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How to check S1 safety shoe markings

Updated: 16 October 2026

You have a pair in the box, or a listing on your phone, and someone has asked whether they are really S1. How to check S1 safety shoe markings is a short routine: the standard, the class, the UKCA or CE mark, then the UK size against the EU number. The [women's S1 safety shoes comparison](/hub/burglar-protection/women-s-s1-safety-shoes) sets out nine amazon.co.uk listings, and none of those product details prints S1. This page does not rank them. The Products Compared editorial team updated it on 16 October 2026 from public UK marking guides and HSE slip advice. We did not inspect tongues in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a pair in the box, or a listing on your phone, and someone has asked whether they are really S1.

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On this page
  1. 1.Read the marking before you trust the title
  2. 2.Slip marks and the words that are not proof
  3. 3.Check the UK size against the EU number
  4. 4.Retire a worn sole, and when to stop

Read the marking before you trust the title

Start on the tongue label, or on the sole if that is where the mark is stamped, and in the user information in the box. A useful order is the manufacturer, the size in UK and EU, the standard with the year if it is printed, the class, any extra symbols, and UKCA or CE. A title that only says steel toe fails this check. Steel describes a cap material. S1 describes a class. The class you want is S1 when the hazard is a toecap on a dry floor. If the label says S1P, S1PL, or S1PS, a puncture-resistant midsole has been added, and that decision belongs on the S1 vs S1P safety shoes page. In Great Britain the conformity mark is UKCA or CE. In Northern Ireland it is CE, or UKNI together with CE. The mark without a class is not enough. If the listing never prints the class, you wait for the label on the delivered shoe. Choosing which class to buy is the women's S1 safety shoes buying guide.

Slip marks and the words that are not proof

On the 2022 edition, basic slip resistance is part of the shoe. SR is the extra glycerol-on-tile mark. Older shoes may say SRA, SRB, or SRC, and those are not the same label as SR. Oil-resistant is not slip-resistant. FO on a 2022 shoe is extra fuel-oil resistance, while a 2011 S1 line may still mention a fuel-oil outsole inside the class. Waterproof, non-slip, and puncture-proof in a title are not the class. HSE's L25 says there is no such thing as non-slip footwear. A title can say non-slip while reviewers report a sole that slides on a wet mopped floor.
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Check the UK size against the EU number

Brand charts do not share one conversion. Amblers and Puma women's charts have mapped UK 3 to EU 36, UK 6 to EU 39, and UK 6.5 to EU 40. Another UK retailer maps EU 36 to UK 3.5 and EU 40 to UK 6.5. The check is the EU number on the pair you are holding, next to the UK number you thought you bought. The worked example is one Baofular K8 review, not a chart. The reviewer ordered a women's 6 and says EU 40 arrived, which they treat as UK 7. Women's ranges are often about UK 3 to UK 8, and unisex trainers often run long and wide. A very wide sole can catch two pedals, which one reviewer of a £39.99 pair reported, so try the pedals if you drive in them. A thick personal insole can change how a certified toecap sits, so the employer has to accept your own footbed.

Retire a worn sole, and when to stop

You retire the pair when the tread is smooth. HSE says slip resistance changes as the cleats wear, and test data refer to a new shoe. There is no honest life in months. If the pattern is slick under the ball of the foot, or a split has opened, the shoe is finished for slip. The employer who issued it maintains PPE under the PPE at Work Regulations 1992, regulations 4, 6, 9, and 10. When the required class is not written down, ask the site supervisor.

Common questions

Where do I look for the S1 mark?
Look on the tongue label, sometimes on the sole, and in the user information supplied with the pair. You want the standard, then the class S1, then UKCA or CE. On a listing, those words belong in the product details, not only in the title. If the class is missing, wait for the delivered label.
Is UKCA or CE enough without a class code?
No. The mark says the footwear went through the conformity route that applies. It does not tell you whether the class is S1, S1P, or something else. In Great Britain you look for UKCA or CE. In Northern Ireland you look for CE, or UKNI and CE. Then you still read the class beside the mark.
How do I check a women's UK size against the EU number?
Read both numbers on that pair. Published charts disagree: some map a women's UK 6 to EU 39, others put EU 40 nearer UK 6.5. One Baofular reviewer ordered a women's 6 and says EU 40 arrived, which they treat as UK 7. Use that as a warning to check the delivery, not as a conversion you apply to every brand.
What do SR, SRC, and FO mean beside S1?
SR is the extra glycerol-on-tile slip mark on the current standard. SRC is an older mark, along with SRA and SRB, and it is not a misspelling of SR. FO on a 2022 shoe is extra fuel-oil resistance. A 2011 S1 line may still mention a fuel-oil outsole inside the class. Oil-resistant does not mean slip-resistant.
When do I retire the sole?
When the tread is smooth, or when a split has opened, you stop wearing it for work. Test figures refer to a new shoe, and slip resistance falls as the cleats wear. There is no fixed life in months. Anecdotes about soles failing early or lasting much longer are not a schedule. Tell the employer who issued the pair.
Can I add my own insole and keep the certification?
A thick personal insole can change how the certified toecap fits, so you do not assume the marking still describes the shoe on your foot. The employer needs to accept the change. Occupational health, via the employer, is the route when standard footwear cannot be worn for a medical reason. If the required class is not written down, call the site supervisor and wait. Do not guess S1 from a steel-toe title.

Related pages

Best women's S1 safety shoes

Women's warehouse safety shoes

Women's S1 safety shoes 2026

Women's S1 safety shoes: class, water and who pays

S1 vs S1P safety shoes: when a puncture sole is due

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. Last checked 16 October 2026.

  1. HSE: PPE overview (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. PPE at Work Regulations 1992 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. HSE: using the right type of PPE (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. HSE L25: slip risks in the workplace (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. HSE: choosing slip-resistant footwear (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. HSE: construction PPE FAQ (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. uvex UK: guide to EN ISO 20345:2022 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. BSI: BS EN ISO 20345:2022+A1:2024 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  9. GOV.UK: UKCA and CE marking by sector (retrieved 16 October 2026)