If you wear safety boots for work, you’ll know how comfortable and protective they are all day long. Comfortable and protective footwear is also necessary for hiking, leaving many workers wondering if safety boots are any good for a day in the mountains or on the trails.
In short, you can wear safety boots for hiking, but whether or not this is a good idea depends on the type of hike you are planning to go on. Wearing safety boots for hiking can save you from having to make a significant investment in specialist hiking boots, but can also lead to discomfort if your pair has insufficient support or you wear them in the wrong environment.
To help you decide what kind of boots you need, let’s take a closer look at whether safety boots are good for hiking.
Advantages Of Wearing Safety Boots For Hiking
The main benefit of wearing safety boots for hiking is that they offer high levels of protection. Steel toe-capped boots can help to protect your feet on challenging terrain, for example on rocky or bushy paths where there might be hazards that you can easily walk or trip into.
Another advantage of wearing safety boots for hiking is that they can provide multi-functional support and protection if you work outdoors and have to travel on foot to your job. In these situations, wearing safety boots for hiking can mean that you don’t have to transport additional footwear or waste time changing when you reach your destination.
When NOT To Wear Safety Boots
Though there are some features of safety boots that make them suitable for hiking, do be careful and only wear them in the correct circumstances.
You should not wear safety boots when hiking in extreme weather conditions, such as low temperatures or heavy rain. This is because steel toe caps can cause toes to freeze when it’s cold and safety boots may not have the same levels of waterproofing as specialist hiking boots.
As safety boots tend to be heavy to adequately protect your feet in work scenarios, they are also not suitable for use during long-distance hikes. The heavy construction of safety boots can wear you down as the miles add up and make your hiking experience unenjoyable as well as uncomfortable.
The Best LOWA Safety Boots For Hiking
If you are keen to invest in a pair of work boots that you can wear when you’re adventuring off the clock, safety boots may be a good choice. However, if you are planning to hike regularly or set off on a walking holiday this summer, it is more sensible to opt for a pair of more flexible and specialist hiking boots.
Many LOWA boots can be worn hiking, including some safety boot models. If you need to hike to work outdoors or want a multi-functional pair of steel toe boots then the LOWA Renegade Work Boots may be a good choice. The Vibram soles of these LOWA safety boots are especially shock absorbent and provide expert resistance to uneven surfaces or conditions which makes them a suitable safety boot for hiking. The Renegade Boots also have a GORE-TEX lining that offers better breathability than many other safety boots to stop your feet from being trapped in excess moisture on a warm hike.
If you need any guidance about the best LOWA boots for your needs, please get in touch with the expert team at Taskforce Distribution. We have years of experience as the UK’s distributor of LOWA products and can help you to identify whether safety boots or an alternative will protect you on your next hike.
