How effective would steel toed boots be in a self defense situation and should you kick with the toe or the flat of the foot?
Extremely effective no matter where you kick the person, especially the shin! Why would you kick with the flat of your foot wearing steel toe boots though? Kind of defeats the purpose of having a steel toed boot.
Still covered by a rubber bottom though right? I'm sure you're not going "tink, tink' while walking around the job site . I'll have to look into this, they must be extremely uncomfortable to wear if you're foot can't flex due to a metal plate on the bottom.
Normal pair of boots were usually sufficient for me to stop nails going into my foot when I was hanging drywall, didn't work so well for things falling on your toe though : P. Sounds like an OSHA type super precaution, or whatever construction regulating organization you guys have over the pond. I can't imagine walking around for 8-10 hours in boots that don't flex! Still better than a tennis shoe though I'm sure. Having a nail go deep into my foot was how I made the transition from shoes to boots.
I wear trainer most of the time unless spotted. Not sure if they're kevlar or similar now for sole protection but either way they're a pain
imagine a round house kick using the toe to the rib cage withh those on. or even the head, that could kill a guy for sure.
Surely the added weight of the heavy boot will affect your kick, and your balance.. Head shots would be the last thing on my mind, unless the guy was already on the ground..
Now I want a whole armour . Possibly a Nazgûl one, cloak included. I'll be well protected and scare off old grannies!
Judging by the state of the oil drum at work after I had a bit of a temper tantrum a little while back , I'd say very effective .
You're not really aware of the steel plate in the sole while you're walking around, or of the steel toe caps. They're just quite heavy boots. But they're not as comfortable as a pair of proper walking boots because they aren't designed for the same purpose.
Geoff Thompson's "Watch My Back" gives a good account of them, IIRC... If he's to be believed, kicking people in the head wasn't a problem either.
I have used one to snap kick someone in the shin, it wasn't legally a problem because it was reasonable force, also I had reason to wear them as I had stock checking/handling/moving/receiving duties as well as security on that job. But it was one of them where you kind of feel sorry for them with the effect it had.............. well just a little
