How much do work boots weigh? You can expect a small increase or decrease in the weight of the boots depending on the construction material and several other characteristics of work boots which I will explain in detail in this article.
In general, while the smallest boots will weigh between 3 and 4 pounds, the largest boots will weigh up to 6 pounds. Alloy toecaps are 30% to 50% lighter than steel-toed boots, while composite boots are 30% lighter.
Does the material affect the weight of the boots?
Of course, the materials the boots are made of have a huge effect on the weight of the boots. Let's see how:
1.) Weight of Leather Boots:
Leather is the most durable of all materials used in the manufacture of boots. But since leather is nothing more than the skin of a dead animal, it must undergo a tanning process to prevent it from rotting.
Personally, I prefer leather boots over any other material, but durability comes at a price and that is weight. Leather naturally makes boots heavier and stronger.
Leather boots are heavier than boots made of other materials. In general, a normal leather boot weighs up to 4 pounds.
2.) Suede Boots Weight:
Although suede is still a form of leather, the preservation process and type of weave in suede make the suede material much lighter and softer than tanned leather. Therefore, suede boots weigh less than leather boots.
The average weight of suede boots is 1.5 to 2 kg.
3.) Weight of Cloth Boots:
The fabric is man-made and uses synthetics in its manufacture. The fact that leather boots were too heavy to walk on in recent decades led to the invention of fabric boots that are lighter and even more durable.
With technological advancements, the weight of cloth boots has decreased, while the walking, traveling, and hiking experiences in them have gained speed. They are not only lightweight but also very comfortable, which explains their popularity and demand in the modern world.
A good pair of cloth boots weigh on average up to 1 kg.
4.) Weight of Plastic Boots:
Without a doubt, plastic is the lightest material used in the manufacture of boots. Plastic is also durable, but it may not be as comfortable as there isn't much room to stretch or shape plastic boots.
A plastic boot weighs less than a pound on average and is primarily used as rain boots.
How much do steel-toed boots weigh?
On average, each steel toe boot weighs between 3.5 lbs. at 4.5 pounds. that is about 1 kg to 1.8 kg.
The weight gain in steel toe boots is clearly due to the steel toe caps built into them. Steel is definitely heavier than composite or alloy dropouts.
But with weight comes safety that no other safety shoe can offer better than steel toe boots.
Steel-toed boots have been the old-fashioned choice among workers in a variety of industries for decades, including construction, masons, pipefitters, blacksmiths, loggers, etc.
Weight of the boots according to the styles:
- Ski boots 2 kg
- 4 pounds hunter boots
- 1.2 to 2.4-pound military boots
- 2 to 3 pounds of hiking boots
- Cowboy boots from 3 to 4 pounds
- 6-8 pounds snowboard boots
What effects do heavy boots have on your feet?
As soon as you wake up with the alarm clock, you know that you have to take at least 10,000 to 30,000 steps for that day at work. All you have to do is fight the fatigue from the first to the last step, and it gets even harder with heavy boots.
Not only that, there are some other negative effects of heavy boots on your feet:
Knee and joint pain come from wearing heavy boots because your feet have to bear the load from the boots and transfer the pressure to the ankle knee and subsequent joints.
Corns are also caused by wearing heavy and stiff boots.
Heavy boots also weaken the muscles and tendons in the legs.
You will just feel uncomfortable in these heavy boots.
Heavy boots even hurt your back and can damage your spine over time.
It's time to say goodbye
I hope the article was helpful to you. Now you can decide what's right for your feet!
Remember that more weight doesn't mean more durability or toughness, just more fatigue. But of course, a steel toe boot is for another purpose, which is to provide protection against high impact, and this is where the extra weight can have a chance.
That's all for today!
Have a nice day ahead!