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Trade guide

Work Boots for Welders: What the Specs Say

Some welding shops require a met guard, which covers the top of your foot. One boot here has one. Neither boot is sold as a welding boot, and neither maker says its boot stops sparks.

Compare the two Check your shop's rules
Welder in a helmet laying a bead in a dark fabrication shop with sparks and smoke off the arc

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Compare the two boots

First, check what your shop requires. A met guard covers the top of your foot. MT on the label means the boot has one. Neither boot is made for welding.

Swipe sideways to see all 2 boots.

Compare the two boots
Has a met guard Carhartt Rugged Flex Met Guard 8" Steel toe only EVER BOOTS Tank S
Good for Your shop requires a met guard. It is not a welding boot.Your shop only requires a safety toe.
Safety toe Yes, composite Yes, steel
Waterproof Yes Not listed
Shock protection Yes Not listed
Widths Regular and wideRegular only
Height 8 inches6 inches
Met guard Yes, built in (MT label)Not listed
Heat claim Sole only, up to 572°FNone listed
Spark claim NoneNone
Pros
  • Guard over the top of your foot
  • Sole the maker says handles heat
  • Comes in wide
  • Steel safety toe
  • Maker says the toe meets the ASTM safety standard
Watch out
  • No spark or welding claim
  • The heat claim is for the sole only
  • No met guard or heat claim
  • Regular width only
Buy View on Amazon Carhartt specs, checked View on Amazon EVER BOOTS specs, checked
How we picked

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

What the maker says
Facts from each boot maker's own website, with the date we checked.
What the maker leaves out
We point out claims a maker does not make, like spark or heat protection.
Our take
Which jobs each boot fits, based on those facts.
The boots

The two boots, up close

Neither is a welding boot. Each one shows what its maker does and does not claim.

Met guard · safety toe

Carhartt Rugged Flex 8" Waterproof Met Guard Composite Toe

Good for: Shops that require a met guard. It is a general work boot, not a welding boot.

Safety toe
Yes, composite
Met guard
Yes, built in
Heat claim
Sole, to 572°F
Spark claim
None
Waterproof
Yes
Shock protection
Yes
Height
8 inches
Widths
Regular and wide
Why it's here
  • Has a met guard, marked MT
  • Maker says the sole handles heat up to 572°F
Watch for
  • No spark or welding claim
  • The heat claim covers the sole, not the leather
See full specs and sources

Documented specification: Carhartt lists this as style CMF8720, an 8-inch boot with a composite safety toe it describes as lightweight, non-metallic, and non-conductive, plus an internal PORON XRD metatarsal guard. It uses Storm Defender waterproof, breathable protection and a FastDry lining over a lightweight CMEVA midsole, Cushion Comfort PU insoles, and a fiberglass shank. The non-marking rubber lug outsole is described as oil and slip resistant and heat resistant up to 300C/572F. Carhartt states it meets ASTM F2413-24 EH, MT and ASTM F3445-24 SR. The page names no insulation. Medium and wide widths are shown.

Editorial inference: This is the only sourced boot carrying a metatarsal rating, a protection category welding shops may require, and the stated outsole heat resistance is the closest thing in this catalog to a documented heat claim. It is still a general work boot: Carhartt makes no spatter, flame, or welding-specific claim, and outsole heat resistance is not the same as upper spatter resistance. If the shop requires dedicated welding footwear, this does not satisfy that rule.

Before you buy

Carhartt specifications
Checked

View on Amazon
Steel toe · no met guard

EVER BOOTS Tank S Steel Toe

Good for: Shops that only require a safety toe. Its maker makes no heat or met guard claim.

Safety toe
Yes, steel
Met guard
Not listed
Heat claim
None
Spark claim
None
Waterproof
Not listed
Height
6 inches
Widths
Regular only
Toe test
ASTM F2413, no year
Why it's here
  • Steel safety toe
  • Maker says the toe meets ASTM F2413
Watch for
  • No met guard, heat or spark claim
  • Regular width only
See full specs and sources

Documented specification: The Tank S is a 6-inch steel-toe work boot shown in regular (D) width only. EVER BOOTS positions it for construction, everyday wear, dry cement, and gravel. The manufacturer FAQ states that the steel toes meet ASTM F2413 without naming a year or version.

Editorial inference: It is the only lower-tier steel-toe option in this set. The source record does not support leather, shank, puncture, waterproofing, spatter, or metatarsal claims.

Before you buy

EVER BOOTS specifications
Checked

View on Amazon
Shop rules

Start with your shop's rules

Your employer's safety rules decide which boot you need.

If your shop requires a met guard or a welding boot, follow that rule. Neither boot here changes it.

  • Shop requires a met guard Look for MT

    MT on the label means a met guard. Only the Carhartt has one.

  • Shop requires welding boots Neither one

    Neither boot is sold as a welding boot. Get a pair made for welding.

  • Shop requires a safety toe Both have one

    The Carhartt toe is composite. The EVER BOOTS toe is steel.

  • Before you buy Check the label

    Make sure the exact size and version you get has every mark your shop needs.

Rule:

Your workplace safety rules come first. A boot's leather or height does not prove it protects you from sparks or heat.

Show where this comes from

If the shop requires a metatarsal guard, a particular toe marking, or dedicated welding footwear, neither of the incomplete alternatives on this page overrides that rule. Confirm every marking on the exact size and variant. Workplace PPE rules control.

Material and shaft height can inform a comparison. They do not promise resistance to sparks, slag, heat, or falling stock unless the manufacturer documents that protection.

Met guards

What a met guard does

"Met" is short for metatarsal, the long bones on top of your foot.

A safety toe covers your toes. A met guard covers the top of your foot. They are two different things.

  • Safety toe Covers your toes

    A hard cap over your toes. Both boots here have one.

  • Met guard Covers the top

    A guard over the top of your foot, behind the toes. It has its own label: MT.

  • In this guide 1 of 2

    Only the Carhartt has a met guard. It is built inside the boot.

Check:

A safety toe label does not mean the boot has a met guard. Look for MT on the exact boot you buy.

Show where this comes from

A safety toe covers the toe area. A metatarsal guard is a separate protection category with its own ASTM marking, shown as MT. One sourced boot on this page carries a stated MT rating; the other does not. Confirm the marking on the exact size and variant, and use purpose-built welding footwear when the contract or shop requires it.

Carhartt states that style CMF8720 meets ASTM F2413-24 EH, MT and describes its guard as an internal PORON XRD metatarsal guard. EVER BOOTS makes no metatarsal claim for the Tank S.

Heat and sparks

Heat, sparks and spatter

Spatter means hot drops of metal that fly off a weld.

Neither maker says its boot stops sparks or spatter. The one heat claim here is about the sole only.

  • Carhartt sole Up to 572°F

    Carhartt says the sole is heat resistant up to 572°F (300°C).

  • Top of the boot No claim

    Neither maker says the leather or top of the boot holds up to sparks or spatter.

  • EVER BOOTS Tank S No heat claim

    EVER BOOTS makes no heat, spark or met guard claim for it.

If sparks land on your boots:

Ask what your shop requires. If it calls for welding boots, get a pair made for welding.

Show where this comes from

Carhartt states that the CMF8720 outsole is heat resistant up to 300C/572F. That is an outsole claim. Carhartt makes no spatter, flame, or welding-specific claim for the boot, and outsole heat resistance is not the same as upper spatter resistance.

The EVER BOOTS record for the Tank S documents a 6-inch steel-toe boot and an ASTM F2413 toe statement only. It does not support leather, shank, puncture, waterproofing, spatter, or metatarsal claims.

Where the facts come from

Each boot fact comes from the maker's own website. The link and the date we checked sit next to each boot. Read how the source and inference layers work.

Next, see the ironworker guide for shanks and met guards, or the toe guide to compare composite and steel.

Common questions

What kind of boots do welders wear?

Your employer decides, based on the welding hazards at your job. Check the safety toe, met guard, material, height and how the boot closes on the exact boot you buy. A leather or pull-on label alone does not prove the boot protects you from sparks, hot metal, heat or falling stock.

Do welders need metatarsal guards?

Your employer decides, based on the job and its hazards. A safety toe covers your toes. A met guard covers the top of your foot. One does not count as the other, so check the exact boot for the marking your job requires, such as MT for a met guard.

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

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

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