Collection: Work Boots

Women’s work boot sizes start at about 5, and go up to about 10. The widths are usually B or C. Your feet are typically not exactly the same, one may be longer or wider than the other, and you need to buy boots to fit the larger foot.

Wei’s Western Wear stocks several brands of women’s work boots. Danner is preferred by many women in law enforcement. Canada West makes the 11-inch style 6205 for Women. Keen women’s boots are usually 6 inch or 8 inch boots such as the Oshawa. Ariat makes several workboot styles for women, such as the Riveter and the Tracey, stocked by Wei's.

Wei’s also has some Wolverine, Kodiak, Terra and CAT workboots for women, subject to current availability.

Women’s work boot styles Canada West 11-inch style 6205 and Keen 8-inch lace–up Oshawa are both stocked at Wei’s.

Wei’s inventory includes the Danner women’s Acadia, which is made in the USA, and the Ariat Women’s Workhog.

Ariat makes a Women’s pull-up work boot named Riveter, named after the famous WWII poster of Rosie the Riveter, celebrating about 6 million women who went into manufacturing work to help the war effort. Ariat’s Riveter is a CSA-approved composite toe work boot that’s electrical shock resistant. The Riveter is also waterproof.

The Ariat Riveter Women’s work boot and its namesake Rosie the Riveter 1943 poster.

Ariat’s most famous work boot is probably the Workhog, and a Women’s version is also available at Wei’s. Wei’s also stocks the Ariat women’s Anthem style. It has a composite toe and is waterproof with a western-inspired tooling on the leather.

Ariat’s Anthem and Workhog Women’s work boots are stocked by Wei’s.

Wei’s stocks the Keen Oshawa women’s work boot, which is an 8-inch steel toe, steel plate workboot with all the features needed by almost any jobsite.

Separate women’s and men’s work boot sizing charts are needed, and here’s why: the length, width and instep height are all different. Generally, women’s feet are shorter than men’s. Women’s shoe and boot sizes are about 1.5 sizes larger than men’s, so if you wear a women’s size 8.5, you could try a man’s size 7 in a work boot.

As well, women’s feet are generally narrower in the ankle and heel. Women usually have a B or C width, or even a D width.

So, if a woman wears a size 8.5 B, she could try a men’s work boot 7B. The length and width of the workboot should fit pretty well.

However a woman’s foot has less mass than a man’s. The instep height is likely to be shorter. Even if the work boot length and width should work, the boot could feel a little loose. Will you wear thick socks while using the boots? Try the boots on with the socks you wear at work.

Separate women’s and men’s work boot sizing charts are needed, and here’s why: the length, width and instep height are all different. Generally, women’s feet are shorter than men’s. Women’s shoe and boot sizes are about 1.5 sizes larger than men’s, so if you wear a women’s size 8.5, you could try a man’s size 7 in a work boot.

As well, women’s feet are generally narrower in the ankle and heel. Women usually have a B or C width, or even a D width.

So, if a woman wears a size 8.5 B, she could try a men’s work boot 7B. The length and width of the workboot should fit pretty well.

However a woman’s foot has less mass than a man’s. The instep height is likely to be shorter. Even if the work boot length and width should work, the boot could feel a little loose. Will you wear thick socks while using the boots? Try the boots on with the socks you wear at work.

We know from experience that some women want or need a man’s wider work boot in an E or even EE width. Working people know Wei’s is a destination for work boots, so we get all kinds of questions and requests for sizes.

These wider-foot women may also consider a Unisex style, such as Muck Boots or Blundstone, or cold-weather boots like Baffin or Dunlop. See the brand-specific size charts in Wei’s website to find your right fit.

Muck, Blundstone, Baffin and Dunlop make Unisex styles and provide size charts to translate between Women’s sizes and Men’s sizes. Note, Muck also makes boots specifically for Women.

Muck and Blundstone both make safety toe work boots in Unisex sizes that fit women. Find your size in the brand-specific size charts on the Wei’s website.

A woman’s boot needs to meet required safety standards at her jobsite. She might prefer a style that is less ‘clunky’ or ‘ugly’ and some manufacturers make boots that are intended to appeal to women. Check out the colours of Ariat tall pull-on work boots, or the styles of Portland, Oregon based Keen.

Like any safety-conscious working person, a woman wants to meet the safety

Are there Safety Toe

Women are willing and able to take on just about any job a man can. Women are increasingly battling the odds and becoming electricians, pipefitters and welders, and Canadian women are the way in some of these trades.

However, most women who need a safety toe might work in a warehouse position, or an office position where they need safety toes when they go into specific areas. In most of these cases, these women can choose a safety toe shoe. If your job includes standing on hard surfaces for long periods of time, consider using shock-absorbing insoles.

Several safety features are built into every women’s work boot. If you don’t see these in the features, don’t buy the boot. Other features are optional. They’re good to have and help protect you.

Minimum safety boot of safety shoe standards include leather uppers. oil-resistant and non-side soles.

Leather Upper - As you know, leather is an all-weather protector for animals. It is waterproof (when not cut), tough, and has abrasion resistance. Leather is also cushioning. However it is not puncture-resistant by itself.

Oil-Resistance - Oil is one of the hazards of almost any industrial workplace. It’s super-slippery and

Slip-Resistant Sole - an outsole (the bottom of the shoe or boot) must have a gripping pattern that helps the user grip the terrain and keep her balance. Outsoles were once rubber but are now made from synthetic materials that are even better, providing density, water resistance, and comfort.

Safety Toe - the steel toe or composite (hard plastic) toe of a work boot protects against some of the most common jobsite hazards.

Steel Plate - steel plates underneath your insole guard against stepping on loose nails, sharp metal or glass objects.

Electric Shock Resistant - electrical shocks are caused by static electricity, or contact with sources of electricity.

Fire Retardant - features such as Kevlar stitching, Kevlar laces or even FR-treated leather all help protect against, including not attracting fire or flame.

The difference is - you guessed it - the height. A safety shoe does not cover the ankle, and a safety boot does cover the ankle. Both should have mid-sole puncture-resistant steel plates, in case you step on a nail), and superior slip resistance against wet, icy, or oily surfaces. Check the specifications to be sure they meet the standards of your worksite.

Warehouse positions do not all require metatarsal guards, or metguards, but increasingly they are part of the requirements. That’s because statistics show most foot injuries in warehouses are caused by something up to 10kg falling a distance of a foot or two, and landing on top of your foot - the metatarsal region.

A metguard is a curved steel plate in the boot or shoe that fits on top of your foot. Some work boots have internal met guards that cannot be seen but sit on top of your foot. Most metguards are external, and you can see the plate on top of the boot.

External met guard on a Carolina 505 men’s work boot, and internal met guard on a Blundstone 165 with Unisex sizing. Both are stocked by Wei’s.