Historically, work boots have been designed primarily with men in mind. Work boots were generally bulky, more rugged in their look, and made to fit the width of a man's foot. Manufacturer's have since began making more work boots specifically for women. They've started by offering traditional work boots in womens sizes and widths and some have also started offering feminine styling as well. This article discusses some of the brands that make non-western womens work boots and some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Bates - Bates Work boots for Women are built in womens widths, but tend to have little by way of feminine looks. Most are made in tactical black and are built with uniform styling in mind and light weight functionality. Most boots have a steel toe option and one great feature of Womens Bates Work boots is the side zipper option for easy on and off.

Black Diamond - Womens Black Diamond Work Boots are ideal for Journeymen, engineers, and public works where one is immersed deep in water for long periods of time. Great for work and in womens sizes, but not feminine in their look.

Blundstone - Easy slip on boots in various styles designed to be slip resistant and comfortable, but do not come in safety toe options and are not feminine.

Caterpillar - Womens Caterpillar work shoes are very durable and come with many of the safety features that their sister brand Wolverine come with at a slightly reduced cost. These are a great option for the woman who needs deep tread and great durability, but the work boots lack feminine styling that is ideal for the general worker who has more wardrobe flexibility.

Converse/Rockport - Converse Work and Rockport Work are both made from the Warson Group and have effectively the same specifications. Warson is one of the largest suppliers of womens work boots and shoes. They make just about every style of work boot and have a number of sneaker and hiker styles that you would never guess are engineered work shoes. A good option for the factory worker who needs a slip resistant sole or safety-toe but does not need the rugged durability of a conventional work boot.

Dr. Martens - Since it's inception, Dr. Martens boots were designed for work. The extremely durable design and long wearing soles were great for work in the factory. The disadvantages to Dr. Martens Boots is that the number of styles that offer steel-toes is limited, few of their styles have been engineered for slip resistance and other specialty situations, and their insoles do not offer great comfort or protection from foot compression. Where Dr. Martens make up for their limitations is in their attention to style, the feminine options and popularity. They make a durable work boot that also looks good and can be paired with many outfits.

Georgia Boot - Georgia Boot does not offer a lot of different womens work boots. All of their boots are heavy weight extremely durable boots with good tread. They over a Logger boot, and some tread heavy wellingtons. Ideal for a work environment on an outdoor jobsite or an engineering setting.

Magnum - Womens Magnum Work Boots have a very similar look and feel to Bates work boots. They make almost exclusively tactical boots, meaning all boots are black and womens boots look the same as mens boots. The advantage of Magnum boots are that they are lightweight and comfortable, but they are not feminine in any way.

Rocky - Rocky makes a number of womens work boot styles which are very similar in style to Georgia Boots. Most styles are tall with options up to 12" high, and all are made with durability and outdoor functionality in mind. They do have steel toe options and some side zip options but are not intended to be a fashion statement.

Timberland - Similar in style and option to Caterpillar. Timberland work boot offerings for women are limited primarily to temperate weather outdoor work environments. They have, however, started to venture into some fashionable work boots now making a Bubble Gum Pink work boot with some additional feminine offerings coming soon.

Wolverine Boots - The final brand on the list for womens work boots is wolverine. Wolverine has made a number of styles of womens work boots and shoes. The have an entire series of womens slip ons in different colors and feminine shapes all containing the iCS comfort system. In addition, they have womens hiker styles, wellington boots, and traditional work boots for women. Wolverine stands out as the premium brand for durability and comfort, and makes some feminine work shoes, but falls short of other brands when it comes to the selection of feminine work boots.

There are a few other smaller brands not discussed in this review, but all the major brands that make all weather work boots for women have been discussed here. As always, the right work boot for you depends on the type of work you are doing. Your work footwear is intended to keep you protected and keep you working longer. However, if and when a fashionable and lightweight feminine boot or shoe can do that for you, it can be a good alternative to the traditional and mundane work boot.