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S1P safety shoes buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are looking at men's work trainers on amazon.co.uk because a site sheet, an induction, or a title said S1P, and the basket still looks like ordinary steel-toe shoes. An S1P safety shoes buying guide has one job: put the code on the shoe ahead of the adjective in the title. Water resistance and a cleated outsole are not in that bundle. The [main comparison](/hub/occupational-safety/men-s-s1p-safety-shoes) lists the ten kept listings and their prices. This page orders the questions and does not name a winner. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Products Compared editorial team, updated 20 October 2026. We did not lab-test the shoes.

You are looking at men's work trainers on amazon.co.uk because a site sheet, an induction, or a title said S1P, and the basket still looks like ordinary steel-toe shoes.

Our top picks

Black Hammer Black Hammer 9952

Best overall

Black Hammer Black Hammer 9952
8.8/10about £43.95
View offer
Blackrock Blackrock Gibson

Best value

Blackrock Blackrock Gibson
8.5/10about £25.97
View offer
Black Hammer Black Hammer Vortex 7788

Alternative

Black Hammer Black Hammer Vortex 7788
7.8/10about £54.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What S1P has to say on the shoe
  2. 2.What the title is allowed to hide
  3. 3.Water, slip, and who pays
  4. 4.Fit before you commit

What S1P has to say on the shoe

S1P is a class code, not a style of trainer. On the explanations UK sellers repeat from EN ISO 20345, buyers are pointed to a 200 joule and 15 kilonewton toe test, a closed heel, antistatic behaviour, heel energy absorption, and a penetration-resistant layer. A 2011 stamp can read S1P SRC. A 2022 stamp can split that into S1 and a penetration letter. Photograph the year, the class, and the slip mark together. Metal P and non-metal PS are different stamps, and a metal-free site will reject a steel midsole. Antistatic is not insulation against electric shock. How to read the titles that print a class is on how to check the marking.

What the title is allowed to hide

Six of the ten kept listings print no class: Baofular at £39.95, Blackrock Breeze at £28.99, LARNMERN at £38.61, AFJYG at £39.99, COOU at £32.99, and DYKHMILY at £39.99. A steel cap does not state penetration resistance or a slip mark. Baofular's 7,732 reviews and DYKHMILY's 5,003 do not type S1P onto the tongue. The LARNMERN title says waterproof and prints no S2 or S3. Several reviews say feet were soaked. The Skechers Malad II, model 200127EC, at £54.99 does not say S1P on the amazon.co.uk title. A UK dealer page states EN ISO 20345:2011, S1 P SRA ESD, and a composite toe. Use that only as a prompt to read the shoe. Prices were captured on 19 October 2026. The printed S1-P shoe is the cheapest.
Black Hammer Black Hammer 9952

Testsieger

Black Hammer Black Hammer 9952
8.8/10about £43.95
View offer

Water, slip, and who pays

If the job is wet or muddy, leave this category. Water resistance of the upper is S2 or S3, and a cleated outsole is part of S3. The Gibson's attributes say not water resistant, which is what an S1-P SRC leather shoe is allowed to be. A mesh trainer with a waterproof word in the title is not an S3 boot. The full split is on S1P vs S3 safety shoes. HSE says there is no such thing as non-slip footwear. SRC is the older mark beside 2011 S1P. SR belongs to the later wording. A slip-resistant question on the Breeze listing is not SRC. When the assessment still needs safety footwear, the employer provides it, including for limb (b) workers from 6 April 2022. That is not a voucher for any pair on amazon.co.uk.

Fit before you commit

Blackrock says the Gibson last is wide and that you may drop one UK or EU size. The title names size 9. The 9952 reviews say the last is not wide, and that the laces can stick. The Vortex uses a twist fastening, and one review says size up for wide feet. One COOU review says the buckle loosens within seconds. That is one report, not a rate. Photograph the standard year, the class, the penetration letter, and the slip mark. If the title and the tongue disagree, do not average them. If the site has not named a class, ask a competent person rather than guessing from a steel toe.

Common questions

What does S1P include, in one sentence a site manager would accept?
On the buyer tables drawn from EN ISO 20345, S1P means a 200 joule toecap, a closed heel, antistatic properties, energy absorption in the heel, and penetration resistance. The year on the stamp tells you whether you are reading a 2011 S1P line or a 2022 split such as S1 PS. It does not mean the upper resists water, and it does not mean the outsole is cleated.
Why is a steel-toe trainer at about £39 not automatically S1P?
A steel toe is one component. Baofular at £39.95, AFJYG at £39.99, and DYKHMILY at £39.99 all name a steel toe and none of them prints S1P or EN ISO 20345 in the saved listing. Review counts of 7,732 or 5,003 do not add the missing letters. If the sheet says S1P, those listings are not the same product as the 9952, whose title prints the class.
Who pays if work says I need them?
When the risk assessment still needs safety footwear, HSE says the employer provides it free of charge. That duty covers employees and, from 6 April 2022, limb (b) workers. It does not require the employer to refund whatever pair you choose online. A self-employed person in business on their own account is outside that extension and still has to match the code the place of work asks for.
Should I size from my normal trainers?
Not without the fit note for that last. Blackrock says the Gibson is wide and that you may wish to move down one UK or EU size. Reviews of the 9952 say it is not a wide fit. One Vortex review says size up for wide feet. Use the work sock, and check toe-cap rub before a full shift.
When is this the wrong category?
Leave it when the induction says S3, boots, a water-resistant upper, or a cleated sole. Leave it when the hazard is electrical shock, fire, molten metal, or a chainsaw. Leave it when nobody has named a class and you are about to guess from the words steel toe. A competent person names the class. A shopping basket does not.

Related pages

S1P safety trainers for warehouse work

Best men's S1P safety shoes

Men's S1P safety shoes

What does S1P mean? Read year, class and slip mark

S1P vs S3 safety shoes: water, cleat, and dry floors

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures for this set. The price bands are this set, not a market average.

  1. HSE: PPE overview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE: PPE regulations 2022 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 9 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE: L25, PPE at work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. HSE: slip-resistant footwear procurement (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK: designated standards for PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. ITS Hub: safety boot rating codes (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Safety Boots UK: Skechers Malad II (retrieved 19 October 2026)