Ariat vs Steel Blue:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ariat had more branded searches than Steel Blue among work boot brands worldwide. Ariat had about 70,400 branded searches, while Steel Blue had 11,800. Ariat made up 13.5% of all work boot brand searches we track, and Steel Blue accounted for 2.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about work boot brands, Ariat appeared in one of the five answers and Steel Blue in none.
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Top work boot brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ariat was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Steel Blue did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Red Wing5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- KEEN Utility5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Thorogood4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Timberland PRO3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Wolverine2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Ariat1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Danner1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Georgia Boot0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Caterpillar0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Steel Blue0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about work boot brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which work boot brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best work boot brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best work boot brand for all day comfort?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best work boots”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“comfortable work boots”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Ariat or Steel Blue more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Ariat and Steel Blue by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 14 work boot brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Ariat, Steel Blue. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Thorogood | Timberland PRO | Ariat | Red Wing | Georgia Boot | Caterpillar | Dr. Martens | Wolverine | Blundstone | Danner | Carhartt | Steel Blue | Oliver | KEEN Utility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 20% | 15.1% | 12.7% | 17.5% | 7.3% | 5.1% | 4.7% | 5.2% | 3% | 2.5% | 2.9% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 21.2% | 16.9% | 15.9% | 15.2% | 7.8% | 4% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.85% |
| Dec 2025 | 20.9% | 23.8% | 9.2% | 11% | 9.4% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 6.9% | 2.1% | 3.7% | 3.5% | 1% | 0.8% | 0.94% |
| Jan 2026 | 16.7% | 31.7% | 8.7% | 12.7% | 6.1% | 5% | 3.3% | 5.2% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 2.4% | 1.2% | 0.97% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 21.9% | 21.3% | 10.4% | 15.7% | 6.6% | 5% | 4% | 3.7% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 1% | 0.96% |
| Mar 2026 | 19.3% | 24.3% | 12.3% | 11.7% | 7.1% | 5% | 4.3% | 3.6% | 3.2% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 20.1% | 20.9% | 10.8% | 16.3% | 7.4% | 4.8% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 2.2% | 2.4% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 1.5% |
| May 2026 | 21.1% | 16.9% | 13.5% | 12.1% | 7.8% | 5.6% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.2% | 5.6% | 2.3% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 21.9% | 19.2% | 11.8% | 13% | 6.6% | 5.6% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 17.7% | 19.7% | 11.6% | 19.3% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 3.2% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 19.4% | 21.7% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 7.2% | 7.1% | 3.6% | 3.8% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 21.1% | 19.2% | 13.5% | 10.2% | 7.8% | 6.1% | 4.1% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
Ariat and Steel Blue sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “ariat work boots”.
How has the Ariat and Steel Blue comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ariat was ahead of Steel Blue in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ariat’s share of searches among work boot brands worldwide moved from 12.7% to 13.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 86.1K to 70.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Steel Blue’s share of searches among work boot brands worldwide moved from 1.7% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 11.5K to 11.8K.
How did search popularity change for work boot brands worldwide in September 2026?
1 change

In September 2026, Ariat gained share of searches among work boot brands worldwide, from 12.8% to 13.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ariat’s and Steel Blue’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Ariat
2 branded search terms
- ariat safety boots
- ariat work boots
Steel Blue
2 branded search terms
- steel blue safety boots
- steel blue work boots
Other head-to-heads among work boot brands

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