Why do Iron Workers Wear Wedge Sole Boots? 

We wear them so if we hang out heel over the edge of a beam we don’t fall that half inch that a normal sole has. It’s called a half inch heart attack.

Rodbusters wear them so our heel doesn’t catch while walking on rebar.

Lol as an ironworker myself, we will all tell you it's nothing to do with comfort, though it does help with lower back pain, it's because it's the safer choice on steel. Heels are a tripping hazard bud

They wear them so the boot heel doesn’t trip them on rebar or on a beam 100 story’s up.

in canada they are forced to wear them in the iron industry because heels are a tripping hazard.

I’m a nurse but I wear thorogoods, I’ve tried for years probably 6 different shoes I’ve seen other nurses wear but every one of them caused lower back or foot pain. My thorogoods really help because I feel like all parts of my foot are in constant contact with the floor, with the running shoes my feet are constantly rolling laterally

I’ve always found them to be slick as heck on icy or snowy conditions.

I was born into a concrete construction company and work doing a lil brick and stone. I gotta say that I prefer that flat wedge sole. I grew up as a skater kid and always wear flat sole skate shoes. If I were a logger, maybe I would choose a heeled boot. I spend at least 8 hours working with little breaks. Good boots are an investment in your posture!

Liquid Nails subfloor adhesive used to work great for reinforcing areas of wear on those soles. It blended in with the color and wore like iron.

I feel like someone needs to educate people on what ironworker walk on. If you can guess it we walk on the iron at least 75% of our time in our boots, not concrete.

Frequently not permitted once the place is built for other workers (operators, etc.) as heels are preferred for vertical caged ladder climbing in a finished facility.

I was i rigger and i asked an iron worker about them he said its because when you walk on i beams you dint want to catch a heel on anything and trip. Made perect sense to me.

Yeah I wore them so my heel wouldn’t get caught on a bar joist or raises beam I was walking across. Also I always wore Red Wing Pecos with a wedge sole because the Moc toe would catch any red hot steel that I was cutting or welding and it would burn out the stitching in the moc toe… I have a video on my channel of me walking iron and climbing a column with the Red Wing Pecos I have mentioned here. Still have em :)

Worn red wing loggers everyday since i got out of army in 93 ,Redwings are by far the best boots ever in my opinion. Just my opinion.

It’s so you don’t catch your heel on rebar, My father was a Rodbuster for 23 years, Learned a lot from him.

You forgot the most important reason for an Iron Worker. If you are walking a beam you do not want a heel that could induce what my father called the “heart attack slip”.

I prefer wedge boots because as a truck driver in construction, I don’t want my boots holding and carrying mud and dirt into the truck I drive. Construction sites tend to me mostly dirt and when it rains you get mud that will cake on your boots in a heartbeat and wedge soles are the easiest to keep from carrying the mud into the truck.

I’ve had my moc red wings for 4 years had them re-souled this year been the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever had I wear them everyday everywhere

You forgot the number one reason not having a heal on the boot stops it from catching the top flange and throwing you in the hole..union Ironworker 25yrs

I’m glad I switched to Nike Manoa. 2 pairs a year, cheaper, lighter, arguably comfier than a thorogood. I am a landscapers so it’s just majority walking on random terrains. I used to use caterpillars, red wings, timberlands, Ariats, wolverines, thorogood, and Irish setters. It wasn’t until one day randomly scrolling though the Nike app, I found those Manoas. On sale for $70 at the time I bought 2 pairs incase I liked them. Ended up being the best choice in a long time. Wider toe box so my toes can spread better (more natural feeling), sole has a cleat like design making them perfect for grass, rocky, mulchy terrains. The only set back is no steel toe, and they are slippery on wet lacquered concrete.

I wear them bc my foreman told me to

Very comfortable boot, possibly the most comfortable. The moc-toe makes a nice shelf for weld spatter and lack of a heel is not kosher in the shipyard. That said people do still wear them

I love mine. They dont track mud as bad as my lug sole boots.

love them versatile anywhere. from dirt to rebar patch, to power troweled floors. Only time they suck is on wet slimy wood and mud, no heel so you just slide everywhere😆

I have a pair of Keen wedge sole boots that I wear everyday on the job as a machinist and they’re fantastic! Best design for what I do day in and day out!

Pronounced heel for life. Had wedge soles slide across steps and land me on my tail bone too many times.

No heel means you can't hook on to the edge something like a ladder rung, not safe in my opinion.

You forgot the part about no separate heel... the wedge actually will reduce tripping that is associated with heeled shoes.

Welp, I'm off to get a pair of wedge sole boots now 🤠

Those are amazing boots I wore a pair back in the late nineties and fell in love. Too expensive for me now though lol!

Thorogoods are legit working boots

My dad always talked about wearing wedge sole boots for working, there was period they became hard to get where i live, i started working wearing cowboy boots and other lace up, switched to wedges and will never go back. The hawks were great for awhile but the sole was to soft got alot of chips and shaving stuck in them, currently wearing ever boots and there sole is the best

Interesting that that they show him walking near railroad tracks when railroad workers are required to have a minimum of a 1/4" heel on their boots to keep from slipping off railcar sill steps.

Some jobsites require notched heel boots. I prefer wedge soles but I have a pair that are hard toe notched heel because it is a requirement at refineries. Thorogood boots are all I wear.

I wear the 1957 Thorogood with the heel because the sole is a little tougher and if I’m asked to climb a wood pole at work I can. Out of my four sets of work boots they are easily my favorites and Im about to grab another set for the rotation!

Pipefitters wear them for comfort. Thorogoods are by far the best I've ever worn.

I am a CNC machinist and metal fabricator and just bought a pair of Redwing wedge souls. I love them.

Sir this short video here convinced me to switch my footwear to a pair of these diplomats from Thursday Boots, I've been having problems with me and lower back pain and I think it's because of my poor footwear. I just ordered a pair of brown standard captains, and this week I will also be ordering a pair of diplomats 👌🏼 thank you!

We also wear them to not catch that stupid heel on the edges of steel. And when you're walking a beam, if you had a heel, it could fall off the edge of the beam and lose your balance

This was confusing as in Australia an Iron worker works in a foundry and wears high temperature nitrile sole boots. Structure steel here is done by steel fixers.

Just bought a pair of Brunt Marins last week. I have to say they are very good for standing on concrete all day!

My dad wore those paving because they were easier to clean asplaht/pavement off with the flat bottom

I own both prefer thorogoods for work theyre the best work boot

Also walking across the rebar if you had Heel boot right in front of it is where the rebar wood or a ladder rung would be with that wedge got a lot more cushion there

I have very low arches and the thorogoods are a godsend.

Dad wore them in his 46 years as a Union Mason. BAC Local 35 and 5 in NJ.

Really thankful for this video!

Typically moc toe boots have a bigger toe box which makes them more comfortable.

The refineries have banned the wedge soles claiming all the opposite you just stated. They need to see this video.

As someone who normally wears heeled logger boots for hiking on railroad ballast and has had the displeasure of wearing those boots on a few concrete pours, you wear flat soles in those environments so your heel doesn't catch on anything and trip you.

They are for flat feet not for people with high arch, that’s why I went with loggers

Them redwings my favorite boots of all time

Honestly I’ve had better luck with a logger heel on concrete. At least my back feels but you do notice more of an impact so there is trade offs

I also like the soft cushion the wedge soles tend to give

Plus the lack of a heel stack on the sole means it won’t catch on the edge of steel when walking beams

Flaggers and riggers and signalers wear them too. Local 737.

More surface area does not mean better slip resistance. Friction force is agnostic to surface area. Slip resistance is reliant on material properties. If you take 1 square inch of rubber and apply 20lbs to it it's breakout force is identical to 4 square inches with 20lbs applied.

I got some Irish setters mock toe wedge recently and I’m a big fan

Keen makes a Wellington style cowboy boot with a wedge sole. By far my favorite as a concrete guy/excavator/pipelayer/roofer and they've held up really well. Cant wait to buy another pair!

That slip resistance and cushioning from hard surfaces sounds like it would be great in restaurants, too.

I’ve been a UPS driver for awhile now. The only boot I use is the Thorogood Moc. I put on anywhere between 20k-30k steps a day in these and only have had to resole once. Leather is conditioned about 2-3 times a year, depending on the salt buildup in the winter. If these can stand up, outdoors, all day everyday in the winters and summers of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, they can probably last through anything!

Also if u are a plumber, and doing underground work, it can help fine tune the leveling of a ditch.

They break in so much better they’re lighter and more comfortable. I loved my thoroughgoods

I love Carolina boots amd have owned several different pairs. I bought the loggers as my last boot because I needed a boot to use with gaffs. I like the loggers as they truly are waterproof but the loggers hurt my feet during a 10-hour work day. Getting used to the ‘high heel shoe’ feeling took several months but the lingering foot numbness persists. I think I will try the wedge style next. Thanks for this quick vid.

Being a delivery driver for one of the big soda companies, the grip was a huge deal on a lift gate in the rain.

Apparently this man have never had a heel slip or a heel catch while walking a beam

Also can't be worn on any industrial site. When ironworkers still climbed steel, they all had boots with heels because they rode columns like firepoles, you hook your heels onto the back flange of the beam to climb or slide. Flat soles are a safety issue on ladders because they allow your foot to slip through. They just became a fad relatively recently with cork sniffing ironheads and boileys.In the 80's nobody wore flat soles.

I went in to buy boots at a small shop. My 8” moc toe thorogoods are wedge, the man who owned the shop told me to get them simply because everyone liked them better than the heeled one, and he had regulars come by before and switch to wedge and never go back.

Seem pretty nice. All my co workers in the elevator union used to make fun of me for wearing the cheapest boots from walmart. Sole was super hard so they'd last a awhile walking on concrete.

Been wearing throrogoods for years but going to try out some jks this year still got a pair of throrogoods as dress boots tho

I like that suede and black trim version you held up in the start of the video. Can you let me know the exact model so i can find them please? Thanks!

I started wearing wedge soles about a year ago. They felt strange at first but are actually very nice on hard flat surfaces. I'd like some Redwings but they're too expensive. I'm currently wearing Wolverine Hellcats.

I always look for a strong shank to protect my arch and knees. I never considered the wedge. I will now.

Love my web sole mock toe thoroughgoods. Made in the USA by Union seamstresses.

Timberland grid works wearer here! Best boot I’ve ever worn.

Big facts right here I switched to wedge soul boots three years ago, and the comfort is undeniable. What I also like is the soul itself is a little bit wider than the boot helping with balance and not rolling your ankles especially if you’re rolling itch out walking on 3in of purlin. vinyl will catch u tho lolllll

Great advice!

And while they don’t do as much today it allows them to CLIMB the I-beams….. it’s fuq’ing wild to see em do it and they still teach in school

You wear them to not catch on the beams, but sadly the vast majority of refineries and construction companies have banned them due to people blaming ladder falls on the lack of heel. Yet I've never seen someone lock the heel into a ladder. Most people climb ladders on the balls of their feet not the arch

Flat soled boots are banned in some refineries and chemical plants.

My iron worker buddies said the heels and boots with lugs will get hung up on things and make you trip.

Worked one day busting rods in Danners and felt like my feet were gonna shatter. Worked one day in Red Wing classic mocs and could’ve gone on a hike after work haha

I’ve been working on job sites and production environments most of my adult career. Never owned a pair of wedge soles, never knew there were benefits. But I don’t hang iron or do cement work. I’ve been wearing Doc Martin air walkers for like 8 years. I suppose I can give this style a try.

🫵🏼Forgot to mention Danner Bull Run wedge sole moc or plain toe resoleable, top that with made in USA!!👍🏼

I remember wearing Polo boots all throughout the early 2000's. Such a classic.

Keen got the fort wayne wich is like this except there is rubber over the toe. Keen is ahead of the game. Im a believer.

#3. That is why Red Wings are "the cure for 5 o'clock feet." I have been wearing them since the 1950s.

Thoroughgood 8inch combat toe. An Apocalypse grade boot

I wear flat bottom work shoes so I can hold down the brake locks on the brake pedals on my drag line cranes..

I’m a welder and prefer wedge soul boots, I’ve been really pleased with Thorogoods strong, durable, comfortable and made in the USA 🇺🇸

Maintenance worker in a factory and I love my Irish setter wedge soles

I went in to buy boots at a small shop. My 8” moc toe thorogoods are wedge, the man who owned the shop told me to get them simply because everyone liked them better than the heeled one, and he had regulars come by before and switch to wedge and never go back. M

I'm a pipefitter and wear them because they don't hurt my back and they do have better traction on slippery surfaces like wet pipe or concrete

as a concrete finisher we preferer this boot for the same reasons plus the bottom is a wavy pattern so allows us to walk on simi wet concrete and trial it off easy er

i used to get carolina or wolverine wedge soles

I personally wear cowboy style work boots, but alot of guys I work with wear these. I'm goinna have to try a pair now to see if there's a differnence in preformancce, never had any back problems but I want to see for myself.

I like the wedge sole a lot for working on ladders.

Wedge-sole boats are the predominant style in virtually all commercial construction trades.

Not sure that you got it right on this one regarding iron workers but that are indeed comfortable. Slip resistant? My personal experience says not so much with the crepe sole and minimal tread.

It's also so a heal doesn't catch on stuff