Over the holiday season, I began working nights at a local manufacturer to earn some extra money. The job required that I wear steel toe shoes, which I did not have. As I would only need the shoes for a couple months I didn’t want to spend a lot of money to buy the shoes. I decided to check out Wal-Mart’s selection of steel toed shoes looking for a bargain. After trying on a few different pair, I choose the Brahma Cruize as they were the most comfortable of the less expensive choices.
The Cruize is a black, low cut shoe. The shoes are primarily constructed of man-made materials, with some leather on the uppers. In addition to having steel toes, the shoes have a synthetic rubber sole that is both slip resistant and oil resistant. This means that the shoes are designed to resist skidding on wet floors and other slick surfaces and the rubber resists deterioration as a result of contact with oil. Due to the skid resistant tread which does not have deep lugs like regular work boots, these shoes would not be ideal for those who work outside. The shoes are not waterproof.
For less than $40, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from the shoes, but after wearing them for about 40 hours every week for 3 months, I have been pleasantly surprised. The shoes show little wear, with only some scuffs on the exterior and a dime sized hole worn in the lining of one shoe. The tread shows very little wear either. The only serious problem is that the material in the shoes has stretched and the shoes just barely tie tightly enough to fit snugly. I should note that most of the time at work is spent standing on a soft mat or walking on concrete, it is not a particularly rough environment for shoes. However, the shoes still have held up better than I expected that they would for the price.
If you need a low-cost pair of steel toe shoes for indoor use in a light industrial setting, you should consider these shoes. While there are certainly better shoes on the market, the Cruize is a solid pair of shoes considering the low price.