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S1 vs S1P safety shoes: when you need a puncture sole

Updated: 16 October 2026

You are comparing two codes because the floor might hide a nail, or a title says puncture proof and you are not sure that means S1P. S1 vs S1P safety shoes is one decision. S1 is the dry-floor toecap class. S1P adds a midsole that resists puncture. This page does not compare S1 with S3. The listings we scored are on the [women's S1 safety shoes comparison](/hub/burglar-protection/women-s-s1-safety-shoes). The Products Compared editorial team updated this page on 16 October 2026 from the uvex UK guide to EN ISO 20345:2022, HSE construction advice, and those listings. We did not lab-test a midsole. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are comparing two codes because the floor might hide a nail, or a title says puncture proof and you are not sure that means S1P. S1 vs S1P safety shoes is one decision. S1 is the dry-floor toecap class.

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On this page
  1. 1.S1 and S1P share a toecap and differ under the foot
  2. 2.P, PL, and PS
  3. 3.When the floor needs a midsole
  4. 4.A puncture-proof title is not the code

S1 and S1P share a toecap and differ under the foot

Both classes sit on a toecap tested to at least 200 joules and 15 kilonewtons. Both, on the 2022 reading, include a closed heel, antistatic properties, and energy absorption in the seat. The difference this page cares about is the layer under your foot. S1 stops without a penetration-resistant midsole. S1P is S1 plus that midsole. Water is not the difference. Neither S1 nor S1P includes a water-resistant upper. If rain is the problem, you have left this page for a WPA or WR class, which the women's S1 safety shoes buying guide sets out. Steel and composite can both meet the joule test if the shoe is certified, and a site rule that says steel can still refuse a composite cap. The letters after S1 tell you about the sole, not the cap.

P, PL, and PS

The 2022 standard split puncture resistance into three marks. uvex UK describes P as a metal insert tested with a 4.5 mm nail, PL as a non-metal insert tested with a 4.5 mm nail, and PS as a non-metal insert tested with a 3.0 mm nail. The smaller nail produces higher pressure, and uvex describes PS as the higher puncture mark. That is about the test nail, not a claim that every PS shoe is safer on your floor. S1P, S1PL, and S1PS are the S1 row with those inserts added. Older explainers still show a single S1P box and omit PL and PS. If your label is recent, you look for the two letters, not only for P. A textile midsole is PL or PS only when the label says so. Antistatic, the A inside S1, does not replace a midsole.
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When the floor needs a midsole

Choose S1 when the written hazard is toe protection on a dry floor with no nails or screws. A clean picking aisle can stay there. Choose S1P, S1PL, or S1PS when the floor can puncture the sole, for example pallet nails or an open fit-out floor. You do not add a puncture sole only because a shop page defaults to S1P. On a construction site, HSE expects a toecap and midsole protection, provided by the employer if you look after it. If the hazard is not written down, ask the supervisor before you decide a tidy floor is tidy enough. S3 adds a cleated sole and a water-resistant upper, and it stays off this page.

A puncture-proof title is not the code

Two comparison rows use puncture language and print no class. The women's trainers at £39.99 say puncture proof, the details do not print S1P, and one reviewer says they are not puncture proof. SPIEZ, at £34.19, says puncture proof, names no toe material, and prints no class. Reviewers describe a composite toe and dry warehouse use. Neither listing is S1P because the title hoped so. KOIFISH reviewers mention a Kevlar sole at £36.90. A review is not P, PL, or PS. Use S1 if the assessment has no puncture hazard. Use S1P, S1PL, or S1PS if it does. Trade shelves that print a puncture code, noted on 15 October 2026 and not tested here, include Blackrock Breeze at £26.95 claiming S1P SRC, Result Work-Guard ladies S1P at £41.92 including VAT, and Black Hammer women's S1P at £44.99. Read the tongue as the how to check S1 safety shoe markings page describes.

Common questions

What is the difference between S1 and S1P?
They share a toecap tested to at least 200 joules and 15 kilonewtons, plus a closed heel, antistatic properties, and seat energy absorption. S1P adds a penetration-resistant midsole. S1 does not. Neither class includes a water-resistant upper. The choice is whether your floor can put a nail through the sole, not whether the shoe looks like a trainer.
What do S1PL and S1PS add?
They are the non-metal puncture soles on an S1 shoe. uvex describes PL as a non-metal insert tested with a 4.5 mm nail, and PS as a non-metal insert tested with a 3.0 mm nail. P remains the metal insert with the 4.5 mm nail. uvex calls the smaller nail the higher puncture mark. You still need the letters on the label.
Do I need a puncture sole on a clean indoor floor?
Not if the written assessment is toe protection only, with no nails or screws. A dry shop floor or a picking aisle can be an S1 job. You do not add a midsole for comfort, and you do not skip one because the floor looked tidy this morning. If the assessment is silent, ask before you buy the lighter shoe.
Do I need one on a construction site?
Yes. HSE expects toe protection and midsole protection on site. The employer provides a basic standard, and you do not pay if you look after it. A mesh trainer with no puncture resistance is the wrong default there, even if the title says safety. Waterproof boots are a further step, not this page's question.
Does puncture proof in the title mean S1P?
No. The women's listing at £39.99 and the SPIEZ listing at £34.19 say puncture proof and do not print S1P. One reviewer of the £39.99 pair says they are not puncture proof. You need the class on the label. A title is advertising until that label agrees.
Is a Kevlar midsole the same mark as a steel plate?
Only if the label says so. P is the metal insert. PL and PS are the non-metal marks, with different test nails. A reviewer mentioning Kevlar, as on the KOIFISH listing, has not printed PL or PS. A site rule can still insist on a steel toecap even when a composite cap would pass the joule test.

Related pages

Women's S1P safety shoes

Best women's S1 safety shoes

Women's S1 safety shoes 2026

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

How to check S1 safety shoe markings on the tongue

Women's warehouse safety shoes for a dry indoor shift

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)