Traditionally, work boots prioritize protection over comfort, sacrificing natural foot movement for safety. The Determination FG Boot challenges this convention by combining robust and lab-certified safety features with the key principles of barefoot design. Engineered for firm ground environments, this innovative boot offers workers in various industries a new standard of protection and comfort.

With a focus on delivering maximum protection without compromising the natural feel of the foot, the Determination FG Boot is designed to excel in demanding work conditions while providing exceptional wearer experience.

These are “Factory” Boots, NOT “Farm” Boots. Made for…

Firm Ground, such as:

• Indoor Flooring
• Paved Surfaces
• Gravel
• Packed Dirt

Jobs such as: 

• Warehouse Workers
• Delivery Drivers
• Manufacturing Workers
• Mechanics
• Machinists
• Oil Rig Workers 

Construction jobs on even surfaces, such as:

• Carpenters
• Painters
• Drywall workers
• Plumbers
• Electricians (may require Composite Toe instead of Steel Toe; ask your employer)
• Roofers

These Boots are NOT Made for…

Soft Ground, such as:

• Mud
• Muck
• Snow
• Ice

These require deeper lugs that will bite into the terrain for greater grip.

Jobs performed in Uneven and Wet terrain, such as:

• Earthworks
• Landscaping
• Farm & Ranch
• Mining
• Forestry
• Geology

Jobs with exposure to intense Heat, such as:

• Firefighting
• Metalworking
• Glassworking

Jobs with Drop or Spill Hazards?

You’ll want to add a metatarsal guard (AKA met guard) to protect the entire top of your foot, not just your toes. Here is a good one that works with the Determination Boot: STLFLX MetGUARDZ

Oil & Chemical Resistance?

Please check our 3rd-party lab test results, share and discuss them with your employer, and make sure they meet the standards set by your employer.

Features & Benefits

ASTM Tested & Certified

These boots are tested & certified to the following standards:

ASTM 2413-18 Impact, Compression, and Electrical Hazard (view certification)

ASTM 2413-18 Puncture (view certification)

ASTM F3445-21 Slip (view results / view certification)

Steel Toe for Maximum Protection Against Impact & Compression

If you practice martial arts, you know that a Muay Thai groin cup made of steel is the very best protection you can get. Plastic cups are good enough for grappling, but they can crack from hard striking. A steel cup, however, is not going to break, no matter how hard someone throws a punch, kick, or knee. 

That said, steel toes do have some downsides. Steel is the strongest but heaviest out of all safety toe materials. Your job may require composite toes if you are walking through metal detectors often, or working with lots of electrical hazards. 

Outsole Optimized for Firm Ground

Slip-resistant outsoles exist on a spectrum. On one end, for restaurant and hospital workers working on smooth indoor surfaces with liquid hazards, we need small and shallow treads, made to maximize surface area contact between the outsole and the ground. On the other end, for rugged outdoor surfaces like mud or snow, we need big and deep treads, made to bite into those looser surfaces.

On that spectrum, the Determination FG Boot’s outsole is somewhere in the middle, and a bit closer to the restaurant and hospital style of outsole. With gaps of only 3mm between the treads, there is plenty of surface area contact with the ground.

The Determination FG Boot won’t be able to handle deep and frequent mud like a dedicated Soft Ground boot would. However, the Determination FG Boot will perform better with mild and occasional mud than a dedicated restaurant or hospital shoe would. This is due to the treads being an intermediate size, at 8mm wide * 12mm long * 5mm deep. 

If you choose to wear the Determination “off road”, please be advised that the small 3mm gaps between the treads can pick up mud, pebbles, plant matter, and other debris. 

Our Widest Toe Box

Since the aesthetics of work boots are not as restrictive as those of dress shoes, and we didn’t need to provide a sleek appearance, we were able to make the Determination with our widest toe box yet, with no “false tip” at the front. 

Zero-Drop from Heel to Toe

No raised heel on these boots! The toe spring was made as low as possible. We couldn’t make it any lower because the steel safety toe has a bottom lip that requires some toe spring to accommodate. 

Total Stack Height 19mm

Between your feet and the floor, there are the following materials in the boots:

Leather-wrapped EVA Insert: 2mm

Mesh Liner: 2mm

Puncture-Resistant Insole: 4mm

Micropore EVA Midsole: 3mm

Rubber Outsole Base: 3mm

Rubber Outsole Lugs: 5mm

Ladder Groove

Some jobs require a defined 90-degree heel, to help the boots catch onto ladder rungs. 

But having a raised heel is unacceptable to barefooters. The way we created a ladder groove with a defined 90-degree heel was by trimming down the treads at the front edge of the heel.

In traditional work boots, the transition from heel to arch is dramatic, but the transition from arch to toe is gradual. In the same spirit, for our boots, as we move forward from the arch to the toes, the treads increase in height gradually until they’re back to the maximum of 5mm. 

No Shank for Lighter Weight & Flexibility

A shank is a hard piece of metal or composite material that spans the arch of a shoe, from the front of the heel to the back of the toes, to support the shoe’s arch, and keep it from collapsing. 

Because our boots do not have a raised heel, and only have an arch height of 5mm created by the ladder groove, we didn’t think a shank was necessary. To date, no tester has indicated a lack of arch support, nor the need for a shank. It makes sense, given our testers have all been barefooters, who typically prefer less support and less material between feet and floor. 

However, if you frequently carry heavy loads for your job, particularly on ladders, it is possible that you might need a boot with a shank. If we get this feedback from customers, we may add a shank to new models of safety boots.

Water-Resistant, Not Waterproof, for Breathability, Comfort, and Durability

Waterproof boots are great if you need them, but they’re not great if you don’t need them. 

In general, there is an inverse relationship between water resistance and breathability. The most waterproof boots are made of rubber, a material that does not breathe at all. Rubber boots are typically used for when you’re expecting to be very wet very frequently, such as farming, fishing, and hunting. 

Next most waterproof would be a waterproof membrane. This is a layer of material that has holes. They’re too small for water droplets to pass through (waterproof), but large enough for water vapor molecules to pass through (breathable). While that sounds perfect on paper, in reality they have some downsides. First, they are not waterproof and breathable at the same time. if the surface or air outside of the boot is too wet, then the water vapor molecules don’t evaporate, but stay inside the boot. Second, boots are always more breathable without a waterproof membrane. So on days you don’t need the membrane, you’re much better off without it. Third, they are not the most environmentally friendly. For more details, here’s a good video that expands on all of this: Gore-Tex is a Marketing Gimmick. 

Since our Firm Ground boots aren’t made for being very wet, very frequently, we decided not to include a waterproof membrane, for more breathability, comfort, and durability.

Waterproof Nubuck Leather

In Firm Ground settings, you won’t need the extreme waterproofing necessary to stand in muck or water all day. However, you would probably like to protect against moderate rain, shallow puddles, spills, and splashes. Therefore, we selected a Nubuck leather, made waterproof at the tannery. 

Thicker 2.0mm - 2.2mm Nubuck Leather for Scratch Resistance

While the Determination Safety Boot and Ares Dress Boot both use a waterproof nubuck leather, they are not the same thickness. The Ares uses a dress leather with thickness between 1.4mm - 1.6mm, whereas the Determination uses a work leather with thickness between 2.0mm - 2.2mm.

Nubuck is full-grain leather, with the grain lightly sanded. This gives it the density and durability of full-grain leather, but without the hassle of maintaining a smooth surface free of scuffs. It’s essentially “pre-scuffed” all over. This does NOT mean that it’s scuff-proof. It can still get scuffed, but they will show a lot less than with smooth dress leather. This is why Nubuck is popular for work and hiking boots. A famous example of Nubuck would be Timberland’s Original Yellow Boots.

Goodyear Storm Welt for Durability & Water-Resistance

(Image source)

The Determination is built with Goodyear Welt construction. Goodyear welt construction is generally considered to have the strongest bond of upper to sole. It’s made with 2 rows of heavy stitches. The first row holds the welt – a thick strip of material (leather in our case) – to the upper and the insole. The second row holds the welt to the midsole and the outsole.

 

Goodyear welt by itself has decent water resistance, but we wanted to provide you more by going with a storm welt. Rather than a flat welt, a storm welt has a small vertical wall, which is better at keeping out water and other substances.

 

Resoleable

Having the separate rows of stitching in goodyear welt also helps with resoling. A cobbler can remove the sole stitch and replace the outsole without disturbing the upper.  Once the treads wear down on the outsole, you can take these to a cobbler with the right tools. They can remove the old outsole by undoing its stitches, and add a new outsole of your choice by stitching it back on. 

Mesh Lining for Temperature Control, Breathability, & Cushioning

The mesh lining holds a layer of air between your socks and the upper. This air buffers the temperature, letting you feel cooler when it’s hot, and warmer when it’s cold. 

If you lace the opening of the boots less tightly, you can allow air flow in and out of the boot, removing moisture from sweat. 

The mesh lining also cushions the entire upper, which can protect you from rubbing the inside of the boot, or kinetic forces (bumps, pokes, scrapes) coming from outside of the boot.

Cushioned & Suede-Covered Heel Cup for Comfort & Wear Resistance

Since the heel cup typically gets a lot of abrasion from our bony heel, we reinforced this section with a thin layer of cushion and a covering of suede leather. 

6.5 inch Shaft Height for Balanced Protection vs Mobility

The shaft height for boots is measured from the arch to the topline. The most popular shaft height for work boots is 6 inches. Usually, these conventional work boots also have a 1.5-inch raised heel, which places their topline 7.5 inches above the floor. Since our boots don’t have a raised heel, and a stack height of only half an inch, we added half an inch more height to the shaft, to provide a bit more protection. 

Lace-to-Toe Design for Better Fit

When I started designing our first safety boot, I identified two potential issues with the steel toe. First, unlike the rest of the boot’s leather, the toe was going to stay rigid, and not slowly mold to the wearer’s feet. Second, if I did not use a lace-to-toe design, the wide opening of the safety toe could make the vamp too spacious, and cause the leather above your foot to fold uncomfortably down with every step. Third, the steel toe is hard, so jamming your toes into it would be uncomfortable.

To address these issues, I proposed a lace-to-toe design. This means that the laces go further forward on the vamp of the boots, all the way to the toe. First, this allows for a snug fit up to the balls of your feet. Second, being able to adjust volume throughout the vamp will prevent it from folding uncomfortably. Third, lace-to-toe prevents your foot from sliding forward, and jamming your toes into the steel toe. 

I originally learned of lace-to-toe designs from Thorogood, the first manufacturer of Carets shoes. Their iconic lace-to-toe Roofer boots have been an occupational favorite since 1937. To learn more about lace-to-toe’s functionality and history, check out this article from Nick’s Boots: What Is The Purpose Of Lace To Toe Boots?

Hybrid Laces (Polyester Sheath over Kevlar Core) for Clean Look & Durability

Kevlar is a synthetic fiber best known for its use in bulletproof vests. Its tensile strength-to-weight is five times stronger than steel. 

However, 100% kevlar has some drawbacks. It has a rough texture that makes it scrape against eyelet edges, eventually wearing down and breaking. This rough texture is also not comfortable to handle, and unsightly. Kevlar is also sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, degrading after prolonged exposure. 

By placing a polyester sheath over a kevlar core, we can maintain the strength benefits of kevlar, while mitigating its weaknesses. The polyester sheath runs smoothly through eyelets, is soft to the touch, and stays looking neat. Polyester is also one of the most UV-resistant fibers, and will protect the Kevlar core from UV degradation.

D-Ring Eyelets for Protection & Ease

Since these boots don’t have a waterproof membrane, I wanted to add more protection from the elements through other design features. 

With traditional punched eyelet holes, water and debris can sneak past the quarters and onto the tongue through these holes. But with D-ring eyelets, those holes are closed off by a metal rivet. The holes are shifted from within the quarters to above the quarters. 

With traditional punched eyelet holes, laces don’t slide through as easily, due to the laces being pressed between the quarters and the tongue. But with D-ring eyelets, you have a large hole that is largely suspended in the air, allowing laces to slide through with almost no resistance.  

Speed Hooks for Rapid Donning & Doffing

For years, as a lifelong Californian interested in boot design, I didn’t understand speed hooks. Sure, it’s faster to put loop laces around a hook than it is to thread laces through an eyelet. But isn’t it even faster to just leave the laces in the eyelets? That was until I learned the one-handed speed lacing trick. It might take a few tries, but you should get the hang of it in just a few minutes.

Big & Thick Pull Tab for Easier Donning

Whether you prefer to thread one finger into the loop, or grab the whole pull tab between two fingers, our big and thick pull tab makes it easier to pull on your boots. 

Size 9 weighs 782 g / 27.6 oz / 1.7 lbs

A full pair of size 9 weighs 1,564 g / 55.2 oz / 3.4 lbs. This is heavier than most barefoot shoes, but lighter than most safety boots.

Designed for Foot Strength. Built for Foot Safety.

Experience the next generation of safety work boots, with Determination.

 

Missing Features?

Are we missing any key features that you need? Tell us about it here.