Also commonly worn by those in the construction industry, a protective toe cap capable of withstanding 200 joules of energy and 15,000 newtons of compressive force is generally considered an essential requirement for safety boots.
However, whilst this feature is often included and even augmented to provide greater levels of protection; it is not actually considered a standard requirement. As a matter of fact, occupational footwear designed to adhere to acceptable safety specifications do not need a protective toe cap, which is why it’s important that prospective buyers do not to consider the terms ‘safety boots’ and ‘steel-toe boots’ as being synonymous or interchangeable.
For those buying their footwear in Europe or from a European brand - such as LOWA -, it is possible to identify exactly what safety features a boot has by the EN ISO code assigned to it. Developed by the International Organization for Standardisation, these codes effectively summarise and relay the degree of protection offered by a boot and are generally comprised of an EN ISO number followed by a combination of letters.
Safety Boots & Shoe Ratings Explained
The primary codes typically associated with ISO work and safety boot specifications are:
- EN ISO 20345 - Safety boots with protective toe caps capable of withstanding a 200-joule impact and 15,000 newtons of resting mass (approximately 1500 kg). Steel toe caps are the most popular means of achieving this level of protection, however, materials other than steel can be used to attain the same or even greater levels of protection.
- EN ISO 20346 - Protective footwear that includes a protective toe cap but does not meet the 200J / 15,000N requirements of EN ISO 20345 specifications. Having said that, these work boots do need to offer protection from 100-joule impacts and 10,000 newtons of compressive force (1000kg approx.).
- EN ISO 20347 - Occupational footwear with cleated soles, oil resistant outsoles, resistance to penetration and water absorption, and anti-static, energy absorbing heels. These work boots do not necessarily have a protective toe cap.
In addition to the above, the following codes are often included as suffixes in order to better display a boot’s additional properties:
- A - Anti-static electrical resistance ranging from 100 kilohms to 1000 milliohms
- C - Cut resistant uppers
- CI - Insulated against the cold and capable of providing at least 30 minutes of protection against temperatures as low as -20°C
- E - Shock absorbent heel, capable of absorbing up to 20 joules of energy
- FO - Fuel oil resistant outsoles
- HI - Insulated against heat and capable of providing at least 30 minutes of protection against temperatures as high as 150°C
- HRO - Outsole able to resist direct exposure to 300°C temperatures for at least 1 minute
- M - Metatarsal guard to protect the bridge of the foot
- O - Conductive electrical resistance up to 100 kilohms
- P - Protective midsoles that guard against penetration from nails, jagged pieces of metal, splintered wood, and so on. Whilst these midsoles are commonly made from steel, other materials, such as aluminium and kevlar, can be used too and may also provide additional benefits. To earn this code, the boot’s midsole must be able to shrug off at least 1100 newtons of penetration force (110kg approx.).
- SRA - Anti-slip (tested on ceramic tiles, wetted with a diluted soap solution - sodium lauryl sulphate)
- WRU - Water resistant uppers
Depending on how many of the above features they boast, work and safety boots may also have a Safety Number that acts as a shorthand for common combinations of the codes above.
- SB - Safety boots featuring protective toe caps that meet the basic EN ISO 20345 requirements.
- S1 (SB A FO E) - Boots meet EN ISO 20345 specifications and also feature oil resistant outsoles, anti-static resistance, and shock absorbent heels.
- S2 (SB A FO E WRU) - Boots adhere to EN ISO 20345 requirements but also possess oil resistant outsoles, anti-static resistance, shock absorbent heels, and waterproof uppers.
- S3 (SB A FO E WRU P) - EN ISO 20345 safety boots with oil resistant outsoles, anti-static resistance, shock absorbent heels, waterproof uppers, and midsole penetration protection
- S4 (SB A FO E & Waterproof) - Fully waterproof and leak-proof anti-static safety boots with oil resistant outsoles and shock absorbent heels
- S5 (SB A FO E P & Waterproof) - Safety boots with the same features as S4 boots, with the addition of a protective midsole.
LOWA military boots offer a wide range of protective work and safety boots, all of which can be found in our LOWA Safety Boot category.
