LatestComparisonsNov 6, 20264 min
Timberland PRO Pit Boss vs Keele Ridge: Choose by the Job
Compare the steel-toe Pit Boss and waterproof Keele Ridge by construction, wet-work needs, fit and exact model checks before choosing a work boot.
Work boots, read from the tag
Match the boot to the hazard.
Jobsite footwear guides for tradespeople: which toe type, which rating codes and which features your work calls for, and how the big work lines compare variant by variant. Read from maker specs, listings, published standards and owner reports.
Plate 01 · three toes, one tag
Steel toe
Read I/75 · C/75
The slimmer cap. Makers note steel conducts heat and cold.
Composite & carbon
Read I/75 · C/75
A non-metallic cap, usually marketed as lighter. A common pairing with EH footwear.
Soft toe
Read F2892 · EH · slip
No cap, more toe-box room. Only where your site rules allow it.
Pick the job, read the tag
Hazard Match
Choose your trade or tick the hazards on your site. You get the toe type, the codes to read on the tag and the features to look for, in plain language. No products, nothing leaves your browser.
Hazard Match · pick the job, read the tagPlain-language, no products
Your match prints here
Pick a trade, or tick the hazards
You get the toe type, the codes to read on the tag and the features to look for, in plain language. Nothing leaves your browser.
Inside the tongue
Decode the tag
Every safety boot carries a printed marking, and it is the record of what the pair is marked for, not the product page. Here is what each line of a typical tag means, as the standard defines it.
Protective footwear · sample marking
ASTM F2413-18
MI/75C/75
MtPREH
Illustrative, not a real pair. Numbers point to the legend.
- ASTM F2413-18
The standard, and its edition
The standard defines performance requirements for protective (safety) toe footwear. The two digits after the dash are the edition year, and listings mix -11, -18 and -24, so read the year on your own pair.
- M / F
Men’s or women’s marking
The marking carries an M or an F for the sizing the pair was rated under. Check that the one printed on your pair matches the pair you meant to buy.
- I/75
Impact
The standard defines an impact test on the toe area. 75 is the class printed when the pair is marked as passing it.
- C/75
Compression
The standard defines a compression test on the toe area. 75 is the class printed when the pair is marked as passing it.
- Mt
Metatarsal guard
Optional protection for the top of the foot behind the toe cap. It appears only on pairs built with a metatarsal guard.
- PR
Puncture resistant
The standard defines a puncture test on the sole. PR means the pair is marked as passing it.
- EH
Electrical hazard
The standard defines an electrical test on the sole and heel; makers describe 18,000 volts with leakage of 1 milliamp or less. EH is secondary protection in dry conditions. A wet or worn sole may not protect.
- Cd / SD
Conductive / static dissipative· also seen
Two different jobs: the standard defines conductive (Cd) and static-dissipative (SD) footwear for controlling static. Neither is EH, and conductive footwear is the wrong choice around live circuits.
- SR / SRO
Slip resistance· also seen
Slip marks show up on tags and listings. The soft-toe standard, ASTM F2892, lists slip classes such as SRO; other makers cite their own slip tests, so read which one the listing names.
- F2892
The soft-toe standard· also seen
A boot with no toe cap sits under ASTM F2892 instead of F2413, and can still carry EH and slip marks.
Code meanings come from published summaries of the standards; the standard text itself is sold by ASTM, so this is a paraphrase, not a copy. For the legal side of protective footwear in US workplaces, OSHA’s rule is 29 CFR 1910.136 — general information, not legal advice. More on the glossary and the safety-standards guides.
Variant by variant
Latest comparisons
Start from the job
Boots by trade
Eight trades, each with the hazards that usually come with the job and a page of what to read first. Open one, or load it straight into Hazard Match.
Concrete & framing
Impact · Nails & scrap · Long standing · Wet or mud
Electrician
Impact · Live circuits · Long standing
Warehouse & logistics
Impact · Slick floors · Long standing
Landscaping & grounds
Impact · Wet or mud · Nails & scrap
Roofing
Slick floors · Nails & scrap · Long standing
Plumbing & HVAC
Impact · Wet or mud · Slick floors
Mechanic & shop floor
Impact · Slick floors · Nails & scrap · Long standing
Winter site crews
Impact · Cold · Wet or mud · Slick floors
Before you order
Buying guides
Reading lanes
Buying Guides
Which boot for which job, what to check on the tag, and when a pair has done its time.
Fit & Sizing
Width, half sizes, break-in and the checks to make before you order a pair.
Safety Standards
ASTM F2413, EH and slip codes in plain language: what the tag says, and what it does not.
Care & Resoling
Drying, cleaning, waterproofing, and what resoling can do to a safety-toe marking.
Worth a look
From the catalog — full rankings live on the rankings page.
- Check the current price on Amazon
Timberland PRO Pit Boss 6" Steel Toe
- Check the current price on Amazon
Timberland PRO Keele Ridge Steel Toe WP Industrial Hiker
- Check the current price on Amazon
Timberland PRO Direct Attach MaxTRAX Soft Toe SRO
Up front —We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this site. It never changes the price you pay, and it never changes a verdict.
20 guides published
23 boots and gear linked
Shop-floor graphics
Tees, stickers and mugs for the crew room, printed to order. Hazard-stripe and tag graphics, no maker badges.
First print run · on the press
The first drop of tag and hazard-stripe graphics lands soon.
Tees, stickers and mugs for the crew room. Watch the print run — or take the letter and hear first.
Still have questions?
Do work boots run big or small?
It varies by maker and by last, so there is no safe rule. Safety caps take up space in the toe box, which can make a capped boot feel snugger across the toes than the same size without one. Use the maker’s size guide, note which widths the model comes in, and judge fit with the socks you will actually wear on the job.
Steel toe vs composite toe: which is better or safer?
Neither is safer by material alone. Both can carry the same impact and compression marks (I/75 and C/75), and the label on the pair tells you which one is rated. Makers describe steel as the slimmer cap and composite as lighter and not conducting heat or cold the way steel does. Choose on weight, temperature, metal-detector rules and toe-box room.
What does EH rated mean, and is it the same as a safety toe?
EH means the sole and heel are marked as passing an electrical test, as secondary protection in dry conditions. It is not the same as a safety toe: EH covers the sole and heel, a safety toe covers the toe area, and a soft-toe boot can carry EH under ASTM F2892. EH never replaces de-energizing the circuit, and a wet or worn sole may not protect.
Does OSHA require steel toe boots, and does my employer pay for them?
OSHA’s rule 29 CFR 1910.136 calls for protective footwear where there is a danger of foot injuries from falling or rolling objects or from objects piercing the sole, or an electrical hazard that remains after other protective measures. Separately, 1910.132(h)(2) says an employer need not pay for non-specialty safety-toe footwear when it permits wearing it off the job site. Rules differ by industry and state, and this is general information, not legal advice; ask your employer.