King Gee Bennu Pro 9 steel toe zip sided safety boot

The Bennu Pro 9 is a steel toe safety boot built for full days on hard ground. King Gee pairs a steel toe cap with a full grain water resistant nubuck leather upper, and the zip on the side means you can get in and out without unpicking the laces every time. The boot sits in the women's work boots range, so the last and fit are cut with that in mind.

The listing leans on protection layered around the whole foot rather than just at the toe. There is D3O lateral impact protection on the sides, an XTKicker heel reinforcement at the back, and a hinged lace pocket that tucks your lace ends away so they are not catching on anything. The Kevlar RKT reflective Kevlar thread runs through the stitching for a bit of low light visibility and stitch durability.

Underfoot you get a TriTec innersole comfort system over a shock dispersion and energy rebound PU midsole, finished with a 300 degree HRO all terrain grip and traction SRC outsole. If you want to read the full listing or order a pair, you can view the Bennu Pro 9 on Done Right Safety.

Working out if it is the right boot for you

Start with whether a steel toe is what your site actually calls for. The Bennu Pro 9 has the K Guard steel toe cap, so if your task or workplace requires toe protection it ticks that box. The listing does not state which safety standard the boot is certified to, so if you need to satisfy a specific rating, confirm that on the product page or datasheet before you commit.

The zip sided format suits people who pull boots on and off often through the day. You still lace them to set the fit, then use the zip for entry, and the hinged lace pocket keeps the lace ends from flapping loose once you have them tied. The D3O lateral impact protection and XTKicker heel reinforcement are worth weighing up if your work involves side knocks or a lot of kneeling and dragging your heels across gear.

Getting the fit right

The Bennu Pro 9 sits in the women's work boots range, so try it on with the socks you actually wear on the job. Lace it once for a comfortable hold, then rely on the zip day to day so you keep the same fit each time. Check there is room at the toe and that the heel is held without slipping, since a moving heel is where blisters start. The TriTec innersole and PU midsole give you the cushioning, but only if the boot is sitting on your foot properly.

Looking after them

Full grain nubuck leather is water resistant rather than fully waterproof, so keep it conditioned and let it dry naturally if it gets soaked, away from direct heat. Knock off mud before it cakes into the outsole tread, because a clogged 300 degree HRO grip pattern loses traction. Keep an eye on the zip and the outsole as the main wear points, and replace the boots once the steel toe area, the leather or the tread are past their best.

The three boots in the matrix below are like-for-like work boots from Done Right Safety, compared on the things that actually separate one safety boot from another. The first column is the Bennu Pro 9.

If quick on and off matters and you want side and heel protection beyond the toe, the Bennu Pro 9 is the one of the three that leads with that, and its zip plus hinged lace pocket is built around fast entry. The Steel Blue Argyle is the closest format match as another zip sided boot, but it uses a composite toe instead of steel, which is the call to make if you prefer a non metal cap or work near metal detection.

The JBs Wear Steeler goes the lace up route and is the only one of the three with a safety standard stated on its listing, AS 2210.3:2019, plus a documented 200J steel toe. If a confirmed standard on the page is your priority and you do not mind lacing up each time, that is the safer pick on paper. For the King Gee and the Steel Blue, confirm the rating on their product pages before you rely on it.

Read as a whole, the Bennu Pro 9 is a well rounded zip sided steel toe boot. The combination of a K Guard steel toe, D3O lateral impact protection and the XTKicker heel reinforcement means the protection is not limited to the front of the foot, which is a genuine point of difference against plainer steel toe boots. The full grain nubuck upper covers durability, while the TriTec innersole over an energy rebound PU midsole handles comfort.

The practical touches are sensible too. A side zip with a hinged lace pocket is the sort of detail that earns its keep on a real job where you are in and out of the boots, and the SRC outsole with the 300 degree HRO grip suggests it is built for mixed surfaces rather than one clean floor.

What to verify before you buy: the listing does not state a safety standard or certification, so if you need the boot to meet a specific rating for your workplace, check the product page or datasheet to confirm it. Sizing within the women's range is also worth confirming for your own fit, since that is the kind of thing best checked on the listing rather than assumed.