Are steel toe boots useful for self defense? What SD items do you carry?

[kehcorpz]

I like cat boots and since I get new ones all the time I thought why not get the ones with steel toes? can only be an advantage. they aren't heavier. i got no issues with them.

but i wonder how useful could they be in a self-defense situation?`i cant really imagine how devastating it would be to be hit by a steel toe when you really try to kick as hard as possible.
Do you think that you could break someone's shin when you kick against it right with the front of the toe like on the pic. But on the pic he hits his leg with his foot and not the tip of his toe.

http://www.usarmycombatives.com/images/image1057.jpg

But even if the tip of the steel toe could be very destructive then the question is how difficult is it in a fight to really kick somebody against the shin and hit exactly with the tip?

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And what SD items do you carry every day? I am looking for usefull low profile stuff.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

And what SD items do you carry every day? I am looking for usefull low profile stuff.

After you have the following, if someone tries to mess with you, he will regret that his mother ever brought him into this world.

This is good for "long range stand up game".

This is good for "short range stand up game".

This is good for "ground game".

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Where in Europe do you live, what are the laws there, what are you trained to fight with, and what are the chances you will actually end up getting attacked?

 

[Tames D]

HIS

 

[Tames D]

HERS

 

[Tames D]

His and Hers

 

[RTKDCMB]

Double post

 

[RTKDCMB]

This is good for "long range stand up game".

This is good for "short range stand up game".

This is good for "ground game".

HIS

HERS

Most or all of these items would be illegal in most civilized countries and good luck trying to convince a judge that you were using these items for self defense.

 

[MAfreak]

of course would these boots be useful. even when you're to drunk to hit a shin, it prevents you at least to get stomped on your toes.
try slingshots.
i always carry keys when leaving the house.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

But even if the tip of the steel toe could be very destructive then the question is how difficult is it in a fight to really kick somebody against the shin and hit exactly with the tip?

And what SD items do you carry every day? I am looking for usefull low profile stuff.

You seem to be asking several questions. I'll try to answer them for you.

1) Are steel-toed boots useful in self-defense? Sure, why not? One drawback might be that the heavier weight of the boot slows down kicks and response times, but I am guessing the steel toe itself would help with the kick, both from the perspective of mass and solidity.

2) How difficult is it to kick in a fight and hit with the toe of the shoe? Impossible to answer. Every fight is different, people are different, etc.

3) What SD items do I carry every day? None. Carrying weapons is a choice I choose not to make. When you carry a weapon, it introduces several liabilities along with the advantages it offers.

First, a weapon is a weapon. Regardless of how people might try to convince a cop that a steel stabby thing in their pocket is actually a 'pen', most cops are not that stupid. You carry a steel stabby thing, it's a weapon and if the cop wants to charge with with carrying an unlawful concealed weapon, guess what?

Second, carrying a weapon pretty much means any fight you get into where you produce said weapon is now a fight with deadly force. If you are not lawfully permitted to use deadly force in that circumstance, you have a legal problem on your hands at the minimum.

Third, once you produce a weapon in a fight, now you have to defend that weapon as well as yourself. A bad guy will want to acquire said weapon to use on you, so your weapon is now something he would like to have and you have to defend it as well as yourself.

Fourth, if you choose to go about armed, you have to remember your weapon every single day. The day you decide to leave it at home because it's too big, bulky, hot, doesn't look good in your cargo shorts, etc, is the day you will need it.

And finally, I don't live in a world where I am randomly attacked by bad guys. I use common sense and have managed to avoid being jumped for so long, it's difficult to remember my last self-defense fight.

My personal recommendation is to train hard with unarmed self-defense techniques, use common sense to stay out of trouble, and train with weapons, but don't carry them around with you. More trouble than they are worth. My 2 cents, opinion only.

 

[Flying Crane]

I have just found that the world is actually pretty safe. Believe it or not, bad guys are not lurking around every corner, waiting for their chance to pounce on me for my lunch money. I have seen little or no reason to arm myself, and while I now live outside the City, I did live for several years right smack in a big city, in a gritty neighborhood. Still didn't find a need to be armed.

Meh.

 

[pgsmith]

And what SD items do you carry every day? I am looking for usefull low profile stuff.

I carry the most important self defense item with me everywhere I go. It's low profile, and undetectable. It's use is legal in almost every country, and it's the single most important weapon as far as self defense is concerned. That would be my brain. I use it constantly, and it's never let me down yet. Exercise it, expand it, learn everything you can about self defense and, unless your work involves law enforcement or security, the likelihood of you needing any other self defense weapon drops down to almost nothing.

 

[oftheherd1]

You seem to be asking several questions. I'll try to answer them for you.

1) Are steel-toed boots useful in self-defense? Sure, why not? One drawback might be that the heavier weight of the boot slows down kicks and response times, but I am guessing the steel toe itself would help with the kick, both from the perspective of mass and solidity.

2) How difficult is it to kick in a fight and hit with the toe of the shoe? Impossible to answer. Every fight is different, people are different, etc.

3) What SD items do I carry every day? None. Carrying weapons is a choice I choose not to make. When you carry a weapon, it introduces several liabilities along with the advantages it offers.

First, a weapon is a weapon. Regardless of how people might try to convince a cop that a steel stabby thing in their pocket is actually a 'pen', most cops are not that stupid. You carry a steel stabby thing, it's a weapon and if the cop wants to charge with with carrying an unlawful concealed weapon, guess what?

Second, carrying a weapon pretty much means any fight you get into where you produce said weapon is now a fight with deadly force. If you are not lawfully permitted to use deadly force in that circumstance, you have a legal problem on your hands at the minimum.

Third, once you produce a weapon in a fight, now you have to defend that weapon as well as yourself. A bad guy will want to acquire said weapon to use on you, so your weapon is now something he would like to have and you have to defend it as well as yourself.

Fourth, if you choose to go about armed, you have to remember your weapon every single day. The day you decide to leave it at home because it's too big, bulky, hot, doesn't look good in your cargo shorts, etc, is the day you will need it.

And finally, I don't live in a world where I am randomly attacked by bad guys. I use common sense and have managed to avoid being jumped for so long, it's difficult to remember my last self-defense fight.

My personal recommendation is to train hard with unarmed self-defense techniques, use common sense to stay out of trouble, and train with weapons, but don't carry them around with you. More trouble than they are worth. My 2 cents, opinion only.

All good advice. I would add the old saying, "If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." That means in the context of your questions and Bill's answers, that a weapon often causes one to concentrate on when and how to use a weapon, not other means to end a confrontation, such as trying to disengage, using less deadly force, using a well tested no weapon fighting technique, etc.

And FYI, once you have practiced any martial art for a year, give or take a few months, you should have no problem cracking, if not completely breaking a shin bone. That providing you work on acquiring and maximizing strength, power, and technique.

 

[gerardbu07059]

Non of those things are SD they are weapons you can be as effective with a rolled up newspaper

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[JowGaWolf]

Steel toe boots aren't a game changer. If you are in a fight, the boots aren't going to be such a beneficial advantage that you'll win a fight solely because you have steel toe boots. I'm sure there many fights where the person has steel toe boots and they never stop to think about kicking shins.. Other than protecting your toes from a foot stomp you aren't going to be worth it for "self-defense" purposes. I put it this way, I have never heard anyone push steel toe boots as a recommendation for self-defense footwear.

In my opinion I think trying to rely on a steel toe boot as a weapon will just cause the person to kick ineffectively. My guess is that you'll also be at risk of breaking your toe as it smashed against the inside of the boot. Steel toe boots were never designed for the purpose of kicking with the toe.

Here's a video of someone who has tried using steel toe boots for self defense. All of what he shows and says pretty much validates my thought about steel toe boots being bad for self defense purposes of kicking with toe.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Here is a steel bottom boots.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Steel toe boots aren't a game changer. If you are in a fight, the boots aren't going to be such a beneficial advantage that you'll win a fight solely because you have steel toe boots. I'm sure there many fights where the person has steel toe boots and they never stop to think about kicking shins.. Other than protecting your toes from a foot stomp you aren't going to be worth it for "self-defense" purposes. I put it this way, I have never heard anyone push steel toe boots as a recommendation for self-defense footwear.

In my opinion I think trying to rely on a steel toe boot as a weapon will just cause the person to kick ineffectively. My guess is that you'll also be at risk of breaking your toe as it smashed against the inside of the boot. Steel toe boots were never designed for the purpose of kicking with the toe.

Here's a video of someone who has tried using steel toe boots for self defense. All of what he shows and says pretty much validates my thought about steel toe boots being bad for self defense purposes of kicking with toe.

This is a good point. If you practice consistently to use moves that make the STBs useful, they will be a distinct advantage. Of course, when you're not wearing them, you'll be at a disadvantage, since your training will encourage you to do things that are potentially self-harmful without the boots.

The same can go for any weapon. I rarely choose to carry a weapon, though I frequently bother to note potential weapons around me. I figure the latter means I'm more likely to have a weapon handy, since I'm looking for them in the environment. I used to carry a gun, but spend too much time in places where they are not allowed (in my state, that includes anyplace people pay admission and any place people put up a sign). I used to carry a kubotan, but I can't take that on a plane, and I fly several times a month. In the end, I rely on my skills and whatever weapons I have handy.

 

[mograph]

My guess is that you'll also be at risk of breaking your toe as it smashed against the inside of the boot.

Now there's a compelling argument!

 

[drop bear]

Steel caps do more damage if you have a guy on the deck and you are kicking them in the face.

For me by the time I am in that position I am generally looking at ways to do less damage.

 

[crazydiamond]

What SD items do you carry?

I don't know about "everywhere" but into the big city every day - I carry a small tactical flashlight, 3" blade, and a tactical pen.