Safety shoes are an essential part of PPE and are the last line of defense against crushing weights or hazards from hazardous chemicals. Choosing the right shoes for the specific needs of the job is critical to ensuring that safety shoes provide proper protection, and choosing the right shoes for the job is only half the battle.

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for knowing exactly when it's time to change safety shoes, as there are so many variables to consider, such as job hazards, how often boots are worn, and the size and weight of workers. Even within the same industry, the lifespan of safety shoes depends on the task.

Steel toe shoes provided more tactile cues than composite toe shoes when it came to checking whether safety shoes needed to be replaced. For example, if a heavy object falls on a steel toe shoe, the steel toe will dent and will not "spring back", indicating that the toe cap must be replaced. Composite shoes, on the other hand, can be "irretrievably damaged" in the same event and still retain their shape.