Welding boots: what the welding safety guidance asks for, and four that meet it
AWS asks for leather, safety-toed, high-topped boots and uncuffed pants over the top. Laces or pull-on is your call. Four boots compared on published specs.
Boots are the part of the kit people forget until a piece of slag rolls off the bench and lands on a trainer. Welding boot listings then pile on features: metatarsal guards, heat-rated soles, pull-on shafts. Most of them are not what the welding guidance asks for first.
The American Welding Society asks for three things: leather, a safety toe, and a high top. Wear trousers without cuffs over the boot tops, not tucked in, and use leather spats in heavy spark or slag areas. The guidance takes no side on laces versus pull-on, so choose by fit.
What the guidance says
From AWS Safety and Health Fact Sheet 33 and ANSI Z49.1:2021, checked 2026-09-27:
- Wear leather, safety-toed, high-topped boots in good condition.
- Choose boots meeting ASTM F2412 and F2413, and look for the compliance mark inside the boot.
- Wear long trousers without cuffs, overlapping the boot tops. Do not tuck trouser legs into boots.
- In heavy spark or slag areas, add fire-resistant boot protectors or leather spats strapped round the trouser legs and boot tops.
- Z49.1 says the same about trousers: they should overlap the shoe tops, with no cuffs to catch spatter.
Sources: AWS Fact Sheet 33; ANSI Z49.1:2021, section 4.3 and annex E4.3.
Reading a safety boot’s markings
ASTM F2413 sets minimum performance for safety footwear. The markings you will see most:
| Marking | What it covers |
|---|---|
| I and C | Impact and compression protection for the toe |
| Mt | Metatarsal protection for the top of the foot |
| EH | Electrical hazard, meaning resistance to electric shock through the sole |
| SR | Slip resistance. Carhartt cites a separate standard, ASTM F3445, for it |
Hot contact resistance is not an F2413 marking. Some makers test it separately and say so, which matters when slag lands on the floor you are standing on.
Four boots checked against the guidance
All four are leather, safety-toed and high-topped, and all four are buyable. Specs are as each maker publishes them, checked 2026-09-27.
| Boot | Closure, height | Safety toe | ASTM markings as printed | Hot contact outsole | Also |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timberland PRO Met Guard steel toe (53530) | Lace-up, 8 in | Steel | F2413 I, C, Mt, EH | 300 C (572 F), EN ISO 20344 test | External hinged met guard; waterproof; 2.83 lb per boot, men’s 9 |
| Ariat Groundbreaker MetGuard (10020063) | Pull-on, 10 in | Steel | F2413 I/C Mt EH SR | 300 C (572 F) | D and EE widths |
| Carhartt Rugged Flex MetGuard Wellington (CMF1721) | Pull-on, 11 in | Composite | F2413-24 EH, Mt; F3445-24 SR | 300 C (572 F) | Internal met guard; waterproof |
| Carhartt Heritage insulated Wellington (CMP1259) | Pull-on, 11 in | Steel | F2413-24 EH; F3445-24 SR | Not published | 400 g insulation; waterproof |
Sources: Timberland, Ariat, Carhartt CMF1721 and Carhartt CMP1259 product pages.
Two things we could not resolve from the makers’ own pages. Both Carhartt boots have safety toes, but their published ASTM lines list EH (and Mt on the CMF1721) without the I and C toe markings. Check the compliance label inside the boot. And a popular Thorogood Wellington is missing from this list because its Amazon listing mixes several Thorogood models under one page, so we could not tell which boot a buyer would receive.
Which suits which welder
- Bench work at home, flux core or mig: any leather, safety-toed, high-topped boot meets the guidance. A metatarsal guard is optional.
- Slag on the floor, stick welding, cutting: a published 300 C hot contact outsole, as on the Timberland, Ariat and Carhartt CMF1721, is worth having, plus spats.
- A cold garage: the insulated Carhartt Heritage.
- Heavy steel you lift and drop: that is what the metatarsal guard is for.
Boots cover one part of the body. What the rest of the kit covers is in what a welding helmet does not protect against, and jackets are compared in best welding jackets.
Frequently asked questions
Are pull-on boots better for welding than lace-ups?
Neither AWS source we read takes a side. ANSI Z49.1 and AWS Fact Sheet 33 ask for leather, safety-toed, high-topped boots, with uncuffed trousers worn over the boot tops and not tucked in. Pull-ons have no laces to snag or burn. Lace-ups can fit closer at the ankle. Choose by fit.
Do I need a metatarsal guard for welding at home?
The AWS guidance does not ask for one. A metatarsal guard protects the top of the foot from dropped or rolling objects, which is why industrial sites require it. AWS says to choose boots meeting ASTM F2412 and F2413 and to look for the compliance mark inside the boot. Whether you need the metatarsal rating depends on what you lift.
Do trainers work for welding if my trousers cover them?
The AWS guidance asks for leather, safety-toed, high-topped boots. Mesh and synthetic trainers are none of those, and slag that lands on the floor rolls against the shoe. Covering them with trousers helps with sparks from above but not with a dropped workpiece or hot slag underfoot.