Footwear in the EU & UK
CERT Technical
Footwear in the EU & UK

CERT provides specialist regulatory and technical support across all product sectors, including footwear. We help businesses navigate complex EU and UK requirements with clarity and confidence.

Interested in tailored support? Register your project interest so we can arrange a complimentary call with the relevant regulatory professional in our team.

Footwear supplied in the EU and UK must meet general product safety obligations, control harmful chemicals in materials and components, and provide appropriate durability, grip and information for its intended users and environments. Correctly scoping each style by purpose, user group and material mix is essential before selecting tests, labelling and technical documentation.

What counts as footwear

Footwear covers all items designed to cover or protect the foot, including fashion shoes, boots, sandals, trainers, children’s footwear and many slippers.

Products may be everyday fashion items, sport or outdoor footwear with higher performance expectations, or safety/occupational footwear that must meet dedicated PPE standards such as EN ISO 20345.

The intended user (adult vs child), use setting (indoor, outdoor, occupational) and key features (e.g. toe protection, slip resistance, electrical properties) determine whether general product safety rules alone apply or whether PPE and occupational‑footwear legislation is also in scope.

Core obligations include:

  • Confirming whether each style is general‑purpose, sports/outdoor, or occupational/PPE footwear, and identifying any applicable safety‑footwear standards and CE/UKCA routes.

  • Designing to meet essential safety and performance expectations, including fit and stability, slip resistance on typical surfaces, secure attachment of heels and decorative components, and resistance to foreseeable misuse such as running, jumping or occasional sport.

  • Ensuring that PPE or occupational footwear meets recognised requirements for impact and compression resistance, penetration resistance, slip performance, fuel‑oil resistance, anti‑static or insulating properties and sole flex/crack resistance, supported by valid test reports.

  • Keeping all footwear free from sharp edges, poorly fixed components and construction defects that could cause injury, with particular attention to children’s footwear and small parts.

  • Operating technical documentation and supply‑chain controls to demonstrate compliance with both physical and chemical requirements.

Markings and information

Uppers, linings, insocks, adhesives and soles must comply with EU/UK chemical law, including REACH Annex XVII restrictions on substances such as chromium VI in leather, certain azo dyes and PAHs in rubber and plastics, as well as limits on phthalates and heavy metals.

For products marketed as “nickel‑free” or with metal trims close to the skin, nickel‑release limits and other metal‑content requirements must be respected.

Footwear should carry durable product identification (brand, model, size), any required country‑of‑origin marking, and standardised material composition information for uppers, linings and in-socks, and outer soles in line with EU/UK footwear‑labelling rules.

For specialised or occupational footwear, additional markings (e.g. category codes and performance symbols under EN ISO 20345) and user instructions explaining protection levels and limitations are required.

Manufacturers, importers and brand owners are expected to maintain technical files covering design specifications, bills of materials, risk assessments, mechanical and chemical test reports, supplier declarations and copies of labels and packaging, ready for retailer audits or market‑surveillance requests.

How we can help

We help brands map the correct combination of general product safety, chemical, and where relevant PPE and occupational‑footwear requirements for fashion, children’s, sport and work shoes.

Support typically includes structured risk assessments for target users and use environments, review of mechanical and slip‑resistance test reports, chemical‑testing strategies aligned with legal and retailer lists, and detailed checks of labelling, size runs, material declarations and care information so that product communication accurately reflects hazards and safe‑use expectations.

With tailored, end‑to‑end solutions, CERT helps you launch footwear that is safe, compliant, and ready for market—backed by clear documentation and expert support.

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