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.
Footwear and Shoes Certifications, Licenses and Accreditations
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 the 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 |
Protection of Intellectual Property Rights for Footwear and Clothing Brands in Europe
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.
Product Composition and Labelling Requirements
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.
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