Do work boots need to be made out of a certain material (e.g., leather) or a specific design (e.g., cover the ankle)?

OSHA's general industry standard on occupational foot protection is at 1910.136, which states that safety footwear must meet the requirements and specifications of ASTM and ANSI standards. The ANSI standard has since been discontinued; therefore, it's unlikely that employers will find safety footwear approved under this standard. The current equivalent standards are:

• ASTM F–2412–2011, “Standard Test Methods for Foot Protection,” and
• ASTM F–2413–2011, “Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective Footwear.”

The ASTM standards do not specify that the protective footwear must be made from leather and be of a length above the ankle. The standards do not differentiate between a protective toe cap made from steel or a composite material — the same tests are used to gauge compression and impact resistance for both materials.

Below the ankle composite toe safety shoes that are approved under either ASTM standard are just as compliant as steel-toe all leather work boots that are ankle-length.

If employers were to limit workers to wearing only steel-toe all leather work boots that are ankle-length, it would be due to company policy.