If you are looking for summer safety shoes, that is to say safety footwear to allow your feet to breathe, then I recommend that you keep reading this article.
In this article I will answer the most frequently asked questions about summer safety footwear, to help you find the perfect product for you needs!
Normally summer safety shoes are those with the best breathability in the upper region, hence they are almost always category S1 o S1P.
In what cases should summer safety footwear be used?
- If you don’t have a job where waterproof safety footwear is needed (S2 or S3)
- You can also wear them in winter, as long as there’s no risk of your feet getting wet
So, we have found that summer safety shoes are generally S1 or S1P, but there’s an important question to ask:
What makes a safety shoe breathable?
- the upper, if it is of suede, knitted or crocheted fabrics
- the type of shoe. Sandals are the best, but shoes are fine too. Boots and ankle-boots, instead, are not very breathable
- a high-quality insole will let sweat through
- a high-quality lining will allow for the foot to stay dry
- a perforated upper (possibly with big perforations)
What standards do they comply with?
S1 and S1P safety shoes comply with the standard UNI EN ISO 20345 = “footwear equipped with toecaps, which protects the wearer from impacts and crushing, with resistance to energies up to 200J and to pressure loads of at least 15kN”.
The structural features of summer safety shoes are:
- They are always lighter and more flexible than S2 and S3 safety footwear
- Often (but not always) they have no metal parts
- Normally they are more comfortable than shoes of the other types (S2, S3, S4, S5)
THE EXPERT’S ADVICE:
Incredible how many times I happen to see workers who use the wrong safety shoes in the summer and then complain of having their feet completely damaged: athlete’s foot, blisters etc damage their feet up to becoming in some cases completely disabling making the worker lose the possibility in some cases to carry out the work for good. In reality you don’t need a great experience but just follow a simple rule. The first question you have to ask yourself is if you risk getting your feet wet at work, if the answer is NO then you absolutely must use super breathable S1 or S1P shoes, you must give priority to the upper that must be perforated, knitted, in any material that gives you the feeling of breathability. Try blowing through the upper materials to see if the shoe is perspiring. If, on the other hand, you risk getting your feet wet you will need S2 or S3 shoes but in this case to guarantee breathability you have to focus on the quality of the materials, the shoes will obviously cost more but a better leather and above all a better quality lining will allow water vapor. generated by your foot to disperse, dry out and at least give you less negative consequences than when it stays inside leaving your foot wet with sweat all day.
What additional properties can they have?
Summer safety shoes can also have additional properties (mostly required in specific sectors), along with the corresponding marking. The most frequent ones are:
- HI = “Heat Insulation” (in the outsole)
What models of summer safety shoes should I choose?








These tips should help you to find the perfect model of safety shoes for your needs.
As soon as you choose your perfect pair of safety shoes, you will be better protected and you will live a better working experience.
What do you think about summer safety shoes?
Do you have any points to add?
Leave us a comment below!