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S3 or S1P safety shoes: what the letters mean

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are looking at a Puma title that says S3 or S1P, and a second line that adds S3L or SRC. Those letters are a stack of tests, not a style name, and only two of the seven amazon.co.uk titles in this comparison print a class at all. S1P is the dry-floor puncture class. S3 adds a water-resistant upper and a cleated outsole. S3L names a non-metal insert test, not the laces. The [Puma safety shoes comparison](/hub/occupational-safety/puma-safety-shoes) holds the seven cards. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Peter F. used public UK explanations of EN ISO 20345 and the titles in this file and did not lab-test the shoes.

You are looking at a Puma title that says S3 or S1P, and a second line that adds S3L or SRC.

Our top picks

Puma PUMA Safety Conquest CTX High EH WP

Best overall

Puma PUMA Safety Conquest CTX High EH WP
9.2/10about £82.99
View offer
Puma PUMA Safety Rio MID S3L

Alternative

Puma PUMA Safety Rio MID S3L
8.6/10about £75.91
View offer
Puma PUMA Safety Rio Black Mid S3 SRC

Best value

Puma PUMA Safety Rio Black Mid S3 SRC
8.4/10about £68.08
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The stack in one pass
  2. 2.S3L is an insert test
  3. 3.SRC and SR
  4. 4.What not to read into EH, WP, or a shop label

The stack in one pass

Safety footwear in the EN ISO 20345 family starts with a toe cap tested to 200 joules. S1 adds a closed heel, antistatic behaviour, and energy absorption in the heel. S1P adds penetration resistance, so a nail or a sharp offcut under a dry floor is the risk it is aimed at. S3 keeps that penetration resistance and adds a water-resistant upper and a cleated outsole. S1P is enough when the assessment wants penetration resistance and does not require a water-resistant upper. Who pays, and when you stop, is on the Puma safety shoes buying guide.

S3L is an insert test

The L in S3L is the part people misread as laces or as a lighter boot. In the 2022 edition, the puncture letters split the old single P mark. P is a metal insert tested with a 4.5 mm nail. PL is a non-metal insert tested with a 4.5 mm nail. PS is a non-metal insert tested with a 3 mm nail. S3L is the class that uses the non-metal PL insert, with a cleated outsole, not a lacing style. The only kept title that prints S3L is the PUMA Safety Rio MID at £75.91. It shares model number 23091-37916 with the Rio at £68.08. Which card to buy once the letters match is on the best Puma safety shoes page.
Puma PUMA Safety Conquest CTX High EH WP

Testsieger

Puma PUMA Safety Conquest CTX High EH WP
9.2/10about £82.99
View offer

SRC and SR

Slip marks changed in the 2022 edition of EN ISO 20345. A basic slip test is now part of the standard and is not given its own letters on the marking. The older SRA, SRB, and SRC marks are no longer the codes to demand on new production. SR is the extra test, including the glycerol condition that used to sit inside the old SRC claim. Older stock, and older titles, can still show SRC. Seeing SRC does not mean the shoe failed a new test. It means you are looking at the previous way of writing the claim. In this set, only the Rio Black Mid at £68.08 prints SRC. If the list has moved to the 2022 wording, ask whether basic slip is enough or whether they want SR named.

What not to read into EH, WP, or a shop label

EH and WP are not an S-code. The CTX High at £82.99 prints both, and UK reviews describe dry feet in rain. That supports a water claim on that boot. It does not turn the boot into S3, and it does not add the penetration resistance that S1P and S3 carry. A brand or trade page that calls a different Conquest model S3 WR is talking about a different model number. The CTX in this comparison is model 630745. Do not paste another model's class string onto it. A trade page that calls a Frontside S1P is not the title of the Frontside Low in this file, which states size 9.5, Blue, and no class. Low shoe against high boot is a separate choice, on safety trainers or safety boots.

Common questions

When is S1P enough?
S1P is enough when the assessment wants a safety toe, a closed heel, antistatic behaviour, heel energy absorption, and penetration resistance, and it does not ask for a water-resistant upper. Dry indoor work with a risk of sharp objects underfoot is the usual case. None of the seven titles here prints the letters S1P.
What does S3 add?
S3 adds a water-resistant upper and a cleated outsole on top of penetration resistance and the S1 basics, over the 200 joule toe cap. The upper test is not a fully waterproof wellington. The other titles do not print S3.
Is S3L better than S3, or a different insert test?
It is a different way of naming the insert, not a prize for a better boot. S3L uses a non-metal PL insert tested with a 4.5 mm nail. The Rio at £68.08 prints S3, SRC, aluminium, and anti-puncture, and it does not print S3L.
Does SRC still matter in the UK?
It matters when the PPE list in front of you still says SRC, because older stock and older titles still carry it. On the 2022 edition, basic slip resistance is mandatory and unmarked, and SR is the extra test. Only the £68.08 Rio prints SRC in this set.
Which kept Puma titles print these letters?
Two. The PUMA Safety Rio Black Mid at £68.08 prints S3 and SRC, plus an aluminium toe cap and anti-puncture. The Airtwist, the Frontside, and both £88.99 Conquest titles print no S-code.
Is WP the same as the water resistance inside S3?
No. WP on the CTX title is a water claim on that boot, backed in UK reviews by dry feet in rain, including a quarry shift. A boot can print WP and still omit S3, which is what this CTX title does.
Can I assume the Airtwist or Frontside is S3 or S1P because a shop says so?
No. In this comparison the Airtwist title is a low trainer with no class, and the Frontside title is a low shoe in Blue, size 9.5, with no class. If your site requires the letters, those two listings do not show them.

Related pages

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Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 21 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file. The price bands are this set, not a market average.

  1. HSE: PPE overview (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. HSE: PPE charging FAQ (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. HSE: construction PPE FAQ (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. HSE: using the right type of PPE (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK: PPE marking in Great Britain (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. OPSS product recall PSD 2505-0077 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. PUMA SAFETY: Airtwist Low S3S ESD (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. PUMA SAFETY: about the brand (retrieved 21 October 2026)