The Boot Index
Spec guide

Slip Resistant Work Boots: Read the Label First

A slip-resistant label is a starting point, not a promise on every floor. We compare four boots by how much each maker backs up its slip claim. We did not test them.

Compare the four What does SR mean?
Looking down at brown slip-on boots standing on wet, slick tile pavement

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Compare the four boots

All four makers call the sole slip-resistant. What differs is how they back it up. A named test with a year is the strongest kind of claim.

Swipe sideways to see all 4 boots.

Compare the four boots
Safety toe Carhartt Ground Force 6" No safety toe Carhartt Rugged Flex 6" Steel toe Timberland PRO Pit Boss 6" Wedge sole Thorogood Heritage 6" Moc Toe
Good for Jobs that need a safety toe, when you want a slip label with a named test.Jobs with no safety-toe rule, when you want a slip label with a named test.Jobs that need a steel safety toe.Hard floors, when your job has no safety-toe rule.
Safety toe Yes, composite No Yes, steel No
Waterproof Yes Yes No claim No
Shock protection Yes (EH) Yes (EH) Yes (EH) Yes (EH)
Widths Regular and wideRegular and wideWide sizes shownRegular and wide
Height 6 inches6 inches6 inches6 inches
Slip claim Named test and year: ASTM F3445-24 SRNamed test and year: ASTM F3445-24 SRTests named, no year givenSole called slip-resistant, no test named
Sole Rubber lug, oil and slip resistantRubber lug, oil and slip resistantRubber, resists oil, heat and wearWedge (one flat sole, no separate heel)
Pros
  • Slip test named, with its year
  • Composite safety toe
  • Waterproof
  • Slip test named, with its year
  • Waterproof
  • Comes in wide
  • Steel safety toe
  • Slip tests named by the maker
  • Wedge sole the maker calls slip-resistant
  • Comes in wide
Watch out
  • Maker facts cover the black color only
  • No insulation listed
  • No safety toe
  • Amazon shows an older version, so check its label
  • No year given for the slip test
  • Amazon model could not be matched, so check it
  • No slip test named
  • No safety toe, not waterproof
Buy View on Amazon Carhartt specs, checked View on Amazon Carhartt specs, checked View on Amazon Timberland PRO specs, checked View on Amazon Thorogood specs, checked
How we picked

We did not test these boots. Here is how we chose them.

What the maker says
The exact slip claim on each maker's website, with the date we checked.
What the test covers
What ASTM, the group that writes the SR test, says it does and does not show.
Our take
How strong each claim is, and which jobs each boot fits.
Our picks

The four boots

Two name a slip test and its year. One names tests without a year. One gives no test.

Safety toe · named slip test

Carhartt Ground Force 6" Waterproof Composite Toe

Good for: Jobs that need a safety toe, when you want a slip label with a named test.

Toe
Composite safety toe
Slip claim
ASTM F3445-24 SR
Sole
Rubber lug, oil and slip resistant
Waterproof
Yes
Height
6 inches
Shock protection
Yes (EH)
Widths
Regular and wide
Facts cover
Black color only
Why it's here
  • Slip test named, with its year
  • Composite safety toe
Watch for
  • Maker facts cover the black color only
  • No insulation listed
See full specs and sources

Documented specification: For the Black colorway, style CME6351, Carhartt documents a composite safety toe, Storm Defender waterproof breathable protection, INSITE footbeds with podiatrist-designed arch support, and a rubber lug outsole described as oil and slip resistant. Carhartt states ASTM F2413-24 EH and ASTM F3445-24 SR. Medium and wide widths are shown.

Editorial inference: It is the option in this set that pairs a safety toe with a named, current slip-resistance version. That marking is a lab result under ASTM F3445, not traction on every contaminant or surface.

Before you buy

Carhartt specifications
Checked

View on Amazon
No safety toe · named slip test

Carhartt Rugged Flex 6" Waterproof Soft Toe

Good for: Jobs with no safety-toe rule, when you want a slip label with a named test.

Toe
No safety toe
Slip claim
ASTM F3445-24 SR
Sole
Rubber lug, oil and slip resistant
Waterproof
Yes
Height
6 inches
Shock protection
Yes (EH)
Widths
Regular and wide
Upper
Leather and fabric
Why it's here
  • Slip test named, with its year
  • Waterproof
Watch for
  • No safety toe
  • Amazon shows an older version, so check its label
See full specs and sources

Documented specification: This soft-toe boot combines leather and abrasion-resistant fabric with Storm Defender waterproof breathable protection and a FastDry lining. It has an EVA midsole, polyurethane insole, fiberglass shank, and a rubber lug outsole described as oil and slip resistant. Carhartt states ASTM F2892-24 EH and ASTM F3445-24 SR. Medium and wide options are shown.

Editorial inference: It is the soft-toe option with a named, current slip-resistance version. Use it only where the job does not require a safety toe.

Before you buy

Carhartt specifications
Checked

Amazon shows an older version of this boot (style CMF6056). Carhartt's facts here are for style FF6013-M. Check the safety labels on the one you get.

View on Amazon
Steel toe · tests named, no year

Timberland PRO Pit Boss 6" Steel Toe

Good for: Jobs that need a steel safety toe, when a named slip test without a year is enough.

Toe
Steel safety toe
Slip claim
Tests named, no year
Sole
Rubber, resists oil, heat and wear
Waterproof
No claim
Height
6 inches
Shock protection
Yes (EH)
Widths
Wide sizes shown
Build
Stitched (Goodyear welt)
Why it's here
  • Steel safety toe
  • Slip tests named by the maker
Watch for
  • No year given for the slip test
  • No waterproof claim
See full specs and sources

Documented specification: The Pit Boss is a 6-inch nubuck-leather boot with a steel safety toe, electrical-hazard protection, a padded collar, the 24/7 Comfort System, OrthoLite insoles, and Goodyear welt construction. Timberland describes its rubber outsole as heat-, oil-, slip-, and abrasion-resistant and says it meets the SR requirements of ASTM F2413, F2892, or F3445 when tested to F2913, without naming a version. Wide sizes are shown.

Editorial inference: It is the steel-toe comparison in this set. Timberland names the slip standards but not which version the boot meets, and the record does not support waterproofing.

Before you buy

Timberland PRO specifications
Checked

Timberland documents style TB133032001. The Amazon listing shows model TB0A2AR42311, which could not be matched to it. Confirm the style and safety markings before buying.

View on Amazon
Wedge sole · no test named

Thorogood American Heritage 6" Moc Toe

Good for: Hard floors, when your job has no safety-toe rule.

Toe
No safety toe
Slip claim
Sole called slip-resistant
Sole
Wedge, no separate heel
Waterproof
No
Height
6 inches
Shock protection
Yes (EH)
Widths
Regular and wide
Build
Stitched (Goodyear storm welt)
Why it's here
  • Wedge sole the maker calls slip-resistant
  • Comes in regular and wide
Watch for
  • No slip test named
  • No safety toe, not waterproof
See full specs and sources

Documented specification: Style 814-4200 has a MAXWear Wedge slip-resistant outsole, composite shank, removable footbed, full-grain American leather, and Goodyear storm welt construction. It is a non-safety moc toe, is not waterproof, and is marked EH.

Editorial inference: The wedge is the broad-contact option for hard floors. The source record does not support an exact slip-standard year or version.

Before you buy

Thorogood specifications
Checked

The Amazon listing groups several colors and can open on a different style. Choose Tobacco, style 814-4200, for the boot documented here.

View on Amazon
The claim

Read the exact claim

All of these come from the boot makers. None is our own test.

Look for a named test with a year. That is the strongest slip claim a maker can give.

Then check:

Which part of the boot carries the claim, and whether the test surface is like your floor. A slip-resistant sole does not make a boot waterproof.

Show where this comes from

The useful question is not simply whether a page says slip resistant. Check which part of the boot carries the claim, whether the manufacturer names a standard and its version, and whether the stated surface resembles the workplace. An outsole claim does not make the whole boot waterproof.

Manufacturer claims in this index fall into three levels. The strongest names a test standard and its version for the finished boot. The middle level names standards without a version. The weakest describes the outsole as slip resistant without naming a standard. All three are the maker's statements; none is a Boot Index test.

Exact bootToeManufacturer slip claimClaim level
Carhartt Ground Force 6" WP Composite Toe Composite ASTM F3445-24 SR stated; outsole described as oil and slip resistant; checked Named standard and version
Carhartt Rugged Flex 6" WP Soft ASTM F3445-24 SR stated; outsole described as oil and slip resistant; checked Named standard and version
Timberland PRO Pit Boss 6" Steel Meets the SR requirements of ASTM F2413, F2892, or F3445 when tested to F2913; outsole described as oil and slip resistant; checked Standards named, no version
Thorogood American Heritage 6" Moc Toe Soft (non-safety) MAXWear Wedge slip-resistant outsole; checked General outsole language

No listed outsole eliminates slip risk, and ordinary slip-resistant language does not establish ice traction. Clean spills, use added traction where the workplace requires it, and follow site rules.

SR label

What the SR letters mean

SR stands for slip-resistant. The test behind it is called ASTM F3445.

SR means the finished boot met a minimum slip test. It is useful for comparing boots, but it is not a promise about your floor or ice.

  • What it tests The whole boot

    A lab machine tests the finished boot, not just a piece of the sole.

  • Every floor? No

    ASTM says lab results do not cover every place a person might walk.

  • Ice Not an ice result

    See the ice research in our winter boot guide.

  • Your floor Ask the maker

    The test can be run on other floors or spills. Ask if your exact boot was.

Check the label:

Confirm the SR marking on the exact size and version you buy. Your workplace safety rules come first.

Show where this comes from

ASTM F3445 is the specification behind an "SR" marking. ASTM describes it as covering "minimum slip resistance requirements for the performance of footwear," intended for completed footwear and evaluated with the ASTM F2913 whole-shoe tester. The specification also allows testing on alternative flooring or contaminants when a workplace has specific hazards.

ASTM is explicit about the limit: laboratory tests used to show compliance "shall not be deemed as establishing performance levels for all situations to which individuals may be exposed." A stated F3445 SR marking is therefore a meaningful comparison point between boots, not a promise about your floor, your contaminant, or ice. If your workplace has a particular surface, ask the maker whether the exact boot was tested on it. ASTM F3445-24 scope, checked September 30, 2026.

Your floor

Find the guide for your floor

The floor and what is spilled on it decide which claim matters. For wet lots and loading docks, see the truck-driver boot guide.

What the labels do not tell you

Here is what the four maker pages leave out, as of September 30, 2026:

  • None gives a result on ice or on your exact floor.
  • Timberland does not say which version of the slip test the Pit Boss meets.
  • Thorogood names no slip test for the moc toe.
  • Amazon listings do not always match the maker's version. Check the style number and the safety label on the boot you get.

No outsole removes all slip risk. Clean up spills, use added traction where your workplace requires it, and follow site rules. We recheck every boot's maker page at least every 90 days.

Read how we pick boots.

Common questions

Do slip resistant boots work on ice?

Do not count on it. The SR slip test is done on tile, not ice. Check the maker's exact claim and your workplace's winter rules. Add ice cleats only if they are approved for the job, the surface and your boots.

What makes a boot slip resistant?

The sole's rubber, its tread pattern, the floor and anything spilled on it all play a part. Compare the maker's exact words and any named test, such as ASTM F3445 SR. No sole removes all slip risk or promises grip on a floor it was not tested on.

Guide updated . Manufacturer verification dates are shown beside the product sources.

Compare boots for your job

Guides by trade, surface, safety spec, and fit. Product specifications are traced to dated manufacturer records.

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