Footwear and Leather Chemical Testing Services

WHY IS FOOTWEAR AND LEATHER GOODS TESTING IMPORTANT?

The footwear industry produces 10 billion pairs of shoes every year, from elegant shoes to trainers and boots. This huge volume poses serious challenges for manufacturers and distributors, given the seasonal variations in user demand and the complex requirements for quality, safety and durability. Footwear testing is a highly specialised process and can involve chemical and mechanical tests. A single pair of shoes can require more than 100 process steps and many different materials might be used in the production process such as:

textiles
leather
metal
wood
synthetic materials

Due to the complexity of footwear and other leather products such as handbags, manufacturers and distributors can find it challenging to ensure potentially harmful chemicals are not used in the production process and that the product meets both current quality and safety requirements and user needs.

REGULATIONS FOR FOOTWEAR AND LEATHER GOODS

Chemical substances that may pose a health risk to the end-user may be present in the raw materials of footwear and leather goods or may be introduced into the product during the manufacturing process. In order to avoid risks, we take into account the various regulations and requirements necessary to guarantee quality and safety when testing the product, such as:

REACH Regulation (1907/2006/EC): footwear and leather articles must not contain or contain only controlled levels of certain substances (eg heavy metals, allergenic and carcinogenic dyes, azo dyes, chromium (VI), chlorinated phenols, formaldehyde, etc)
RSL: each manufacturer has developed its own set of requirements (RSL - Restricted Substances List), based on the Regulation, under which extensive testing of finished products may be necessary

OUR FOOTWEAR AND LEATHER GOODS TESTING SERVICES

We support our partners in the footwear and leather goods market at both national and international level, with the aim of increasing quality and minimising risks. We subject products to rigorous chemical and mechanical testing in our accredited laboratories. Our experts test the safety of products under everyday conditions of use to get a realistic picture of all possible risks.

In our EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 accredited laboratories, we carry out complex chemical and mechanical tests according to MSZ, DIN, EN, ISO and other international standards on footwear and leather goods.

Chemical tests for footwear and leather
- Formaldehyde
- pH
- Chromium (VI) before and after ageing
- Aromatic amines derived from azo dyes
- Allergic and carcinogenic dyes
- Alkylphenols and their ethoxylates (AP, APEO)
- Chlorinated benzenes and toluene (COC)
- Chlorinated phenols (PCP, TCP, TeCP, etc.)
- Chlorinated paraffins (SCCP, MCCP)
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
- Dimethyl fumarate (DMFu)
- Dimethylformamide (DMFa)
- Phthalates
- Quinoline
- Poly- and perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS - PFOS, PFOA etc)
- Flame retardants (TCEP, TCPP, TDCP, TEPA, TRIS)
- Organotin compounds
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Metal content (lead, cadmium, etc)
- Nickel leaching (metals)
- Extractable heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel, etc)
Contact our experts to discuss your products
Mechanical tests for footwear and leather
- Colour fastness tests (rubbing, sweat, light, etc)
- Strength tests (tear strength, tensile strength and elongation, etc)
- Surface alteration and durability tests (e.g.: resistance to folding, flexural strength, etc)
- Insole tests (bending resistance, tear resistance, wear resistance, slip resistance, sole reinforcement, etc)
- Corrosion tests (metallic accessories)
Contact our experts to discuss your products
Expert services for footwear and leather
- Label and buyer’s guide checks
- Issuing test reports
- Quality control at the production site
- On-site quality control of products according to your requirements
- Sampling: batch sampling and inspection according to your requirements in accordance with the ISO 2859 series of standards

Your benefits

	Minimising risks - Full laboratory testing to ensure compliance with quality and safety requirements helps prevent fines, product recalls and reputational risks.
	Competitive advantage - By using our complex testing and expert services, you can assure your customers of the quality and safety compliance of your product, thereby increasing your company's marketability and competitiveness.
	Strengthening your brand reputation - Our test reports and expert opinions are a symbol of reliability at national and international level, which can increase customer engagement and strengthen your brand reputation.

WHY CHOOSE OUR HUB IN HUNGARY?

Fast test turnaround (5-7 days depending on the tests)
Decades of professional experience
Test reports issued in various major languages
Customer contact in several languages (English, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, French and more)
Testing according to international standards
A client-oriented approach
Innovative laboratories, modernised equipment
Extensive test coverage
Continuous reduction of detectability limits

TÜV SÜD is one of the world's leading certification companies, providing its customers with high-quality technical, quality and safety solutions for inspection, verification, auditing and certification.

Contact our experts today