Safety classes for safety shoes S1 - S7

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Safety shoes are an essential part of personal protective equipment and contribute to compliance with statutory occupational health and safety requirements. According to the EN ISO 20345:2022 standard, they are divided into different categories, which are also referred to as protection or safety classes. These categories range from SB to S7. All shoes in these classes must have a steel, aluminum or plastic toe cap. Safety shoes protect against hazards such as falling objects, impacts, the ingress of liquids or electrostatic discharge and provide a secure footing. In this article, you can find out more about the protective properties of the various classes, the possible uses in different working environments and the additional requirements that these special shoes can fulfill.

What safety classes are there for shoes?

Safety shoes with a certified protective toe cap are marked with the letter "S". Every safety shoe must meet basic requirements, which relate in particular to materials. These include the construction of the shoe, the slip resistance test for a secure grip and various pressure and drop tests on the protective toe cap. Shoes that only meet the basic requirements are assigned safety class SB. Further safety classes fulfill additional requirements in addition to the basic requirements, with each higher safety class building on those below it. For example, safety class S3 is based on the requirements of classes SB, S1 and S2 and also includes these.

Safety shoes - Safety classes

The safety classes from S1 to S7 define the protective functions of safety shoes. This table provides an overview of the individual classes and their requirements:

Safety class	Properties	Suitable for
S1	Toe cap, antistatic properties, energy absorption in the heel area	Dry work areas, e.g. warehouse
S1P	Like S1, with additional puncture-resistant midsole	Work areas with sharp objects on the floor
S2	Like S1, with additional water-repellent upper material	Work areas with light moisture
S3	As S2, with additional puncture-resistant midsole and profiled outsole	Outdoor areas and construction sites
S4	Toe cap, antistatic, water and oil resistant, made entirely of plastic or rubber	Areas with heavy moisture, e.g. cleaning work
S5	As S4, with additional puncture-resistant midsole and profiled outsole	Outdoor areas with high humidity and sharp objects
S6	Like S3, additionally insulating against cold	Work areas in cold environments
S7	Like S6, with additional heat-resistant outsole	Areas with extreme temperatures

Safety class S1

Shoes in protection class S1 are closed in the heel area and offer an energy absorption capacity of at least 20 joules. The sole is antistatic and can also be resistant to fuels, which is indicated by the abbreviation "FO". Only shoes that have passed the prescribed test procedure may bear this symbol. In the new 2022 version of the standard, the fuel-resistant sole is optional, in contrast to the previous version, which made this mandatory.

uvex 2 trend ESD safety shoe S1 low shoe W 11, size 35-48

CHF 99.50

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uvex 1 G2 ESD safety shoe S1 low shoe W 11, size 35-48

CHF 123.80

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uvex 1 ESD safety shoe S1 low shoe width 11, size 35-48

CHF 119.50

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Safety classes S1 P, S1 PL, S1 PS

In addition to the requirements of protection class S1, safety shoes in classes S1 P, S1 PL and S1 PS must also pass a puncture resistance test in the outsole area. The "P" stands for an integrated steel midsole, "PL" for a textile insole that has been tested with a 4.5 millimeter test nail, and "PS" for a textile insole that has passed the test with a 3 millimeter test nail.

Safety class S2

Shoes in protection class S2 have an upper material that meets the requirements for water repellency (water-repellent effect) for at least 60 minutes. This property is verified by the "Water Penetration and Absorption" test (symbol WPA).

uvex 2 trend safety shoe S2 low shoe W 11, size 35-48

CHF 99.50

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uvex 2 xenova ESD safety shoe S2 low shoe W 11, size 35-48

CHF 132.50

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uvex 1 ESD safety shoe S2 low shoe width 11, size 35-48

CHF 134.50

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Safety classes S3, S3 L, S3 S

Class S3, S3L and S3S safety shoes have an outsole with an open side tread at least 2.5 millimeters deep. Class S3 shoes are also equipped with a steel midsole. Protection class S3L shoes have a textile insole that has passed the test with a 4.5 millimeter test nail, while S3S shoes have a textile insole that has passed the test with a 3 millimeter test nail.

uvex 2 safety shoe S3L low shoe W 11, size 35-48

CHF 139.50

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Heckel RUN-R 400 LOW safety shoe S3 low shoe W 11, size 37-48

CHF 88.50

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ESD safety shoe "QS500 Birkenstock", black

CHF 104.50

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Security classes S4 & S5

Safety classes S4 and S5 apply to special all-polymer and nitrile boots with protective toecaps, which are molded throughout and differ from traditional footwear. Boots in safety class S4 are antistatic, slip-resistant, offer energy absorption in the heel area and are both waterproof and fuel-proof. Safety class S5 includes all the advantages of S4, but also has an outsole with penetration protection and a special profile for a secure grip on slippery surfaces.

Safety class S6

Safety class S6 refers to shoes with the properties of protection class S2, but which are completely waterproof. These shoes are usually made with membrane technology.

Safety classes S7, S7L, S7S

Safety shoes in protection class S7 offer all the features of S6 shoes, which are based on protection class S2, and also offer protection against punctures thanks to their steel soles. Certain areas of the outsole must have an open side profile with a minimum depth of 2.5 millimeters. Shoes in safety class S7L have a textile insole that can withstand a 4.5-millimeter test nail, while the insole of S7S shoes has passed a 3-millimeter test nail test.