Safety Trainers

Get superior protection and high-level comfort with our range of safety trainers. Available in a wide range of styles and featuring state-of-the-art protection technology, from non-slip safety trainers, cut resistant, composite toecap and more.

Here at Cromwell, we have a wide range of men's and women's safety trainers from leading brands such as Puma®, Dunlop® and 3M™. For more insights and guidance on safety footwear, visit our comprehensive guide.

What are safety trainers?

Passable as everyday casual wear, safety trainers are a more relaxed style of safety footwear. Ideal for those who require padded and lightweight safety shoes, safety trainers are an excellent alternative to safety shoes.

Why safety trainers?

Safety trainers appear just like regular trainers, and, while they deliver the same standards of safety as their shoe or boot counterparts (tested to EN ISO 20345), their fit is often wider and more flexible. This appeals to those who dislike traditional safety shoes and prefer the trainer style for all day wear.

When are safety trainers used?

Like other types of Personal Protection Equipment, safety trainers are required where a risk assessment has identified a potential hazard, which may cause accidents or injury to workers. Safety toecaps and mid-sole protection is a requirement for areas of construction and skilled trades, such as plumbers, electricians, and plasterers. While delivery drivers and couriers favour the comfort that safety trainers provide while driving.

Safety trainer types

All safety trainers must always conform to EN 20345:2011 standard and be CE marked. However, there are many styles of trainer, the most common of which we've outlined below.

• Hi-Top   -   Hi-Top trainers are similar to the classic trainer style, with the addition of a slightly higher top section, extending to closer to the ankle.

• Athletic   -   A more sporty and aesthetic cut of trainer.

• Skater   -   A chunky and wider set looking trainer.

Considerations when choosing a safety trainer

•Fitting - A good fit is essential for a safety shoe to perform correctly and protect against injury, while it's also a must to avoid health issues such as corns or bunions. As well as back pain.

•Upper - Choose from a variety of options to suit the kind of protection you require. Most safety trainers feature moisture-wicking properties and vents for aeration to keep the feet comfortable. There are also vegan or sustainable fabric uppers available on some safety trainers, which can be considered for a more eco-friendly choice.

•Insole - Often features support technology to protect the arch and is mostly removable so the end-user can customise. Essential for a good fit and for comfort when wearing.

•Mid-sole - Some trainers feature a steel or composite mid-sole to protect against puncture injuries.

•Sole - Typically made from materials like rubber, polyurethane or PVCM, durable soles feature anti-slip and impact protection properties.

•Heel - For trainers worn for longer than four hours, the heel should be no higher than 2cm, for anything less than that, 4cm or less is adequate.

•Heel fit - Should be snug to prevent the trainer slipping and causing painful, rubbing injuries.

•Toe fitting - Toes should have wriggle room with a comfortable space between them and the safety toecap.

•Weight - Toecap and mid-sole materials are no longer exclusively made from steel, and now include composites and aluminium for a lightweight option.

Safety trainers jargon buster

To help you navigate our range of safety shoes a little better, we've put together an explanation of a key safety standard seen widely on technical datasheets.

What do the safety footwear standards EN ISO 20345:2011 and EN ISO 20345:2022 mean?

EN ISO 20345:2011 and EN ISO 20345:2022 are not as complicated as they first appear. They specify the safety requirements for protective footwear, including safety shoes. As well as requiring a 200 joule protective toe cap, as a minimum, all safety footwear on the market must also meet a minimum slip resistance rating.

There are also several other requirements depending on the level of protection offered, including whether the safety footwear product features a fully enclosed heel, electrical resistance, energy absorption under the heel, puncture-resistant features, water penetration and absorption of the upper or fully water-resistant.

Let's break the EN ISO 20345 standards down...

• EN- The currently applicable standard across Europe

• ISO - The International Organisation for Standardisation define international safety standards

• 20345 - The assigned legislation number

• 2011 and 2022 - The year this safety standard was updated.

It's important to note that safety footwear products come with a five year certification as of the date they were tested. As a result of this, both the EN ISO 20345:2011 and EN ISO 20345:2022 are valid, as long as the certification of the safety footwear has not surpassed the five year certification date.

FAQs

Can I wear safety trainers on site?
Yes. When chosen correctly to provide the protection required for your working environment, a safety trainer delivers in the same way a safety shoe would.

What's the difference between safety shoes and safety trainers?
The materials used to make the upper and sole of a safety trainer differs from those used for a safety shoe and can make them more lightweight. Also, safety trainer design is often wider and more casual than shoes or boots.

Can I wear my safety trainers that are tested to EN ISO 20345:2011 still?
Safety shoes, like all safety footwear, come with a five year certificate marked with the date of purchase. This certificate is valid for five years, meaning that as long as the certification is still in date, safety shoes that meet the older standard EN ISO 20345:2011 can still be worn.

The EN ISO 20345:2022 and EN ISO 20345:2011 will co-exist until 2028, by which point all footwear to the 2011 iteration of the standard have expired certification, meaning the 2022 version of the standard will supersede the 2011 version.

What does the EN ISO 20345 standard test for?
Within the EN ISO 20345 standard, safety footwear can be tested against numerous hazards, and given what is known as a safety classification dependent on the outcome of each test.

Safety classification range from SB to S5 as per the 2011 iteration of the standard. The 2022 update to the standard introduced new safety classifications, which go up to S7.
All safety classifications include mandatory presence of a protective toecap that protects up to 200J.

As well as this, all safety classifications also require a level of mandatory slip resistance, which can be rated from SRA to SRC as per the 2011 standard.

The 2022 iteration of the EN ISO 20345 standard added a minimum requirement for slip-resistance. If the safety footwear surpasses this basic requirement and is also tested for slip-resistance on a ceramic tile with glycerol, under the updated standard, it is rated as SR. This is a more rigorous level of slip-resistance than the new basic requirement.

What other markings or tests are included in the EN ISO 20345 standard?
Besides the mandatory basic tests and the more robust additional tests as safety footwear moves up in safety classification, there are also optional, additional tests that safety footwear can be tested against.

There are 18 in total, as detailed and outlined below:

• PL   -   Safety footwear marked with PL signifies that the footwear has been tested for perforation resistance in a non-metallic insert, tested with a 4.5 mm test nail. This is a new addition as per the EN ISO 20345:2022 standard.

• PS   -   Similarly to the above, the marking PS refers to perforation resistance except this time with a non-metallic insert, tested with a 3.0 mm test nail. This is also a new marking as per the EN ISO 20345:2022 standard.

• P   -   Part of the EN ISO 20345:2011 standard, P signifies that the safety footwear has been tested for perforation resistance (metal insert).

• C   -   A C marking denotes that the safety footwear has been marked categorised as partly conductive footwear.

• A   -   The letter A denotes that the safety footwear has been marked as anti-static.

• HI   -   Safety footwear with the marking HI means that it has been tested for heat insulation of the sole complex.

• CI   -   Similarly to the above, CI denotes that the safety footwear possesses cold insulation of the sole complex.

• E   -   Refers to energy absorption of the seat region of the safety footwear.

• WR   -   Signifies that the footwear has been tested for water resistance. This is the new marking as per the EN ISO 20345:2022 standard, and means that no water penetration inside the footwear shall be detected for the footwear to achieve this marking.

WR is also used as per the 2011 iteration of the standard, but the 2011 test allows for 3cm cubed of water to penetrate the footwear. This means that the 2022 standard is more strict in defining safety footwear as water resistant.

• WRU   -   Part of the 2011 standard, WRU refers to water resistance of the upper part of the safety footwear only.

• WPA   -   Used to essentially replace the above marking WRU, as per the 2022 standard, footwear marked as WPA denotes that some water penetration and absorption of the footwear can occur.

• M   -   Refers to footwear with metatarsal protection.

• AN   -   Refers to footwear with ankle protection.

• CR   -   States that the footwear has cut resistance of the upper part.

• SC   -   A new optional requirement as per the 2022 standard, SC signifies that there is abrasion resistance of optional overcaps/scuff caps.

• SR   -   As mentioned previously, under the updated EN ISO 20345 standard, SR will be an optional slip-resistance test on top of the new minimum requirement of basic slip-resistance.

• HRO   -   Heat resistance of the outsole.

• FO   -   Fuel resistance and oil resistance.

• LG   -   The safety footwear has outsoles which provide hold on ladders, or 'ladder grip'. This is a new optional test as per the 2022 standard.

For more information on safety boots see our Safety Footwear Guide... https://www.cromwell.co.uk/info/safety-technical-safety-footwear