The new standard for safety footwear EN ISO 20345: 2022 came into effect in 2022. This has brought changes in various areas. The most important are in the areas of waterproofness and penetration resistance. Because S2 and S3 work shoes previously had an extra WR (Water Resistant) property for being waterproof confusion often arose, as normal S2 or S3 work shoes only have a water-resistant top. The same goes for to penetration resistance. This has been expanded and highlighted for clarification in the updated standard. We will explain how it works below.
WR and WPA, waterproof and water-repellent explained
In the past you already had WR and WRU (Water Resistant and Water Resistant Upper), or water-repellent and water-repellent top. The WRU was a standard feature on both S2 and S3 work boots and work shoes. This means that with light contact with water, the work shoe or work boot will not leak for up to 60 minutes. For work footwear with the WR property, this is up to at least 80 minutes. But because this occurred in both S2 and S3, it caused confusion. To improve this, they have made the following adjustments:
S2 and S3 footwear with the WRU feature have now been renamed to Water Penetration and Absorption (WPA). If a shoe or boot does have the Water Resistant (WR) property, the S2 standard is converted to an S6 standard. For an S3 work shoe or boot, this becomes the S7 standard.
Waterproof S6/S7 work shoes and work boots
What used to be the S3 work shoe with a Water Resistant standard has now been converted into an S7 work shoe or boot. Other than that there is basically no difference. It may be that older models are slowly being replaced with the term S7, but in the coming years S3 WR will continue to be used to refer to it. From 2023 onwards, the first models with S7 standards have hit the market, for example the Sixton Canyon work boots and the Helly Hansen Magni work shoes and work boots. Helly Hansen also offers a new Chelsea Evo 2 Winter Boot, with an S7 standard.
Anti-penetration sole changes
There is also a change in the standards surrounding the anti-penetration sole. Where the 'P' used to stand for anti-penetration sole, this has now been expanded:
- P metal anti-penetration sole
- PL (Perforation Large nail) anti-perforation sole made of materials other than metal that provides protection against sharp objects with a diameter of 4.5 mm
- PS (Perforation Small nail) anti-perforation sole made of materials other than metal that provides protection against sharp objects with a diameter of 3 mm
While you often encounter P with S1P work shoes, in the future you will also encounter the S3L, S3S, S7L and S7S version with S3 and S7. This shows that it has a metal-free anti-perforation sole and whether it offers protection against objects of only a larger or smaller diameter.
Changes in anti-slip properties
Where you used to have SRA, SRB and SRC, this has now been overhauled. SRA used to be anti-slip on ceramic floors in combination with cleaning agents, this is now a standard requirement for all Safety shoes. SRB was then tested with oil or grease and SRC was tested with both. If something has now been tested with oil and grease, it will be given the Slip Resistance standard, so the SRC will no longer apply. It is possible that a shoe has not been tested as anti-slip, then it will receive the note: Ø.
Other little things
- FO: This means Fuel Oil Resistant. FO is no longer mandatory for the S classification (previously from S1). However, it can still be added as an additional feature, provided the test is passed successfully.
- SC: The Scuff Cap is a wear-resistant scuff cap. This is an optional addition.
- LG: The Ladder Grip heel reduces the risk of slipping when standing on stairs. This is also an optional addition.
Would you like to buy these work shoes or would you like more information?
You can order these work shoes from us via our website. For more information about these work shoes, please refer to the S7 work shoes and S7 work boots pages or our extensive article about footwear standards. Of course you can always contact us by email, the contact form or by telephone.