An Ariat Safety Toe Boot Checklist

Throughout the seasons, the boots you choose to accompany you in the field are your first line of defense against the elements and other hazards. Your coat will protect you from the cold, and your hat will protect you from the sun, but regardless of the season, and regardless of the conditions, you will rely on your boots to support and protect you.

Not only do your boots provide you with protection from the weather, but since your feet are always at the lowest point, your boots will protect you from drops and other hazards as well. Agricultural work has no shortage of crushing or dropping hazards, and the pair of boots that you choose to protect your feet should meet a number of different standards for comfort, support and protection. This is not a comprehensive checklist, but if you’re looking for an Ariat safety toe boot , keep these in mind while you’re shopping.

Support

One of the first and most important things you’ll have to take into consideration when you’re in the market for a new pair of boots is just how supportive they are. You’ll also have to account for the features they offer that will offer support and how they will stand up to your level of use, or as the case may be, abuse.

Consider a scenario in which you will be shoveling snow. You’ll probably want a warm pair of gloves and a heavy coat or a pair of bibs to keep yourself warm. Consider conversely a scenario in which you will be setting up or repairing fence posts in the summer. You might not need the coat, but you’ll still need a good pair of gloves and tough pants to protect yourself from briars. You also might bring along a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes and off your neck. Imagine tending livestock in any season; you’ll need various protection in clothing, though these might vary from the other situations at other times of year.

Though you might take along a different jacket or gloves in each of these scenarios or forgo a specific article of clothing that might not be needed, you wouldn’t be able to part with a good pair of boots. Boots support you through all seasons and in all conditions, so you’ll need to ensure that you pick out a pair that can keep you on your feet, regardless of your recreation or labor.

The support offered by a quality Ariat safety toe boot will vary by model, but one thing remains certain. They will offer some of the most unflinching support in any boots on the market today. A pair of Ariats will offer you different levels of support for your ankle along the shaft and support for the pressure points of your feet through the midsole and outsole. Many Ariat safety toe boots are crafted, for example, with full grain leather shafts for unbelievable durability and support as well as with EVA midsoles to minimize shock transfer and cushion your feet. Speaking of soles, there’s something else you need to consider when you’re shopping for a quality Ariat safety toe boot.

Traction

This will vary by your jobsite as well as where you wear your boots. If you happen to live in a very humid or wet environment, or even one that sees a lot of snow in the winter, traction can take precedence even over other considerations.

That being said, rain and snow aren’t the only environmental factors that will present a slipping hazard wherever you will be wearing safety toe boots. Oil and spills of all natures can present hazards in all locations and in all seasons.

In addition, slips and subsequent falls are strongly implicated in occupational hazards and eliminating unnecessary slips can go a long way in protecting life and limb. You may need a pair of workboots with an aggressive tread pattern that keeps you sure footed on pavement in the rain, in fields in the mud, or in a garage where oil spills are an unfortunate, if only occasional, fact of life.

Models like Ariat’s Rebar and Intrepid models of boot feature their Duratread™ outsoles, with an aggressive tread pattern to keep you sure footed in tricky situations, as well as to last for many seasons.

As we stated, your needs in a boot will vary based on your environmental conditions, and you might have a greater need for soles offering great traction than others. That’s something you’ll need to account for, but one thing is certain. If you need slip resistant boots you can find them in a pair of Ariats.

Protection

As with any other consideration on this list, the pair of boots you choose for your use in the field or garage will offer you a level of protection. The protection afforded you by a pair of boots goes much farther than its steel or safety toe, and the construction of the entire boot will offer you some protection on top of its support. 

For example, the shaft of a boot will protect your ankle and skin from all forms of abrasion, from extremes of temperature and even from occasional knocks and bumps. The vamp offers the same level of protection as the shaft but for the top of your foot.

Your boot is, after all, the first line of defense for your foot against everything on the outside. Whether it’s a shower of sparks from a grinder, the ice and snow of the inclement winter heavens or the animated hoof of an excited horse, your boots are there to protect you against more than just drops.

That being said, Ariat offers some excellent, lightweight models of composite safety toe boots to offer you the protections aforementioned and then some. While steel is traditionally associated with safety toe boots, steel is heavy and can deform when subjected to extreme pressures which is a hazard in and of itself. Many of the latest generations in safety toe boots use alternatives like composite safety toes that offer the same if not more strength than steel without the risk of deformation and at a much lighter weight. In fact, many composite safety toe boots are so lightweight you could wear them and walk in them all day without fatigue.

Ventilation

Why would you need to take ventilation into account in a pair of workboots? Well, you might not, especially if you live in the north and nine months of the year are freezing cold. If, however, you’ve ever worn a tall pair of workboots all day in the field in the summer with a temperature of 95 and a relative humidity of 80 percent, then you need no explanation whatsoever.

A pair of boots can trap the humidity produced by your foot as your foot sweats if they don’t offer ventilation. With nowhere to go, your foot will start to chafe and you will develop blisters in short order, especially if the boots have not been broken in properly, but we’ll get to that in a moment. For the time being we’ll stick to ventilation.

On top of the fact that your feet will develop blisters with the wrong fit and inadequate ventilation, it will just be plain uncomfortable to be in a hot pair of boots that reaches half the way up to your knee, especially in the summer. Now, remember, a pair of vented boots might not be necessary; it’s up to you to know your working conditions. If, however, you could use a pair of ventilated boots, you can get them in an Ariat safety toe boot with plenty of other features to love as well. Models like their Intrepid and Rebar with VentTek technology can keep you cool and dry all day long, even in the height of summer. 

Waterproofing 

This might seem contradictory, especially since the last item on our checking was ventilation, but it isn’t, and there’s some good news in the mix as well. Waterproofing can be just as important of a consideration as ventilation, and in many conditions it is even more important. After all, blisters and discomfort are generally the worst things that can befall you without ventilation. Without waterproofing it could be much worse.

People who live in climates with persistent or severe cold weather have a very serious need for waterproof clothing and boots, especially if it is also wet in the winter in those areas. In the cold, if your feet get wet it can be very dangerous and can incur nerve damage or even frostbite, as cold water will sap the heat from your feet in short order, particularly if fresh cold water is able to seep in.

Then again, if you live in an area like the southwest which sees very little rainfall, quick drying ventilated boots might be a better option for you than waterproof boots. It really all depends on the conditions in which you are working.

Comfort

Comfort is another huge thing to account for, since you don’t just want to be warm, dry and protected. Truthfully, those components and the other items on this checklist come together to define comfort, at least in part. By the same token, you might be well protected by a chainmail, but you might not be very comfortable. It’s best to find a healthy and happy medium, and an Ariat safety toe boot can certainly do that for you.

From the fact their full grain uppers will form to your contours to cushion you over time to the fact that their EVA and PU insoles offer you unrivalled cushioning, an Ariat safety toe boot, or any Ariat boot, really, is an icon of comfort. Ariat was one of the first to incorporate athletic technology in their boots - they’re visionary in the field for comfortable, protective footwear, and they don’t aim to be giving up those laurels anytime soon.

Durability

Finally, you’ll want to select a pair of boots that will break in comfortably and last you for the long haul. After all, what good is a pair of boots that keeps you dry and protects you but falls apart after a few weeks?

An Ariat safety toe boot, like any Ariat boot, is not just an emblem of comfort but an emblem of durability. Full grain leather ages and wears with dazzling grace, their soles are stitched directly onto the uppers for a fit that is designed and intended to last - some are even Goodyear welted. Find a pair of Ariat boots and you can rest easy in the purchase that as the last consideration to make in your shopping, those boots will keep going strong for years.

Come Visit Us In Store!

If you just so happen to be looking for an Ariat safety toe boot, you’re shopping in the perfect place to find them. Right here on our site you can find plenty of safety and soft toe Ariat boots to keep you comfortable and protected regardless of whether your passion is fashion or your goal is to be safe on the job.

That being said, we’d love for you to come visit us in our store, and not just to stop by and say hello. While we’d love to meet you anyway, if you buy your boots from us in store, you can get not only a complimentary fitting but a complimentary break in service as well.

You should spend months and months trying out tricks for making your boots more comfortable, or you can let us take the hard work out of breaking in a stiff new pair of full grain leather boots. The same traits that make leather protective and comfortable in the long run make it tight and unforgiving in the short run. Visit us in our store in Wayland, Michigan for your next pair of Ariat boots and we’ll help you break them in before you leave our store!

Otherwise, enjoy your time shopping on our site and make sure to call us with any questions at all that you might have. You can reach us at 269-792-2550. Don’t be shy, call us up and we’ll help you find your next pair of Ariat boots.