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S1P vs S3 safety shoes

Updated: 21 October 2026

Your induction might say S1P on one line and S3 on another, and the amazon.co.uk page in front of you is a low trainer with a steel toe. S1P vs S3 safety shoes is a single comparison. S1P does not include a water-resistant upper or a cleated outsole. S3 adds both. If the sheet says S3, none of the ten listings in this set prints that class. The [main comparison](/hub/occupational-safety/men-s-s1p-safety-shoes) is the price table. Who pays sits on the [buying guide](/hub/occupational-safety/men-s-s1p-safety-shoes/sub/men-s-s1p-safety-shoes-buying-guide). 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 these shoes.

Your induction might say S1P on one line and S3 on another, and the amazon.co.uk page in front of you is a low trainer with a steel toe. S1P vs S3 safety shoes is a single comparison.

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
LARNMERN LARNMERN steel-toe trainers

Alternative

LARNMERN LARNMERN steel-toe trainers
6.4/10about £38.61
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The shared toecap and the extra letters
  2. 2.When S1P is the class that matches
  3. 3.When the job has already moved to S3
  4. 4.Waterproof on the title, dry class on the shoe

The shared toecap and the extra letters

The toecap test does not step up from S1P to S3. Shop guides, including Safety Shoes UK, say the requirement is the same, and the buyer figure is 200 joules. What changes is the letters around that toe. S1P, in the 2011 wording, stops at a closed shoe with penetration resistance. A 2022 stamp may split that as S1 plus P or PS. Neither version adds a water-resistant upper or a cleated outsole. S3 keeps the penetration requirement and adds both. A trade class article describes S2 and S3 upper resistance as at least 60 minutes, and treats membrane constructions as later classes, S6 and S7. That is a seller explanation, not a test of these shoes. S7 is a membrane boot, not a reason to stretch an S1P trainer. The letters still have to be read on the shoe, which is how to check the marking.

When S1P is the class that matches

Choose S1P when the floor is dry, the assessment has named penetration as well as a toecap, and nobody has asked for a water-resistant upper or a cleat. FACOM's UK help text describes S1P for indoors and dry outdoors, and S3 for wet conditions and splash. The titles that print the dry class are the Black Hammer 9952 at £43.95, S1P SRC, the Vortex 7788 at £54.99, S1P SRC in the title, and the Blackrock Gibson at £25.97, S1-P SRC. The Gibson's attributes say not water resistant. The Vortex reviews say the trainers are not waterproof. HSE says there is no such thing as non-slip footwear. A cleat is about soft ground. It is not a substitute for a slip mark on a wet tiled aisle.
Black Hammer Black Hammer 9952

Testsieger

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

When the job has already moved to S3

Move to S3 when the upper has to resist water or the sole has to be cleated. HSE's L25 guidance treats wet work as a case for water-resistant or waterproof footwear, and very wet work as a case for wellingtons. A low trainer with a correct S1P stamp does not grow a cleat because the day turned wet. Safety Shoes UK puts S1P on indoor dry floors with a puncture risk, and S3 outdoors or wet because of the upper and the cleat. If the induction says boots, ankle cover is already decided. No kept listing in this comparison prints S3. There is no closest S3 in the list. Leave the category and shop a title whose stamp says S3. If you cross from a dry area into the wet every day, the pair for the wetter task will not be one of these ten. Dry indoor concrete is a different page: S1P safety trainers for warehouse work.

Waterproof on the title, dry class on the shoe

A waterproof word on a trainer is not the S3 addition. The LARNMERN title says waterproof steel toe cap shoes at £38.61 and prints no S1P, S2, or S3. Several reviews say feet were soaked in light rain or on wet grass. Grip is mentioned without an SRC mark. You cannot promote that title to S3. The Gibson prints S1-P SRC, states a steel midsole, and says not water resistant. If the work is wet, that sentence is the reason to leave. Vortex reviews say the same of a title that claims S1P SRC. A 2011 S1P SRC shoe and a 2022 S1 PS SR shoe can both be legitimate on a dry floor and still be the wrong class for a wet site. S6 and S7 do not appear on these ten listings. If the sheet says S3, close this tab.

Common questions

Is the toecap test higher on S3?
No. Shop guides that compare these classes say the toecap requirement stays the same. The figure buyers are given on seller tables is 200 joules. S3 is not a harder toe test. It is a toe test plus water resistance of the upper plus a cleat.
Can a mesh S1P trainer be enough on a dry site?
Yes, if the assessment named S1P, the floor stays dry, and the shoe's stamp matches. The Vortex title is the mesh-style case here, and reviews still say it is not waterproof. A dry internal route can be S1P. The same trainer is the wrong shoe as soon as the route is wet or the paper says S3.
Is S7 the same decision?
No. S7, in the trade class notes, is a membrane class, a step past the water-resistant upper of S3. If the site says S7, you are not choosing an S1P trainer and you are not close enough with S3 either. Read the letters the induction actually used.
What if the induction says boots, not shoes?
Then a low S1P trainer fails on height even when the class letters are right. Ankle cover is a separate rule from S1P versus S3. Buy the height the paper names, and still check the class on that boot. Do not use a trainer to stand in for a boot because it is lighter.
Which shoe in this set is an S3?
None. No kept listing prints S3. The Gibson prints S1-P and says it is not water resistant. The 9952 and the Vortex titles print S1P. The rest print no class at all. If you need S3, this comparison cannot supply it.

Related pages

Best men's S1P safety shoes

Men's S1P safety shoes

S1P safety shoes buying guide, class before the title

S1P safety trainers for warehouse work, dry floors

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

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)