Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

S1 vs S3 safety boots

Updated: 16 October 2026

You are matching the letters on a tongue label to a hazard, and a higher number looks like a better boot. S1 vs S3 safety boots is a list of what each step adds. S3 is a cleated, perforation-resistant class with a water-resistant upper. It is not a comfort grade, and it is not a waterproof badge. Prices stay on the [Uvex safety shoes comparison](/hub/occupational-safety/uvex-safety-shoes). Products Compared prepared this on 16 October 2026 from Uvex’s EN ISO 20345:2022 guide and from these titles. There was no laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are matching the letters on a tongue label to a hazard, and a higher number looks like a better boot. S1 vs S3 safety boots is a list of what each step adds.

Our top picks

Uvex Uvex 1 X-tended S2 boot

Best overall

Uvex Uvex 1 X-tended S2 boot
9.2/10about £111.68
View offer
Uvex Uvex 1 Duo S1 low shoe

Best value

Uvex Uvex 1 Duo S1 low shoe
9.2/10about £94.64
View offer
Uvex Uvex 2 S3 leather boot

Alternative

Uvex Uvex 2 S3 leather boot
8.8/10about £129.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the number adds
  2. 2.Water-resistant is not waterproof
  3. 3.Old SRC and new SR
  4. 4.Which Uvex card prints which class
  5. 5.Read the letter before the basket

What the number adds

Uvex’s 2022 guide tests the toe cap at 200 joules and 15 kilonewtons. S1 on that guide is a closed heel, antistatic behaviour, and heel energy absorption, and Uvex groups SB and S1 with dry work. S1 shows a perforation insert only with P, PL, or PS. S2 adds WPA, water resistance of the upper. S3 adds a cleated sole and perforation resistance. The guide calls the S3 insert metal and S3L the non-metal 4.5 mm test.

Water-resistant is not waterproof

WPA is the upper. Standing in water in the finished shoe is the WR test. Uvex says even WR is not a lifetime waterproof promise. S6 adds WR to an S2-type shoe. S7 adds WR to an S3-type boot. A polymer boot is S4 or S5. An S3 title has WPA, a cleated sole, and perforation resistance. It has not printed WR. The leather boot here is titled S3 SRC ESD. Reviews in that file report both dry feet and wet feet. Uvex calls that leather water-repellent. If the finished shoe has to resist water, look for WR, S6, or S7. None of these eight titles prints those marks.
Uvex Uvex 1 X-tended S2 boot

Testsieger

Uvex Uvex 1 X-tended S2 boot
9.2/10about £111.68
View offer

Old SRC and new SR

Uvex says the 2022 edition withdraws SRC and leaves basic slip resistance with no letters. UK Slip Resistance gives at least 0.31 and 0.36 for the basic result, and at least 0.19 and 0.22 for SR. The perforated S1 prints SR on the title and SRC on the details line. The S2 boot, the leather S3, and the quatro print SRC. The Duo, the BOA S3L, and the two cards with no class print no slip mark. SRC stock can remain until November 2029. One retailer guide has said 20 joules for the toe. Uvex says 200 joules and 15 kilonewtons.

Which Uvex card prints which class

The Duo is S1 for light areas, with no slip mark. The perforated shoe is S1 with metal-free, ESD, SR, and W11. The Uvex 1 boot is S2 SRC ESD. The leather boot is S3 SRC ESD. The quatro, 68792, is S3 SRC. The BOA boot is metal-free S3L. The plain Uvex 1 and the grey x-tended shoe print no class. S3L is the 2022 non-metal 4.5 mm class. The leather and quatro titles do not say metal-free, even where the Uvex 2 range page claims a metal-free midsole. If the letter is still unknown, the Uvex safety shoes buying guide puts class before the basket.

Read the letter before the basket

Use S1 when the assessment allows a closed shoe on a dry floor and does not ask for a perforation insert. Use S2 when the upper needs WPA and the sole does not need to be cleated. Use S3 or S3L when the assessment names that cleated, perforation-resistant step. On a construction site, HSE expects toe and midsole protection. Look for WR, S6, or S7 when the finished shoe has to resist standing water. The family around those letters is Uvex 1 vs Uvex 2.

Common questions

What does S1 include that SB does not?
Uvex’s 2022 guide gives S1 a closed heel, antistatic behaviour, and heel energy absorption, plus the 200 joule toe cap. The FAQ groups SB and S1 with dry environments. A perforation insert is still P, PL, or PS. The perforated Uvex 1 in this set is an S1 that also prints metal-free and SR.
What does S3 add that S1 does not?
S3 adds a cleated sole and perforation resistance, on top of S2’s WPA upper. Uvex describes the S3 insert as metal. S3L is the non-metal 4.5 mm test, and S3S is 3.0 mm. Whole-shoe water resistance is WR, in S6 and S7. If the assessment names a midsole, S1 without P, PL, or PS lacks it.
What does S3L mean?
S3L is the 2022 non-metal perforation class, with a 4.5 mm nail. S3S uses 3.0 mm. The BOA boot prints metal-free S3L and leaves slip, WR, and ESD off the title. The card is 3.2 from five reviews, with one text in the file. The letter is real. The UK wear record in this file is not.
Is SRC the same as SR?
Uvex says the 2022 edition withdraws SRC and uses SR for the glycerol test. Basic slip resistance then has no letters. UK Slip Resistance gives at least 0.31 and 0.36, and at least 0.19 and 0.22 for SR, on a lab tile. SRC is on the S2 boot, the leather S3, and the quatro. The perforated S1 prints SR on the title and SRC in the details.
Are S3 boots waterproof?
S3 means a cleated, perforation-resistant boot with WPA on the upper. Whole-shoe resistance is WR, or S6 and S7. Uvex says WR is not a lifetime promise. The leather S3 title does not say waterproof, and reviews report both dry feet and wet feet after light rain. The title is the claim that counts.

Related pages

Who each card is for

Uvex safety shoes

Uvex safety shoes buying guide: class, then the price

Uvex safety shoes size chart for UK length and width

Uvex 1 vs Uvex 2 safety shoes: shoe or leather boot

Sources

Public UK sources for class, marking, and who pays for PPE, plus the Uvex UK range notes. Listings and prices are from amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2026.

  1. HSE, PPE overview (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. HSE, PPE Regulations 2022 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, UKCA and CE by sector (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK, PPE Enforcement Regulations 2018 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Uvex UK, EN ISO 20345:2022 guide (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Uvex UK, uvex 1 range (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Uvex UK, uvex 2 range (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Uvex UK, waterproof versus water-resistant (retrieved 16 October 2026)