A
step up in
foot protection from the simple
steel toed boot, the
metatarsal protector is a
metal shell that covers the most of the body of the foot as well. It is standard
safety clothing on some
factory floors.
In the boot I have seen that has had one of these, the protector was a kind of large stiff flap that was encased in leather and sewn into the boot around the toe, covering the laces, and making the boot look as though it had a huge tongue that was hanging out of the laces.