Why safety codes matter on your shoes
When you buy safety footwear, the codes on the label matter as much as the leather on top. EN ISO 20345 and ASTM F2413 are the two most important safety footwear standards in the world, defining how safety shoes and boots are tested, certified and labelled for real workplaces.
Sneaky Ninjas Barefoot Safety Trainers and Chelsea Boots sit where these two worlds meet, so it is worth understanding what each standard does in plain language.
EN ISO 20345 explained simply
EN ISO 20345 is the European (and widely international) standard for safety footwear. It sets minimum performance requirements for safety shoes and boots, covering:
- Toe protection
- Overall construction and durability
- Slip resistance
- Optional protections such as puncture resistance, electrical properties, fuel‑oil resistance, hot‑contact resistance and water protection
Instead of listing each test individually, EN ISO 20345 uses classification codes like SB, S1, S2, S3 and so on. Each class is a bundle of protections. For example:
- SB: basic toe protection and slip resistance
- S1: SB plus closed heel, antistatic properties and heel energy absorption
- Higher classes add puncture resistance, cleated outsoles and water protection, depending on the code
ASTM F2413 explained simply
ASTM F2413 is the North American standard, used mainly in the United States and Canada, and referenced in OSHA regulations.
It defines performance requirements for specific hazards, such as:
- Impact and compression for the toe area
- Metatarsal protection
- Electrical‑hazard or conductive footwear
- Static‑dissipative behaviour
- Puncture resistance
Instead of classes like S3, ASTM uses letter codes to show which hazards the footwear has been tested for. For example:
- I / C – impact and compression protection
- PR – puncture‑resistant footwear
- SD 10, SD 35, SD 100 – static‑dissipative ranges
- EH – electrical‑hazard protection
- Mt – metatarsal protection
At‑a‑glance comparison
|
Standard |
Main region of use |
How it talks about protection |
|
EN ISO 20345 |
UK, Europe, many global markets |
Bundled classes (SB, S1, S3…) combining multiple features in one code. |
|
ASTM F2413 |
USA, Canada, some global brands and buyers |
Individual hazard codes (I, C, PR, SD, EH…) listed separately. |
What EN 20345 and ASTM 2413 have in common
Although the labels look different, EN ISO 20345 and ASTM F2413 try to answer the same question: does this shoe actually protect you from common workplace hazards?
Both standards:
- Require protective toe caps tested for impact and compression
- Include puncture resistance options to protect from nails and sharp debris
- Address electrical properties – antistatic, static‑dissipative or electrical‑hazard behaviour
- Refer to slip‑related performance, so soles are tested on defined surfaces with defined contaminants
This overlap means one pair of safety shoes can be designed to satisfy both standards at once.
Where EN 20345 and ASTM F2413 differ
1. Classification vs. certification codes
EN ISO 20345 works like a classification system. Once footwear passes certain groups of tests, it earns a class like SB or S3. That code implies a whole bundle of protections.
ASTM F2413 works like a menu of performance codes. Each letter combination tells you which specific hazard the shoe has been tested for.
2. How slip resistance appears on the label
- EN ISO 20345 builds slip performance into the standard and uses markings like SR or SRO to indicate the surfaces and test conditions.
- ASTM F2413 references slip test methods separately, and slip is often declared by the manufacturer in marketing and tech sheets rather than as a main ASTM code.
3. Extra options and markings
Some examples from EN ISO 20345:
- A – antistatic footwear
- E – energy absorption in the heel
- PS / P – puncture resistance
- FO – fuel‑oil resistance
- HO / HRO – resistance to hot contact
- WPA / WR – water penetration or water resistance
Common additions in ASTM F2413:
- PR – puncture resistance
- CD – conductive footwear
- SD 10 / SD 35 / SD 100 – static‑dissipative ranges
- EH – electrical‑hazard footwear
- Mt – metatarsal protection
How Gaucho Ninja uses both standards
For workers and companies that cross borders, it’s useful when a single pair of safety shoes speaks both standards’ languages.
Sneaky Ninjas Barefoot Safety Trainers and Chelsea Boots are designed so they can be marked with EN ISO 20345 codes and the relevant ASTM F2413 designations. That means:
- UK and European sites can check the EN codes they know.
- North American operations can look for the ASTM markings they expect.
- The wearer knows they are getting serious certified protection, on top of a barefoot‑wide, zero‑drop, flexible platform.
You do not have to choose between natural movement and serious certification – or between EN and ASTM. With the right footwear, you can have both.
Looking for safety shoes that meet both EN ISO 20345 and ASTM F2413 without sacrificing natural movement?
Explore Gaucho Ninja’s Barefoot Safety collection – Carpenters, Sneaky Ninjas Trainers and Chelsea boots – all built on a barefoot‑wide, flexible platform with serious certified protection.
