Anti-perforation soles

On a construction site, the risk of serious puncture wounds is extremely high with rusty nails, scrap metal and screws lying around. For the protection of your feet, the wearing of work shoes equipped with anti-perforation soles is strongly recommended. These are S3 and S5 safety shoes, P3 and P5 safety shoes and O3 and O5 work shoes. For others, remember to check the presence of the letter P placed next to the category of the shoe. It is, for example, common to find shoes with the SBP or S1P marking.

Characteristics of an anti-perforation sole - Standards / Characteristics / Safety

In order to ensure the puncture resistance of safety-shoes, a midsole is inserted between the comfort sole (the one in contact with the foot) and the outsole (the one in contact with the ground). This is the famous anti-perforation sole. The standards require that it be able to withstand a 4.5 mm diameter nail driven in with a pressure force of 1100 N. To give you a precise idea, this pressure corresponds to that experienced by the sole of an 80 kg individual who is walking.
Integrated during the manufacturing process, the anti-perforation sole which can be made of steel or woven materials cannot be removed without damaging the footwear or the safety sneaker in accordance with the standard. It is therefore important to choose the right model since it will be impossible for you to replace the anti-perforation sole. In order to make the right choice, knowing the advantages of each material is useful.

Anti-perforation sole in steel or woven materials?

Two main materials are used in the construction of anti-perforation soles: steel and high tenacity woven materials such as Kevlar or Twaron.
Anti-perforation soles -steel perforation stand out for their sturdiness and therefore offer better durability. They can even resist the penetration of thinner objects than what is set by the standard and have the advantage of not deforming when walking on blunt objects. However, for those working at a site that uses metal detectors to screen employees as they exit and enter, it is best to look to metal-free fabric puncture-resistant footwear.
As well as being non-magnetic, anti-perforation soles made of woven materials have the advantage of being very flexible and light. Being able to entirely cover the surface of the shoe, they are thermally insulating. The fact that they are metal-free is a big plus if shoes or work-boots security must be worn at high security sites such as airports, military bases or even government buildings.