KF-SAF-001Safety & Workwear Footwear
Industrial Safety Shoes
A low-cut work shoe designed around a bought-in protective toe cap, for brands and distributors who will test and certify it to their safety standard.
- OEM to your design
- ODM development
- Private label
- Samples before bulk
Product overview
About industrial safety shoes
Industrial safety shoes look like a work trainer or derby but are built around a toe cap. The last is shaped to the cap so there is enough toe room, and the sole, usually direct-injected PU or PU/rubber, is chosen for the working environment.
A shoe only becomes safety footwear after testing. In the EU and UK that means EN ISO 20345 testing and type examination before any protective marking; in the US, ASTM F2413. We develop the shoe with documented components and plan the testing route with you; no conformity is claimed in advance.
OEM: your design
Send your specification and the standard you need; we develop to it with documented toe caps and soles.
ODM: developed with you
Share your environment and price target; we propose upper, toe cap type and sole for testing.
Design characteristics
- Low-cut work shoe silhouette
- Last shaped around a protective toe cap
- Padded collar and tongue
- Injected PU or PU/rubber sole
- Abrasion-resistant toe overlay
- Typical applications
- Warehousing and logistics · Light industry and manufacturing · Workwear retail · Company PPE programmes, after certification
- Target buyers
- Workwear and PPE brands · Safety footwear distributors · Uniform suppliers · Companies sourcing staff PPE
Materials and construction
Materials and construction for this style
Only options technically suited to this style are listed. Availability is confirmed in your quotation.
- Typical
- Usual for this style (industry norm)
- Development option
- Possible option, confirmed at quotation and sampling
- Feasibility to confirm
- Needs factory feasibility confirmation before it can be offered
| Full-grain leather | Leather upper. | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Microfiber synthetic | Microfibre for wipe-clean uppers. | Development option |
| Nylon and textile panels | Textile with abrasion overlays. | Development option |
| Breathable mesh lining | Breathable lining. | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Padded collar and tongue | Padded collar and tongue. | Typical |
| Removable footbed | Removable cushioned insole. | Typical |
|---|
| Protective toe cap (steel, composite or aluminium) | Steel, composite or aluminium cap, with the maker's documentation. | Feasibility to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Penetration-resistant insert | Insert where the target standard requires it. | Feasibility to confirm |
| Dual-density PU | Dual-density PU, direct-injected. | Feasibility to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Oil- and heat-resistant rubber compounds | Oil- or heat-resistant rubber with supplier data. | Development option |
| Direct-injection construction | PU sole injected onto the upper. | Feasibility to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Cemented construction | Cemented sole unit. | Development option |
| Reinforcement and edge finishing | Toe overlay, counters and stitching at stress points. | Typical |
Construction methods are explained on the manufacturing page. No method is presented as an in-house capability unless confirmed in your quotation.
Customisation and branding
What you can customise
Toe protection
Steel, composite or aluminium toe cap
Colour combinations
Black or your colour
Reflective details
Reflective details
Sole and tread pattern
Tread pattern for the environment
Width fittings
Width fittings
Lace types
Laces or quick-release closure
Branding without new tooling
- Woven labels. Woven tongue, side or pull-loop labels; minimums set by the label supplier.
- Embroidered logos. Stitched logos on textile or leather panels; digitised from vector artwork.
- Heat-transfer branding. Printed transfers applied with heat; good for multi-colour logos on textiles.
- Tongue labels. Woven, printed or rubber labels on the tongue.
- Insole printing. Logo printed or hot-stamped on the sock liner.
- Custom shoeboxes. Printed boxes to your artwork; minimums set by the box printer.
- Hangtags. Printed swing tags attached to the pair.
- Barcode labels. EAN/UPC labels on boxes or polybags, from codes the buyer supplies.
- Carton markings. Shipping marks, size breakdown and destination printed or labelled on export cartons.
Branding that needs tooling
- Embossed logos. Heat and pressure with a metal die raise the logo on leather or synthetic.
- Logo moulded in the outsole. Requires a new or modified outsole mould; only with custom sole tooling.
Custom lasts, outsole moulds, cutting dies and branding tools may add tooling costs and raise minimum quantities. They are quoted separately before you commit.
Sizing and specifications
Sizing and technical specifications
Size conversions are approximate and vary by last and brand; they are not a production grading chart, and your own brand size chart replaces them if you have one. Technical measurements are set on your last and samples, recorded on the approved sample and controlled in bulk.
Toe-cap shoes need lasts shaped to the cap. Toe room is checked on every size in the size set.
Size charts: Men's sizes, Women's sizes
Men's sizes
Typical men's range EU 39–47; smaller or larger sizes on request where the last allows.
| EU | UK | US men's | Foot length (mm) | Foot length (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 6 | 7 | 250 | 25.0 |
| 40 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 255 | 25.5 |
| 41 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 260 | 26.0 |
| 42 | 8 | 9 | 265 | 26.5 |
| 43 | 9 | 10 | 275 | 27.5 |
| 44 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 280 | 28.0 |
| 45 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 290 | 29.0 |
| 46 | 11 | 12 | 295 | 29.5 |
| 47 | 12 | 13 | 305 | 30.5 |
Women's sizes
Typical women's range EU 35–42; developed on a women's last, not a scaled men's last.
| EU | UK | US women's | Foot length (mm) | Foot length (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 2.5 | 5 | 225 | 22.5 |
| 36 | 3.5 | 6 | 230 | 23.0 |
| 37 | 4 | 6.5 | 235 | 23.5 |
| 38 | 5 | 7.5 | 240 | 24.0 |
| 39 | 6 | 8.5 | 250 | 25.0 |
| 40 | 6.5 | 9 | 255 | 25.5 |
| 41 | 7.5 | 10 | 260 | 26.0 |
| 42 | 8 | 10.5 | 265 | 26.5 |
How to measure foot length
- 01Stand on a sheet of paper with full weight on the foot, heel against a wall.
- 02Mark the tip of the longest toe and measure from the wall to the mark in millimetres.
- 03Measure both feet and use the longer one; measure later in the day when feet are largest.
- 04Compare with the foot-length column, not the shoe's outside length.
Technical measurements for this style
| Dimension | For this style |
|---|---|
| Toe-cap clearance | Set by the toe cap and last; measured on samples |
| Ball girth | Width fitting on the last |
| Instep girth | Lacing range over the instep |
| Stack height and drop | Sole thickness under heel and forefoot |
| Weight per pair | Measured on approved samples |
| Size grading | Size set across the workforce range |
| Construction tolerances | Agreed before bulk |
Values are set in development; no figures are published.
Sampling, production and quality
From sample to bulk order
Sampling charges, MOQ and timing are quoted per project. The full development route is explained on the manufacturing page.
Sampling for this style
- Proto sample to confirm design, pattern and construction
- Fit sample on the agreed last, checked on wearers in the core size
- Wear test by your staff in the working environment
- Pre-production sample approved as the sealed bulk standard
MOQ for this style
- Toe caps, inserts and injected soles have component minimums.
- Testing and certification costs are planned separately.
Quality checks for this style
- Toe-cap position and fixing on every pair
- Injection flash and sole bond
Packaging
- Individual boxes with labelling to your market's requirements once certification is complete.
Testing and compliance
Frameworks relevant to this style. Obligations depend on where and how the product is sold, and the brand placing it on the market carries them. General information, not legal advice.
Safety and occupational footwear standards (EN ISO 20345, EN ISO 20347, ASTM F2413)Product-specific conformity
Safety footwear with a protective toe cap is tested against EN ISO 20345 and, in the EU and UK, type-examined as personal protective equipment before it can carry a protective claim. Occupational footwear without toe protection falls under EN ISO 20347, and the US uses ASTM F2413. We do not claim conformity with any of these standards for any style. Where you need it, accredited testing and certification are planned as part of the project.
Slip resistance (ISO 13287 method)Optional test, on request
Slip resistance can be measured on the finished outsole where a buyer needs data for an open-footwear or outdoor product. Results depend on compound, tread and test surface.
EU REACH restrictions (Annex XVII)Market obligation
Restricts chemicals in articles sold in the EU, including chromium VI in leather in contact with skin (entry 47, limit 3 mg/kg), certain azo dyes, PAHs in rubber parts and dimethyl fumarate. Leather and component suppliers' test reports are collected per order where a buyer requires them.
EU footwear labelling (Directive 94/11/EC)Market obligation
Footwear sold in the EU must indicate the material of the upper, the lining and sock, and the outsole, using the directive's pictograms or wording. Labels are produced to the buyer's market requirements.
EU General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988Market obligation
Applies since 13 December 2024 to consumer products placed on the EU market, including traceability information on the product or packaging. The obligations sit with the economic operator placing the product on the market; we supply the production information they need.
Physical test methods (ISO footwear methods)Optional test, on request
Commonly requested tests include whole-shoe upper-to-sole adhesion (ISO 17708), outsole abrasion (ISO 20871), outsole flex resistance (ISO 17707), upper flex resistance (ISO 17694) and colourfastness of footwear components (ISO 17700). Tests are run by external laboratories on request; no results are published until reports exist.
Khairay Footwear does not state any certification, approval or test result for this style unless documentation exists for your order.
Sampling, quality control and shipping explainedFAQ
Industrial Safety Shoes: questions buyers ask
Do these shoes carry certification?
No conformity is claimed. Certification follows accredited testing of your final design and is agreed per order.
Steel or composite toe cap?
Both are possible as bought-in components with documentation. The choice is made with your testing route.
Can you arrange testing?
Testing can be planned with an accredited laboratory or body you choose or we propose. Costs are quoted separately.
Can we sell them as safety shoes immediately?
Only after testing and certification for your market. Until then they must not carry any protective marking.
Can the sole be oil-resistant?
Oil-resistant compounds can be specified with supplier data; resistance is confirmed by testing.
Do you claim conformity with a safety standard?
No. No conformity with EN ISO 20345, EN ISO 20347, ASTM F2413 or any other standard is claimed. Protective claims need accredited testing and certification for your final design.
What information do you need for a work or safety footwear quotation?
Whether the footwear is safety or work footwear, the standard you need to meet, the working environment, materials, size breakdown, quantities and destination market.
Can we submit our own design?
Yes, with or without choosing one of these reference styles.
Related reference styles
Related styles
KF-SAF-002
Safety Boots
KF-SAF-005
Slip-Resistance Work Shoes
KF-SAF-004
Non-Safety Occupational Shoes
KF-TAC-001
Tactical Lace-Up Boots
KF-SAF-001 · Safety & Workwear Footwear
Develop this footwear style for your brand
The quotation form opens with safety & workwear and KF-SAF-001 selected. You can change any specification, or upload an entirely different design, tech pack or sample photos.