As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Quick Picks
| Shoe | Safety toe | Best suited to | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skechers Men's Cankton Steel Toe Construction Shoe - Electrical Hazard Rated | Steel safety toe, ASTM F2413 impact and compression | Men's sizing, steel-toe job sites that also want EH protection and a lugged rubber outsole | Check Price on Amazon |
| Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black | Composite toe, meets or exceeds ASTM F2413 | Women's sizing, metal-free requirements, wide toe box, lightweight foam cushioning | Check Price on Amazon |
Disclosure: We earn a small commission from qualifying Amazon purchases at no extra cost to you.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Last Updated: September 2026
Quick Answer
Look, these two shoes chase the same buyer — someone who wants sneaker comfort with a safety toe — but they get there with opposite hardware.
Pick the Skechers Men's Cankton Steel Toe Construction Shoe - Electrical Hazard Rated if you want a metal toe cap. Its listing states the steel safety toe meets ASTM F2413 impact and compression standards, plus Electrical Hazard (EH) safe design protection.
Pick the Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black if a non-metallic shoe is what your site or screening process calls for. Its listing states the composite toe reduces weight while maintaining impact protection and meets or exceeds ASTM F2413, and it describes the shoe as 100% non-metallic with an extra wide toe.
And here's the fork that settles this for a lot of readers before any spec does: the Reebok record is a women's shoe, and the Skechers record is a men's shoe in black/charcoal, size 11. Same product category, different sizing lines.
Full Comparison Table
| Feature | Skechers Men's Cankton Steel Toe Construction Shoe - Electrical Hazard Rated | Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black |
|---|---|---|
| Toe cap material | Steel safety toe | Composite toe, listed as XTR Brand Composite Toe Cap |
| Safety standard cited | Steel safety toe meets ASTM F2413 impact and compression standards | Composite toe meets or exceeds ASTM F2413 |
| Electrical Hazard | Electrical Hazard (EH) safe design protection | Electrical Hazard Protection listed |
| Metal content | Steel toe cap | Listed as 100% non-metallic, no metal |
| Upper | High-abrasion duraleather with mesh panels | EXOFUSE water resistant and breathable microfiber |
| Cushioning | Memory Foam cushioned insole | MemoryTech Massage footbed |
| Midsole | Not stated in the supplied listing information | Sublite foam midsole for lightweight cushioning and soft support |
| Outsole / traction | Flexible rubber outsole with lug pattern; listed as non slip work shoes for men | Full-foot flex grooves; listing also states slip resistant |
| Fit note | Roomy Relaxed Fit design | Extra wide toe |
| Sizing line | Listed as a men's shoe, black/charcoal, size 11 | Listed as a women's shoe, black |
| Price | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
Design & Build Quality
The supplied listing information for the Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black does not state whether it is a shoe or a boot. The Skechers Men's Cankton Steel Toe Construction Shoe - Electrical Hazard Rated listing describes athletic sneaker styling.
The Skechers listing describes a sporty lace-up design that combines work boot protection with comfortable athletic sneaker styling, built on a high-abrasion duraleather upper with mesh panels for durability and breathability. That combination reads as a compromise upper: a coated synthetic panel where scuffing happens, open mesh where heat builds. The listing does not state a water resistance rating for the upper, and mesh panels are generally the opposite of a sealed construction, so treat it as a dry-environment shoe unless the manufacturer says otherwise.
The Reebok takes the other approach. Its upper is an EXOFUSE water resistant and breathable microfiber, and Reebok's listing separately calls the shoe extremely lightweight and flexible with full-foot flex grooves. Water resistant is not waterproof — it is a splash-and-spill claim, not an immersion claim — but on a wet warehouse floor or a wash-down area, a water resistant microfiber is a meaningfully different starting point from a mesh-paneled upper.
Preferred here: the Reebok, if damp conditions are part of your day, purely on the strength of the stated water resistant upper.
Features & Functionality
This is where the two split hardest, and it's the whole reason both shoes exist.
- Toe protection. The Skechers uses a steel safety toe that its listing says meets ASTM F2413 impact and compression standards. The Reebok uses a composite toe that its listing says reduces weight while maintaining impact protection and meets or exceeds ASTM F2413.
- Metal. The Reebok listing states the shoe is 100% non-metallic with no metal. The Skechers, by definition of a steel toe, contains metal. If you pass through a metal detector at shift start, that difference is not a preference — it's a requirement.
- Electrical Hazard. Both listings claim EH protection: Skechers lists Electrical Hazard (EH) safe design protection, and the Reebok listing lists Electrical Hazard Protection. Neither claim is a substitute for your employer's own PPE assessment and workplace hazard controls.
- Fit accommodation. Skechers markets a roomy Relaxed Fit design; Reebok lists an extra wide toe. Both are width-friendly framings, but they are marketing descriptions of last shape, not published width measurements, so neither tells you a letter width.
Performance
No one here has worn either shoe, so what follows is inference from the published bullets — labeled as such.
Weight. Reebok's listing explicitly ties the composite toe to weight reduction and calls the shoe extremely lightweight, and it adds a Sublite foam midsole for lightweight cushioning and soft support. Steel toe caps are dense by nature. The supplied information does not state either shoe's weight in ounces or grams, so the honest comparison is directional: Reebok makes a weight claim, Skechers does not.
Traction. Both listings make a slip-resistance claim. The Skechers Men's Cankton Steel Toe Construction Shoe - Electrical Hazard Rated listing cites a flexible rubber outsole with a lug pattern for grip and stability and describes them as non slip work shoes for men. The Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black listing states slip resistant. Neither listing supplies a coefficient-of-friction figure or names the test surface, so a slip-resistance ranking between the two is not established by the supplied data.
Underfoot comfort over a long shift. Skechers pairs Memory Foam with the Relaxed Fit for what it calls long shifts. Reebok stacks a MemoryTech Massage footbed that adapts to the contours of the foot on top of the Sublite foam midsole. On paper, the Reebok has the more layered cushioning story — footbed plus a named midsole — while the Skechers listing describes the insole only. That is a specification difference, not a measured comfort difference.
Skechers Men's Cankton Steel Toe Construction Shoe - Electrical Hazard Rated — Best for steel-toe job sites that want sneaker styling
If your site spec sheet says steel toe, this is the one of the two that qualifies. The Skechers Men's Cankton Steel Toe Construction Shoe - Electrical Hazard Rated listing states that its steel safety toe meets ASTM F2413 impact and compression standards for work boots for men, plus Electrical Hazard (EH) safe design protection.
Strengths
- Steel toe cap with ASTM F2413 impact and compression standards cited by the manufacturer
- EH safe design protection listed alongside the toe rating
- Rubber lug outsole for grip and stability, per the listing
- Memory Foam insole and Relaxed Fit framing aimed at long shifts
- Contains metal, so it is unsuitable where non-metallic footwear is mandated
- The supplied listing information does not state a midsole material, shoe weight, or water resistance rating
- Mesh panels in the upper are a breathability feature, not a wet-weather one
Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black — Best for metal-free requirements and wide feet
Here's the thing: the non-metallic claim is the headline. Reebok's listing states the shoe is 100% non-metallic with an XTR Brand Composite Toe Cap, and that the composite toe reduces weight while maintaining impact protection and meets or exceeds ASTM F2413.
Strengths
- Composite, 100% non-metallic construction for metal-detector environments
- Manufacturer describes it as extremely lightweight and flexible, with full-foot flex grooves
- EXOFUSE water resistant and breathable microfiber upper
- Two-part cushioning: MemoryTech Massage footbed over a Sublite foam midsole
- Extra wide toe; the listing also states slip resistant
- Listed as a women's shoe, so it does not serve a buyer shopping men's sizing
- The Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black listing states the composite toe meets or exceeds ASTM F2413, but the supplied listing information gives no post-impact guidance for the toe cap
- The supplied listing information does not state a weight figure, so the lightweight claim stays a manufacturer claim
Price & Value
Check current price on Amazon for both, since work footwear pricing moves with size and color.
On value framing rather than dollars: the Reebok bundles more separately named comfort technologies — footbed, midsole, flex grooves, upper material — while the Skechers concentrates its bullets on the safety package and a lugged outsole. Which is better value depends entirely on whether your requirement list includes the word steel or the words non-metallic.
Which Should You Buy?
- You need men's sizing and a steel toe. Skechers Men's Cankton Steel Toe Construction Shoe - Electrical Hazard Rated. It is the only one of the two with a steel safety toe. Check Price on Amazon
- You pass through metal detectors. Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black, on the strength of the listed 100% non-metallic build. Check Price on Amazon
- You want the lighter shoe. The supplied listing information publishes no weight for either shoe, so this comparison is not established. The Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black listing states its composite toe reduces weight while maintaining impact protection, but that remains a manufacturer claim rather than a measured figure.
- Your floors are frequently damp. The Reebok, whose upper is described as water resistant.
- You want a lugged outsole for loose or uneven ground. The Skechers, which is the one describing a lug pattern.
- You need EH-rated footwear. Either — both listings state Electrical Hazard protection. Confirm the requirement with your safety officer.
How We Research
This page was built by reading the Amazon Creators API verified product record and every product listing feature bullet for both ASINs, retrieved 8 September 2026, then comparing the claims line by line. Where the two listings describe an attribute in incompatible language — traction is the clearest case — we say the comparison is not established rather than invent a ranking. Nothing on this site is physically tested.
Final Verdict
There is no universal winner here, and pretending otherwise would be dishonest, because these shoes are sold into different sizing lines and different toe-material requirements.
My opinionated read: the Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black has the deeper specification sheet for comfort and for wet-floor use, with a footbed, a named foam midsole, flex grooves and a water resistant microfiber upper all listed. The Skechers Men's Cankton Steel Toe Construction Shoe - Electrical Hazard Rated is the cleaner answer when a steel toe is written into the requirement, and it backs that with a lugged rubber outsole and EH protection.
Start with your employer's PPE requirement, then match the shoe to it. That single step decides this comparison faster than any spec paragraph will.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Reebok Sublite Cushion also EH rated? The listing for the Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black lists Electrical Hazard Protection along with ASTM F2413 and slip resistance. Treat any EH claim as a manufacturer statement and confirm it satisfies your own workplace requirement.
Is this the Reebok RB4041? No. The record used on this page is the Reebok Work RB491 Women's Sublite Cushion Work Safety Toe Black. RB4041 is a different catalogue number and is not covered by the listing information used here, so nothing on this page should be read as describing it.
Which one is lighter? Neither listing publishes a weight. Reebok's listing states its composite toe reduces weight while maintaining impact protection and calls the shoe extremely lightweight, so the weight claim exists on one side only.
Can I wear either through a metal detector? The Reebok listing states the shoe is 100% non-metallic with no metal, which is the relevant claim for detector screening. The Skechers uses a steel safety toe, so it contains metal.
Are these waterproof? No waterproof claim appears for either. Reebok describes its EXOFUSE upper as water resistant and breathable, which covers splashes rather than immersion, and the supplied Skechers listing information does not state a water resistance rating.
Do both meet the same safety standard? Both listings reference ASTM F2413 — Skechers for its steel toe's impact and compression performance, Reebok for a composite toe that it says meets or exceeds the standard. The specific rating codes printed inside each shoe are not stated in the supplied listing information, so check the label if your site requires a particular designation.
Sources & Methodology
Nobody here laced up either of these shoes: this website does no physical or laboratory testing, and safety footwear is a category where that limit matters, since impact, compression and electrical hazard performance can only be verified by an accredited lab against ASTM F2413. What this page does rest on is the Amazon Creators API verified product record and the full set of product listing feature bullets for both ASINs, checked 8 September 2026, read closely enough to separate a published specification from a marketing adjective. That's enough to tell you which shoe carries a steel toe and which is non-metallic, which one claims water resistance, and which requirement list each belongs on — but for confirmed fit, width and the exact rating stamped inside the shoe, buy from a returnable source and check the label. General consumer safety context is available from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and USA.gov consumer protection.