Buying safety shoes is not a simple job, although it is often thought of as easy. Should you buy high or low safety shoes or are clogs or boots more comfortable in your case? What safety standards must your shoes meet and what material must your soles be made of? Below are some tips for choosing the right safety shoe.
What do I choose? High or low safety shoes, safety clogs or safety boots?
If you do office work and therefore don't have to walk much, the demands on your footwear are not that high.But that doesn't go for contractors, construction workers, plumbers, offshore professionals and the like. They have to deal with various hazards in the workplace such as sharp objects, rain, cold, and heat. Sometimes easy slip-on safety shoes will. ultra light safety boots or sporty low safety sneakers will do the trick. But for the heaviest work in these industries you need robust high safety shoes or safety boots.
Extra freedom of movement and heel reinforcement with low work shoes
The choice of low or high safety shoes or safety boots not only has to do with the required protection, but also with the required freedom of movement. For example, if you have to climb a lot low safety shoes are more comfortable, but your ankles are less well protected against external hazards. Safety shoes with extra heel reinforcement such as the low Grisport 801 S3 and the low Grisport 71605 gives your ankles extra grip and strength and is therefore ideal if you have to walk a lot on uneven terrain.
Extra protection for your ankles and lower legs with high work shoes and work boots
High or extra high safety shoes give your ankles more strength than low safety shoes and in addition, your ankles are now protected above your Achilles tendon against sharp or hot objects. Safety boots are usually recommended if your lower legs also need to be protected against sharp or hot objects. The high Grisport 903 S3 safety shoes are the best sellers for many industries, including construction. Waterproof safety boots are usually mandatory offshore. Popularly sold boots for offshore are the Roots Iowa lace-up boot (also ESD) and the Roots Cherokee lace-up boot. For winter or cold working conditions, it is best to purchase safety boots lined with fur or wool.
Standard 20345 for safety shoes, what do the codes S1P, S2, S3, S4 and S5 mean?
You have probably noticed that the codes S1P, S2 and S3, S4 and S5 are listed next to the safety shoes and safety boots in web shops. Anyone who has bought safety shoes before knows that this is the case safety classes within the European standard EN ISO 20345. For the 'newbies' we explain here what the codes mean.
The S stands for the English 'safety' and the number represents the degree of safety. This concerns protection against external hazards such as falling objects, fire splashes and sharp objects in the workplace. S3 safety shoes protect your feet better than S1P safety shoes. The P in S1P stands for Protection. These shoes have the same properties as S1 safety shoes, but protect the bottom of your foot better due to a steel or plastic midsole. In addition to the classes S1P, S2 and S3, standard EN ISO 20345 also describes the classes SB and S4 and S5. Read an explanation about the standards for safety shoes and safety boots here
6 types of soles for safety shoes and safety boots
Suppose you have some nice ones safety sneakers selected and your colleagues are jealous of your nice shoes but as soon as you get to the workplace you step into a nail that immediately pierces the sole of your foot and to make matters worse, the soles of your other shoe melt as you hop back to the canteen. Of course, you won't often experience things this extreme but it is clear that you did not take the dangers in the workplace into account when making your purchase. The extent to which the soles of safety shoes and safety boots protect your feet against hazards depends on the material they are made of. The outsoles and midsoles of safety shoes and safety boots are in most cases made of one of the materials below.
1. Polyurethane midsole and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (PU/TPU) outsole
Properties of PU/TPU safety shoes:
- oil and acid resistant
- super light
- anti static
- non-slip
- extra wear-resistant
- insulating against cold down to -20ºC
- heat resistant up to 110ºC
2. Both midsole and outsole made of Polyurethane (PU/PU)
Properties of PU/PU soles:
- oil and acid resistant
- super light
- anti static
- wear and slip resistant
- shock absorbent
- insulating against cold down to -20ºC
- heat resistant up to 140ºC
3. Midsole made of Thermoplastic Polyurethane and outsole made of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU/TPU)
Properties of TPU/TPU safety shoes are:
- oil and acid resistant
- non-slip
- extra wear-resistant
- super light
- anti static
- shock absorbent
- insulating against cold down to -20ºC
- heat resistant up to 140ºC
4. Polyurethane midsole and Nitrile rubber outsole (PU/Nitrile)
Properties PU/Nitrile soles:
- oil and acid resistant
- cut resistant
- extremely slip and wear resistant.
- highly insulating against cold
- resistant to extreme heat up to approximately 200 ºC and short-term contact heat up to 300 ºC
5. Nitrile rubber soles Polyurethane midsole and Vibram rubber outsole (PU/Vibram)
Properties PU/Vibram soles
- oil and acid resistant
- cut resistant
- extremely slip and wear resistant.
- highly insulating against cold
- resistant to extreme heat up to approximately 200 ºC and short-term contact heat up to 300 ºC
6. A steel or kevlar midsole
- Safety shoes with steel or Kevlar midsoles are antistatic and provide protection against the penetration of sharp objects through the bottom of the shoe in accordance with EN ISO 20345 S1P or S3 standard.
- Kevlar conducts cold less, which is why Kevlar midsoles are more comfortable in the freezing cold than steel midsoles. Antistatic. In addition, they are lighter and more flexible than steel and the sole can therefore extend more to the edge of the sole.
- Steel midsoles have a protective epoxy layer to prevent rust and offer slightly better protection against the penetration of sharp objects through the bottom of the safety shoe than Kevlar midsoles.