I Tried 5 Women's Steel Toe Shoes. Here's the One I Kept.
For years, buying safety shoes meant converting off a men's size chart and hoping. Heavy, stiff, and the fit was a guess every time.
The supply catalog swore a men's 7 matched my women's 8.5. It didn't. Then came two pairs of women's work boots that felt like bricks by lunch, and a pair I sized up for thick socks, which only moved the blisters somewhere new.
Four misses. One pair I kept. Here's why:
Heads up: read this before you buy another pair sized off a men's chart.
1. Women's sizes, EU 35 to 41
The size chart lists women's sizes from EU 35 to 41, so I picked my own size instead of doing the math off a men's chart. It's a unisex shoe sold in men's and women's sizes, which I'd rather know up front.
2. About 420 grams a shoe
My last pair felt close to double that, and I noticed every ounce of it on a ladder all day.
3. A steel toe cap tested to 200 J
The Moda is certified to EN ISO 20345:2022 S1PS, the European safety standard, and the steel toe cap is tested to 200 joules. If your site names a specific rating, check it before you order.
4. A slip-resistant rubber sole
Wet concrete in the morning, sawdust on the floor by afternoon. The rubber sole is slip resistant, and it's the spec I check first on any work shoe now.
5. A Kevlar midsole for loose screws
Screws and nails end up on the floor of every job I've worked. The midsole is puncture-resistant Kevlar, and that's the layer I want under my foot when I step on one.
6. Mesh that breathes in a July heatwave
A warm July in a building with no ventilation is the whole review. The upper is breathable mesh over a moisture-wicking lining, and my feet run a lot cooler than they did in boots.
7. They look like trainers
They look like trainers I'd pick out anyway, which matters more than I expected after years of clunky black boots.
8. £84.99 in every size
Women's sizes cost the same as men's because it's the same shoe: £84.99, with free shipping. I've paid more for a lot less.
9. 30 days to test the fit at work
Fit is the whole question with safety shoes. Shraks gives you 30 days to wear them on the job, and returns are free if they don't work out.
10. 4.87 out of 5 from 102 reviews
I thought I was the only one still looking. The Moda averages 4.87 out of 5 from 102 reviews on the Shraks store, so plainly not.
