Optimally Protected - From Toe to Heel.

Which shoe do i need?
At the latest in professions where foot protection in the form of safety shoes becomes relevant, the question arises for employees or safety officers: What protection class must the safety shoes have? It often turns out that the differences between the most common protection classes are not clear enough. To shed light on this, the structure of the protection classes is presented below.

Safety classes
Safety shoes are divided into two classes.

• Class I (SB, S1, S2, S3): Footwear made of leather or other materials, with the exception of solid rubber or all-polymer footwear.
• Class II (SB, S4, S5): All-rubber footwear (i.e. whole vulcanised footwear) or all-polymer footwear (i.e. whole moulded footwear).

If you have foot protection that only meets the basic requirements, you have an SB safety shoe. Only in this SB safety category can the heel area be open. If the safety shoe fulfils further additional requirements, it is classified in different safety classes. S1, S2, S3, S4 & S5.

Here you will find a complete overview of the minimum requirements of EN ISO 20345 for each safety class.

Sicherheitsschuhe SB
Shoes with this class are basically normal shoes that are provided with a protective cap, which is certified according to DIN EN 12568. Thus, shoes of this class are the simplest models. However, due to the low level of protection, the area of application of these shoes is relatively limited.

Sicherheitsschuhe S1
Safety shoes of protection class S1 must meet the minimum requirements. The upper material and lining must be tear and abrasion resistant and permeable to water vapour. The basic equipment includes a protective toe cap that can withstand an impact of at least 200 joules and a pressure of at least 15 kN. This means that the work shoes can withstand a weight of 20 kilograms from a height of one metre. If the drop height is zero, the toe protection can withstand about 1,500 kg. The toe protection can be made of steel, aluminium, plastic or carbon. If the protective toe cap is damaged because an object has fallen on the foot, it may no longer fulfil its protective function. Then the work shoes must be replaced as soon as possible.

S1 work shoes also have an antistatic sole. It ensures that electricity can leave the body and thus prevents small electric shocks. The sole must be resistant to oil and petrol. The heel must be closed, which provides stable all-round protection. This includes sandals that are closed at the back. Clogs, however, do not belong to this, because they only correspond to the category "SB", the basic equipment.

Safety shoes of this protection class are mainly used in wholesale, canteen kitchens, bakeries or by truck drivers who need lightweight shoes and occasionally perform loading activities.

The other protection classes are based on protection class S1. These are extended by a wide range of properties, which are explained in more detail below.

Safety Shoes S1P
This protection class has the same properties as protection class S1. The suffix "P" stands for "penetration proof". Thus, shoes of this protection class are supplemented by a penetration protection. An additional midsole made of stainless steel or synthetic fibres is incorporated.  This addition is important when there is a threat of danger from below. Sharp objects lying around, such as nails and similar objects, which can threaten the health of the foot from below.

Areas of application are, for example, in joiner's workshops and trades where there is also a threat of danger from below, but the working environment is rather dry.

Safety Shoes S2
In protection class S2, the safety shoes must meet all the requirements from class S1. However, protection class S2 has no penetration protection. In addition, requirements are placed on the shoe with regard to water penetration and water permeability. The water penetration (expressed as the increase in mass of the textile plate after 60 minutes) must not be greater than 0.2 g and the water absorption must not be greater than 30 %.

Protection class S2 is mainly worn in warehouses, car workshops or for difficult activities in a more humid environment such as concrete work or when processing chemical substances.

Safety Shoes S3
An S3 shoe fulfils the requirements of protection class S2. The shoe is supplemented by a penetration protection as well as a profiled outsole, such as in the SAFETY-GRIP series - for improved slip and slip resistance. In the sole version with a 6mm tread thickness, additional edges and bevels provide excellent grip and stability, even under extreme outdoor ground conditions. Class S3 safety shoes are suitable for hard work on construction sites, in warehouses when handling pallet trucks, pallets, forklifts or even in civil engineering. 

S1, S2 and S3 in compa
If you look at the three essential classes again, you will see that the protection of the feet increases with a higher number of the class. So S3 has the highest protection, especially protection against nail penetration. S2 and S3 protect in wet conditions, S1 does not have these two properties.

These are the differences at a glance:

• S1: Protective toe cap
• S1P: Protective toe cap + Penetration protection
• S2: Protective toe cap + waterproof
• S3: Protective toe cap + waterproof + penetration protection + profiled sole

Safety Shoes S4 and S5
These classes are identical to S2 and S3, but must be fully closed and waterproof. Because of these requirements, shoes in these classes are almost exclusively found as rubber boots. The great advantage of these materials is a certain resistance to chemicals, as well as easy maintenance. Compared to the S4, the S5 class has additional protection against penetration.

Explanation of the additional values
When looking at the safety classes of footwear, additional information is often listed after the protection classes, e.g. EN ISO 20345 S1 P SRC.

This is what the abbreviations mean:

• P: puncture-resistant
• C: electrically conductive shoes
• A: antistatic
• FO: fuel-resistant
• HI: thermal insulation
• CI: cold insulation
• E: Energy absorption capacity in the heel area
• ESD: Electrostatic discharge (Standard IEC 61340-4-3:2017)
• WR: waterproof shoes
• M: Midfoot protection
• AN: Ankle protection
• WRU: water-repellent shoe top
• CR: Cut resistance of the upper material
• HRO: Heat protection up to 300 °C Form
• B: Ankle/mid-height shoes
• SRA: Slip resistance on ceramic tile floor with NaLS
• SRB: Slip resistance on steel floor with glycerine
• SRC: Slip resistance of the sole (levels A, B, C, where C is the highest level)

Tips for wearing work shoes
It is important that your work shoes enclose your feet well. Wearing shoes that are too big or too small will result in less strength, stability and comfort. Do you wear insoles? Check whether standard insoles in work shoes can be removed. This will increase comfort. Wearing the right socks (e.g. thermal socks) can also increase comfort.

Overview of standards
This European Standard DIN EN 12568 specifies the requirements and test methods for toe caps and penetration resistant insoles used in professional footwear (as described e.g. in DIN EN ISO 20345 to DIN EN ISO 20347).

Safety shoes comply with the EN ISO 20345 standard.

• Protective feature: steel cap or plastic cap whose protective effect is tested with a test energy of 200 joules.
• If your safety shoe also meets other requirements (see additional values, it is designated by the different safety classes.
• classifies the safety classes SB, S1, S1P, S2, S2P, S3, S4 and S5.

Work shoes are characterised by EN ISO 20347.

• Protective feature: without protective cap, but e.g. anti-slip, anti-static, etc.
• Suitable for work areas where there is only a low risk of injury.