thumb|a pair of well-worn steel-toe shoes.  a steel-toe boot (also known as a safety boot, steel-capped boot or safety shoe) is a durable boot or shoe that has a protective reinforcement in the toe which protects the foot from falling objects or compression, usually combined with a mid sole plate to protect against punctures from below. although traditionally made of steel, the reinforcement can also be made of a composite material, a plastic such as thermoplastic polyurethane (tpu) or even aluminum. steel-toe boots are important in the construction industry and in many industrial settings. occupational safety and health legislation or insurance requirements may require the use of such boots in some settings, and may mandate certification of such boots and the display of such certification directly on the boots. the markings on the boot label will indicate the national or international standards that the boot was intended to meet, and identify the level of protection offered for impact, penetration, electric shock, and chemical hazards. footwear for use in chemical processing or semiconductor manufacturing may also be rated to dissipate static electricity while still protecting the wearer from electric shock.  safety footwear now comes in many styles, including sneakers and clogs. some are quite formal, for supervising engineers who must visit sites where protective footwear is mandatory. some brands of steel-toe footwear have become fashionable within subcultures such as skinhead, punk, and rivethead. while brands that were previously renowned within the fashion industry have also diversified into the safety footwear market, industrial brands like caterpillar, rock fall and jcb have also issued licenses to produce safety footwear. == safety criteria == most safety shoes have symbols on the outside, to indicate the protection the shoe offers. examples are: *green triangle  indicates that it is a class 1 toe cap with puncture resistant sole. *yellow triangle  indicates that it is a class 2 toe cap with puncture resistant sole. *white square (with ohm symbol)  indicates electrical protection. *yellow square (with sd) indicates anti-static protection. *red square (with c) indicates electrically conductive. *fir tree indicates protection against chain-saws. ===united states=== in the united states, the applicable standard for protective footwear is [[american society
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