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Testing standards reference
Footwear testing standards — every test mapped to its standard
A complete reference to the physical, safety, chemical and comfort tests used across footwear development, material sourcing, QC and brand inspection — 126+ tests across 14 areas, each mapped to the public SATRA, ISO, ASTM, DIN and EN standard it is run to.
What tests and standards does a footwear factory run?
Footwear is tested across 14 areas — finished shoe, outsole, midsole, upper materials, linings, insoles, laces, thread, adhesives, heel counters, toe puffs, safety features, restricted substances and comfort — with each test run to a public standard such as SATRA TM92 (whole-shoe flex), DIN 53516 / ISO 4649 (outsole abrasion), ASTM D2240 (hardness) or ISO 20344 (waterproof, antistatic). DOING runs physical tests in-house and coordinates compliance and certification at accredited third-party labs (SGS, BV, Intertek, SATRA).
How the testing is done
In-house lab + accredited third-party labs
Our GOTECH physical-testing lab
Flex, abrasion, tensile, tear, hardness, density, compression/rebound, aging, colourfastness and environmental tests run in our own lab — so materials are confirmed before purchase and during production, not just at the end.
Accredited labs, coordinated for you
Restricted-substance compliance (REACH / CPSIA / RoHS), safety-footwear certification and biomechanics are coordinated at accredited third-party labs — SGS, BV, Intertek, SATRA — as your market requires, and we manage the reports.
The test methods and standards below are public. Our internal pass/fail tolerance tables are proprietary and are not published — but we test and inspect to your specification or market requirement where you have one. See also our 6-stage QC & AQL process and REACH / RSL chemical compliance.
Prioritise these
The ~30 core tests global brands ask for most
If your buyers are international brands, importers or large retailers, these are the high-frequency tests worth prioritising across R&D, sourcing, QC and brand inspection.
Full reference
Test → standard, by category
Fourteen categories covering the finished shoe, sole units, upper materials, every component, safety features, restricted substances and comfort. Each row lists the public standard(s) the test is run to.
1. Finished footwear · 整鞋
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Whole shoe flexing | SATRA TM92 · SATRA TM77 · ISO 17707 |
| Whole shoe waterproof | SATRA TM230 · ISO 20344 |
| Whole shoe bending | SATRA TM161 |
| Torsion test | SATRA TM94 |
| Whole shoe abrasion | SATRA TM174 |
| Heel impact | SATRA TM20 |
| Heel fatigue | SATRA TM21 |
| Sole adhesion | SATRA TM411 · ISO 17708 |
| Dynamic waterproof | SATRA TM77 |
| Static waterproof | ISO 20344 |
| Whole shoe durability | SATRA TM92 |
| Drop test | ASTM F2412 |
| Slip resistance | ISO 13287 · ASTM F2913 · SATRA TM144 |
| Antistatic | ISO 20344 |
| Electrical hazard | ASTM F2413 |
| Conductive footwear | ASTM F2413 |
| Penetration resistance | ISO 20344 |
| Compression resistance | ASTM F2412 |
| Impact resistance | ASTM F2412 |
| Finished shoe aging | SATRA TM55 |
2. Outsole · 大底
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Abrasion resistance | DIN 53516 · ISO 4649 · ASTM D5963 |
| Flex resistance | SATRA TM60 · ISO 17707 |
| Slip resistance | SATRA TM144 |
| Shore hardness | ASTM D2240 |
| Tensile strength | ASTM D412 · ISO 37 |
| Tear strength | ASTM D624 |
| Density | ASTM D792 |
| Rebound resilience | ASTM D2632 |
| Compression set | ASTM D395 |
| Oil resistance | ASTM D471 |
| Chemical resistance | ASTM D543 |
| Heat resistance | ISO 20344 |
| Cold flex | SATRA TM55 |
| Heat aging | ASTM D573 |
| UV aging | ASTM G154 |
3. Midsole · 中底
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Compression | ASTM D3575 |
| Rebound | ASTM D2632 |
| Hardness | ASTM D2240 |
| Fatigue | ASTM D1052 |
| Density | ASTM D3574 |
| Tear strength | ASTM D624 |
| Tensile | ASTM D412 |
| EVA compression set | ASTM D395 |
| PU hydrolysis | ISO 5423 |
| Aging | ASTM D573 |
4. Upper materials · 鞋面材料
Genuine leather
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Tensile | ISO 3376 |
| Tear | ISO 3377 |
| Flex | ISO 5402 |
| Abrasion | ISO 17076 |
| Thickness | ISO 2589 |
| Waterproof | ISO 5403 |
| Colorfastness | ISO 11640 |
| pH | ISO 4045 |
| Chromium VI | ISO 17075 |
PU / PVC synthetic
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Tensile | ASTM D638 |
| Tear | ASTM D624 |
| Flex | ASTM D2097 |
| Abrasion | ASTM D3884 |
| Aging | ASTM D573 |
| UV aging | ASTM G154 |
Mesh / knit
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Bursting | ASTM D3786 |
| Tear | ASTM D2261 |
| Tensile | ASTM D5034 |
| Pilling | ASTM D4970 |
| Abrasion (Martindale) | ASTM D4966 |
| Colorfastness | ISO 105 |
| Air permeability | ASTM D737 |
5. Lining · 内里
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Abrasion | SATRA TM8 |
| Perspiration | ISO 105-E04 |
| Colorfastness | ISO 105 |
| pH | ISO 4045 |
| Flex | SATRA TM25 |
6. Insole · 鞋垫
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Compression | ASTM D3575 |
| Rebound | ASTM D2632 |
| Water absorption | ISO 20344 |
| Moisture / perspiration | ISO 20344 |
| Abrasion | SATRA TM8 |
| Peel | SATRA TM404 |
| Antibacterial | ASTM E2149 |
7. Laces · 鞋带
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Tensile | ASTM D2256 |
| Abrasion | ASTM D3884 |
| Colorfastness | ISO 105 |
| Knot slip | SATRA TM93 |
8. Sewing thread · 缝线
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Tensile | ASTM D2256 |
| Abrasion | ASTM D3884 |
| Colorfastness | ISO 105 |
| Perspiration | ISO 105-E04 |
9. Adhesive · 胶粘剂
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Peel strength | SATRA TM404 |
| Shear strength | ASTM D1002 |
| Water resistance | SATRA TM404 |
| Heat aging | ASTM D573 |
| Cold resistance | SATRA TM55 |
10. Heel counter · 后跟
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Molding / stiffness | SATRA TM58 |
| Hardness | ASTM D2240 |
| Flex | SATRA TM60 |
| Peel | SATRA TM404 |
11. Toe puff · 鞋头
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Hardness | ASTM D2240 |
| Molding / stiffness | SATRA TM58 |
| Flex | SATRA TM60 |
12. Safety footwear · 安全鞋
Certified at accredited third-party / notified test labs.
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Toe impact | ASTM F2412 |
| Toe compression | ASTM F2412 |
| Penetration resistance | ASTM F2412 |
| Electrical hazard (EH) | ASTM F2413 |
| Conductive | ASTM F2413 |
| Antistatic | ISO 20344 |
13. Restricted substances (environmental) · 环保测试
Tested at accredited third-party labs (SGS / BV / Intertek).
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| REACH | EU REACH |
| RoHS | RoHS |
| CPSIA | CPSIA |
| PAHs | AfPS GS |
| Phthalates | REACH |
| Azo dyes | EN 14362 |
| Formaldehyde | ISO 14184 |
| Nickel release | EN 1811 |
| Cadmium | EN 1122 |
| Lead | CPSIA |
| VOC | ISO 16000 |
14. Comfort & biomechanics · 舒适性能
Run in-house or at specialised biomechanics labs, depending on the method.
| Test | Standard(s) |
|---|---|
| Air permeability | — |
| Water vapor permeability | — |
| Water vapor absorption | — |
| Thermal insulation | — |
| Thermal conductivity | — |
| Cushioning | — |
| Energy return | — |
| Plantar pressure | — |
| Gait analysis | — |
| Fit test | — |
FAQ
Testing standards — questions
What testing standards does footwear get tested to?
Footwear is tested to public industry standards depending on the part and property: SATRA methods (e.g. TM92 whole-shoe flex, TM60 outsole flex, TM144 slip, TM404 adhesion), ISO standards (e.g. ISO 17707 flex, ISO 20344 waterproof/antistatic, ISO 4649 abrasion, ISO 17075 chromium VI), ASTM standards (e.g. D2240 hardness, D5963 abrasion, F2412/F2413 safety toe & electrical), plus DIN and EN methods. DOING runs physical tests in-house and coordinates compliance and certification at accredited third-party labs.
Do you run tests in-house or at a third-party lab?
Both. Physical tests — flex, abrasion, tensile, tear, hardness, density, aging, colourfastness and environmental — run in our in-house GOTECH lab so materials are confirmed before and during production. Compliance and certification work — restricted substances (REACH, CPSIA, RoHS), safety-shoe certification and biomechanics — is coordinated at accredited third-party labs (SGS, BV, Intertek, SATRA) as needed, and we manage the reports for you.
Can you publish your pass/fail tolerances?
The test methods and standards are public and shown here. Our internal pass/fail tolerance tables are proprietary and are not published — but we test and inspect to your own specification or market requirement where you have one, and share the relevant test programme on request.
Related: Testing & QC standards → · Chemical compliance (REACH/RSL) → · Factory & QC → · Knowledge Center →
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