they can do that on. They will tell you which ones. It's basically the ones with the stitching around them.

 

I wore shoes when i was doing food service only because they were the only things i could find to grip the dang ramp. all the boots i tried i slipped and the running shoes i had were the only ones that worked

 

I've got Redwings as well. I've worn and worn out many brands and styles of boots these are far and away the best. they take awhile to break in, but once they get comfortable.....perfect. worth the extra coin.

 

Just make sure they are made in the USA. Redwings are, many Justins and others are made in China! I draw the line at Chinese made work boots.

 

I run up and down the ramp for US Foods, and definetly second the Red Wing MADE IN THE USA steel toe boots. Make sure and get backup laces, as the laces will wear out about twice a year, but you get free laces for the life of the boot at a red wing store.

And don't bother with the Red Wing boot oil, i have some, its ok, but its something you end up having to do once a month if you live in a snowy/wet area. Go to an independant boot store and pick up a product called Sno Seal. its basically a beeswax mixture that you apply thick, with heat. let the leather soak up as much as possible, and then you will have a totally moisture tolerant boot.

Make sure that you use the foot tray that they use to measure your foot, as the salesman told me that workboots always run a little narrow. right now i'm in a wide sized boot, and it fits much better than my previous set of Carolina's, which are all blown out and stretched because they are too narrow.

Don't get a "comfort" styled sole either, I tried those out on the carolina's, and the rubber is too soft, it will wear to quick, and by the middle of the day, you feel like you are wearing a sponge for a boot. Not enough support. Good old basic hard rubber soles that are oil and slip resistant are best. Go for a milder tread, as you want as much rubber on the ramp as possible to grip the teeth, you don't need logger tread to dig into mud.