Carhartt vs Steel Blue:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Carhartt had more branded searches than Steel Blue among work boot brands worldwide. Carhartt had about 14,400 branded searches, while Steel Blue had 11,800. Carhartt made up 2.8% 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, neither Carhartt nor Steel Blue appeared in any of the five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Carhartt, about 22% more searches than Steel Blue
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 5 answers.
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Top work boot brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, neither Carhartt nor Steel Blue showed up 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- Carhartt0 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 Carhartt or Steel Blue more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Carhartt 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 Carhartt, 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% |
Steel Blue sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “steel blue work boots”.
How has the Carhartt and Steel Blue comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Carhartt was ahead of Steel Blue in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Carhartt’s share of searches among work boot brands worldwide moved from 2.9% to 2.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 19.4K to 14.4K.
- 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
Estimated monthly branded searches for Carhartt worldwide fell 25.8% over 12 measured months, from 19.4K to 14.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Carhartt’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.
Carhartt
3 branded search terms
- carhartt safety boots
- carhartt steel toe boots
- carhartt work boots
Steel Blue
2 branded search terms
- steel blue safety boots
- steel blue work boots
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