HOW TO CHOOSE WORK BOOTS WITH THE BEST NON-SLIP SOLE

You know better than to judge a book by its cover; but, when it comes to work boots, what’s on the outside really does matter. In fact, when you need work shoes that’ll keep you from literally busting your butt on the job, you need boots with the best non-slip soles.

The Best Work Boots Have Durable, Slip-Resistant Soles

When you’re looking for the best work shoes, especially if you’re working in the cold, you’ve probably compared material, features, and insulation (and you've read our 5 Tips for Choosing the Best Work Boot). You probably didn’t give much thought to the part of the shoe you’ll almost never see: the outsole. Well, we’re here to tell you to take another look.

Why is getting the right outsole on your work boots and safety shoes so important? The best boot outsoles can save you some cash and save you from falling down the job.

Outsoles are the part of the shoe that make the most contact with the environment you work in. Outsoles keep your boot from cracking or falling apart as you move between the extremes of hot and cold, wet or dry. Well-constructed outsoles are more durable, so you won’t have to spend your hard-earned cash on frequent replacements.

Work shoes with the safest slip-resistant outsoles are also your first line of defense against slips, trips and falls on jobsites with icy or slippery terrain.

Work Boots with Outsoles Designed for the Cold

Working in the cold brings challenges that you just don’t have to consider on other job sites. Regular box store work shoes and their thin, untempered outsoles aren’t designed for working in constant cold. And they certainly aren’t strong enough to handle quick changes in temperature, such as walking from the slick, stone-cold floor of a freezer warehouse to the rough, sun-scorched concrete of a loading dock.

Most outsoles are made of rubber, which reacts poorly to cold contact and moving between warm to cold temperatures. The outsoles harden and crack, reducing the grip and slip resistance so the boots can’t work as well to keep you steady on your feet. It also decreases the durability and lifespan of the outsole, so you’ll have to replace them more often.

RefrigiWear insulated work boots and safety sneakers are designed specifically for working in the cold. RefrigiWear boots are made with strong and durable anti-slip outsoles that won’t crack under constant contact with frigid floors or frosty jobsites. RefrigiWear work boot outsoles can also handle wide swings in temperatures, so you can walk over wet or dry, hot or cold surfaces without worrying about slipping on the job.

Treads Create Traction for Your Boots

Before you choose the best work boot for your job, be sure to check out the sole to make sure the tread will give you the level of traction you need.

The style of tread isn’t for looks (though some do look pretty cool). The tread pattern and lug size (the individual pieces of the tread) determine how the boot grips the floor or ground, and how water or other fluids you might wade through on the job flow through the tread.

Smaller tread generally does better on slicker surfaces with water or ice. Larger or wider tread performs better with contaminants. RefrigiWear boot outsoles mix tread patterns, with larger lugs on the perimeter of the outsole and a finer tread in the middle. This allows our boots to handle as many conditions as possible, while maintaining maximum slip resistance. You’ll also find that the material compound in RefrigiWear boot outsoles is engineered with a grit component. This gives even the smaller treads a boost of gripping power on slick surfaces.

All Grip, No Slip Safety Shoes for Work

Sure, those box store boots might say “non-slip” on the tag, but can they actually back that up with hard data and field testing results? RefrigiWear can.

All RefrigiWear work boots and safety shoes are tested for slip resistance using a standardized Mark II slip resistance test. To perform the test, a section of the outsole is cut out and used to slide against a tile surface. The outsole is tested against the tile when it is dry, wet and with an oily/wet mixture applied. The test measures the “coefficient of friction” – or CoF – to determine the outsole’s slip resistance. A CoF measurement of 0.50 or higher on a dry surface is considered "slip-resistant."

Not only do all RefrigiWear safety shoes and work boots score above 0.50, they score significantly higher and approach a perfect score of 1.0. After all, we wouldn’t choose an outsole that performed “good enough” slip-resistance level. We want you to have confidence that your boots are protecting you. That is why we make outsoles that score so high in slip resistance ratings.

We’ve Got Sole

RefrigiWear delivers a range of outsoles on our boots that have different tread patterns and slip-resistance levels. Our outsoles are engineered to perform in both indoor cold (where most contact is with cold cement floors) and outdoor cold (the self-cleaning, cleat designs help here). The combination of engineered compounds and tread designs are unique to our footwear. You won’t find outsoles like ours anywhere else, so step into the warmth and protection of RefrigiWear boots and stomp out cold.

Shopping for a team? If you need help selecting work boots or insulated workwear for your employees, please contact RefrigiWear Customer Service.