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S1P or S3 safety shoes

Updated: 16 October 2026

You have been told to get S3 for a building site, or you work a dry warehouse floor and want a lower shoe. This page chooses between S1P or S3 safety shoes on the Albatros listings in this set. Follow a written rule if you have one. Otherwise match water and the sole, not a league table. Prices stay on the [Albatros safety shoes](/hub/occupational-safety/albatros-safety-shoes) comparison. Products Compared did not test the shoes. Updated 15 October 2026. A purchase through our links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have been told to get S3 for a building site, or you work a dry warehouse floor and want a lower shoe. This page chooses between S1P or S3 safety shoes on the Albatros listings in this set.

Our top picks

Albatros Albatros Clifton Low

Best overall

Albatros Albatros Clifton Low
9.0/10about £55.14
View offer
Albatros Albatros Ultratrail Olive CTX Mid

Alternative

Albatros Albatros Ultratrail Olive CTX Mid
8.6/10about £61.72
View offer
Albatros Albatros Ultimate Impulse Olive Low

Best value

Albatros Albatros Ultimate Impulse Olive Low
8.2/10about £51.52
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What each package contains
  2. 2.Which Albatros titles in this set say which
  3. 3.Water-resistant is not waterproof, and a cleat is not always better
  4. 4.When the rule already chose for you

What each package contains

Both classes share the same toe baseline people quote from the standard, 200 joules and 15 kilonewtons. That does not make an S3 toe stronger. S1P is the dry package plus a puncture-resistant insert. S3 adds a water-resistant upper and a cleated outsole. It does not add whole-shoe waterproofing. Fuel oil is a separate FO mark, and none of these titles print it. A dry picking aisle with pallet nails is an S1P problem if the assessment stops there. Standing water, or a rutted yard, asks for the water-resistant upper and the cleat. Buying S3 because the code looks higher can give you a cleat you do not want on a smooth internal floor. SRC, ESD, and HRO are separate letters, set out in the Albatros safety shoes buying guide.

Which Albatros titles in this set say which

Three titles say S3: the Clifton Low at about £55.14, the Ultratrail Olive CTX Mid at about £61.72, and the Clifton Mid at about £68.60, which prints EU 36. Two say S1P: the Ultimate Impulse at about £51.52, and the about £31.25 row, which has 2.4 from two ratings and no review text. Two titles say neither. The Aer55 is about £80.32 and the Ultratrail Low is about £77.37. Neither title prints S3. A collection page puts S7S on a related Ultratrail name. S7 adds whole-shoe water resistance. The amazon mid-boot title does not say S7. If you need WR, the tongue has to say so.
Albatros Albatros Clifton Low

Testsieger

Albatros Albatros Clifton Low
9.0/10about £55.14
View offer

Water-resistant is not waterproof, and a cleat is not always better

Water resistance on the upper is the S3 idea. Water resistance on the whole shoe is WR. Ultratrail mid reviews include waterproofing that faded, so S3 is not a boot you stand in for a wet week. If the assessment asks for WR, you want an S6 or S7 class. The amazon line stays S3 ESD. HSE’s slip guidance says cleats help outdoors and on debris, and that a closer tread can be better indoors. An S3 cleat on a smooth wet aisle can be the poorer grip. SRC on a Clifton title is the older slip mark, not a promise for your floor. Trial the sole. HRO, only on the about £31.25 title, does not choose S1P over S3.

When the rule already chose for you

If the employer has specified S3, a lighter S1P is not your own swap at the gate. The PPE at Work Regulations 1992, regulation 4, put that duty on the employer, including for limb (b) workers since 2022. You can prefer a low shoe. You cannot prefer it over a written class. The Ultimate Impulse at about £51.52 fails an induction sheet that says S3. With no written class, a dry floor and a puncture risk point to the Ultimate Impulse, and away from the about £31.25 row until someone can inspect it. Water on the upper, or a cleat, points to the Clifton Low, or the Ultratrail mid if you also need ESD and a higher ankle. After a blow to the toe, or a split sole, retire the pair. Changing class is not a repair.

Common questions

What does S3 add on top of S1P?
A water-resistant upper and a cleated outsole. Both names include a protective toe and a puncture-resistant insert. S3 is not a higher score on the 200 joule toe test, and it is not whole-shoe waterproofing. None of these seven titles print the optional FO mark.
Is an S3 Albatros shoe waterproof?
Not on these titles. S3 is a water-resistant upper and a cleat. Whole-shoe water resistance is WR, in classes such as S6 and S7. The Ultratrail mid says S3 ESD, not S7, even if a collection page says S7S. Reviews on that boot also describe waterproofing that faded.
Can I wear an S1P shoe on a UK building site?
Only if that site allows S1P. Many sites ask for S3 because they want the water-resistant upper and the cleat. If the induction card says S3, the Ultimate Impulse is the wrong pair. The written class wins over a lighter shoe.
Which listings here actually say S1P or S3?
S3: Clifton Low, Ultratrail Olive CTX Mid, and Clifton Mid. S1P: Ultimate Impulse and the about £31.25 row. The Aer55 and the Ultratrail Low print neither. Those two are unclassified titles, not silent S3 shoes. A familiar model name does not fill a blank.
Why is the Ultratrail Low not in the S3 list?
The title does not say S3. It describes a low safety shoe and prints size 46. The name sounds like a trail boot. That is not a class. 4.3 from 488 ratings still does not state S1P or S3. Do not borrow S3 from a different Ultratrail listing.
If my employer specifies S3, can I buy S1P myself?
No. You wear the specified class. The employer provides PPE required for the work and must not charge for PPE used only at work. The Ultimate Impulse still breaks a sheet that says S3. Use S1P when the rule is a dry floor with a puncture risk.

Related pages

Metal-free Albatros safety shoes

Best Albatros safety shoes

Albatros safety shoes (2026)

Albatros safety shoes buying guide: the class codes

Albatros safety shoe size chart: foot length in cm

Sources

Public UK sources for PPE duty, marking, and the footwear standard, plus the Albatros brand page where it disagrees with an amazon.co.uk title. Listing prices and stars are from the seven amazon.co.uk pages. Last checked 16 October 2026.

  1. HSE: PPE overview (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. HSE: product safety and supply of PPE (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: PPE Regulation 2016/425 for Great Britain (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. PPE at Work Regulations 1992 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. HSE: charging for PPE (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. HSE: slip-resistant footwear (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. BSI: BS EN ISO 20345:2022+A1:2024 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Albatros Clifton Low safety shoe (brand page) (retrieved 16 October 2026)