A myriad of strict rules and regulations governs the import, export and selling of footwear in the global markets, especially to the developed nation of the world. The rules and regulations imposed help in protecting the customers, clothing brands and the environment. The European Union along with most other countries having healthy consumer markets enforce similar trade laws and legislation concerning the methods of testing footwear as well as controlling the quality of the products.
The manufacturing, supplying and retailing units must ensure that their products meet the requirements of commercial departments as well as those of the health authorities of the countries where they choose to sell their products. A footwear company can have its markets in the EU, the UAE, Asia, and the US, Japan, Australia or any other countries of the world. But, they need to prove that they carried out the testing and met the legal requirements of the destination markets. However, if they fail to do so, the authorities reject their shipment and the firm might have to face penalties above the cost of manufacturing the footwear.
Depending on the footwear and shoes products, the manufacturers might need a third party Footwear and Shoes laboratories or research facilities with specific certifications, licenses and accreditations. These include:
· SATRA
· ASTM
· AATCC
· FIA
· British Standards
· DIN
· CPSIA compliance
· GB compliance
Laws and Regulations Related to Footwear
· Protection of intellectual property rights
· Consumer health and environmental protection (restrictions on the use of chemicals in footwear)
· Product composition and labelling requirements
· Personal protective equipment (work-wear)
· Product safety and quality
All these above-mentioned laws and regulations require third party testing of footwear for ensuring that the products meet all the requirements. Each of the laboratories in India carries out different types of tests that require footwear to qualify for the appropriate certification pertaining to the regulations of each country.
The requirements might differ for footwear designed for children and for the workplace, compared to those intended for the average adult consumer. Moreover, various agencies take the responsibility for specific aspects of the legislation. Each country has its own agencies, which oversee the directives and the necessary footwear testing requirements.
For instance, footwear compliance requirements for The United States fall under the following agencies and departments:
Agency
Scope
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Children’s footwear; hazardous substances
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Country of the origin for most imported products
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Labelling
Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)
Protective footwear
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Organic claims
The European Observatory on Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights long with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) act as the watchdogs for illicit trade in counterfeit goods. Both the organizations monitor all forms of transport and shipment of goods, from small parcel services to container services into the European Union (EU).
Counterfeit footwear is among the top-ranking illicit goods seized by European customs departments, and numerous court cases against the importers over the past few years.
Consumer Health and Environmental Protection- Chemical Testing of Footwear
Testing footwear for chemicals used in manufacturing and shipping is the most essential step that manufacturers and suppliers must conduct. The step ensures that their products would satisfy their consumer health and safety regulations regarding the restrictions of using certain toxic chemicals.
REACH Restrictions on Chemicals in Footwear
The footwear industry uses more than 20 toxic aromatic amines derived from Azo dyes while they manufacture the fabrics for footwear and other textiles. The EU’s REACH directives severely restrict the use of these dyes and amines. They stated the limit for the aromatic amines as 30 mg per kilogram, which is 0.003% by weight for each article.
DMF Testing for Footwear
Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is a volatile chemical commonly added to desiccant sachets or silica bags placed in footwear packaging by the manufacturers as an antifungal agent. The addition of silica bags in the footwear prevents the growth of moulds on the product while storing and transporting them.
However, due to the toxicity- DMF cause allergic reactions, acute eczema and skin burns. The EU market under Directive 2009/251/EC bans the use of silica bags or DMF in footwear. Hence, suppliers of footwear to EU markets must carry out DMF tests on sample products. The test will ensure that there are no traces of DMF found in the products. It also helps in avoiding the risk of product recalls or rejection by EU customers and health authorities.
Testing Fiber Authenticity
The products labels meant for clothes, shoes and other items will come in close contact with the skin must contain accurate information about the composition of the materials used in the manufacturing of the products. The manufacturers need to distinguish and label the natural and synthetic fibres especially for leather, cotton, wool, silk, linen, nylon polyester and others.
With the testing and certifications of the shoes and other leather products, the manufacturers exporting their products to others of the world can strengthen their confidence in the quality and safety of their products. The neutral and intentionally recognized test mark demonstrates the manufacturer’s compliance with legal regulations and voluntary requirements regarding harmful substances and quality to provide the customers with the extra security that they look for while purchasing footwear and other leather products.
If you wish to know more about Sigma Laboratory or Shoe Testing, you can visit their official website- Sigmatest or you can contact them on- +91-9560222333. You can also visit Sigma’s Regd. Office at- 99, Phase 2, Badli Industrial Area, New Delhi-110042.