What is whole shoe testing?

A whole shoe test tells you whether your finished shoe is safe to retail.

Whole shoe testing comprises of product quality, materials and chemical tests, on finished footwear. At Eurofins | BLC, we assess what tests are needed on a case by case basis.

 

Why do a whole shoe test?

Due to the complexity of global supply chains, there are many possibilities for safety, manufacturing, and chemical issues to arise in footwear and footwear component production. Therefore, it’s important to detect and identify any problems which could prevent or restrict your product being retailed.

 

How long will it take?    

Service

Turnaround Time

Price

Standard

4 working days

£Quotation

Express

2 working days

£Quotation + 50%

Premium

Next day service*

£Quotation + 100%

 

*Samples must be received by 10am to guarantee next day service.

 

Eurofins | BLC Footwear Testing Services

At Eurofins | BLC, we carry out a wide variety of footwear tests on men’s, women’s and children’s shoes to CEN, ISO, TM standards at our UKAS accredited laboratory based in the UK.

View our full range of footwear testing services below:

 

Please read our testing terms and conditions.

As standard, we provide:

  • A comprehensive, technical and commercially focused shoe fit service for children's, women's and men's footwear
  • Highly competitive pricing
  • Fast turnaround time - results available next day, or in 2-4 working days
  • A fully comprehensive and easy to understand report, complete with before and after images
  • Technical back up and support from experts

 

Become a Eurofins | BLC? Member, and you’ll also get:

  • Discounted prices
  • Priority testing allocation
  • Access to advanced technical support

Depending on your requirements, we can test shoes for the following:

  • Fatigue resistance of heels
  • Heel attachment
  • Seam strength
  • Peel strength of sole bonds
  • Slip resistance
  • Strap attachment
  • Top piece attachment strength
  • Flexing endurance

Chemical testing includes:­

  • Evaluation of nickel release from metal components
  • Determination of phthalates in PVC
  • Assessment of children’s shoes according to EN71 (both inorganic and organic requirements)

Chemical testing for restricted substances in footwear components is also important. Common restricted substances found in footwear include azo ­dyes, chromium VI, formaldehyde, nickel, and PCP.

 

How many samples do we need for whole shoe testing?

The number of samples you need to send in for whole shoe testing will vary depending on the type(s) of test you’d like to do. If additional sample is required, we’ll tell you.

Our Accreditations

Eurofins | BLC holds accreditations from UKAS and CPSC and has auditors approved to carry out LWG audits. Trust Eurofins | BLC to deliver some of the most accurate test results in the industry.

View our Accreditations

Testimonials

"Eurofins | BLC Membership allows us to develop innovative high quality raw materials in order to continue our product improvement programme."

Mulberry

United Kingdom

"We thought every part of the Eurofins | BLC leather course was very informative and interesting."

John Lewis Partnership

United Kingdom

"I enjoyed the combination of theoretical and practical training on the 4-day leather course."

Asos

United Kingdom

"We were very impressed by the speaker on the leather training course who had excellent knowledge of the subject."

Next

United Kingdom

"I became a Member to take advantage their specification building services and 1-2-1 regulatory advice."

Gheli International

India

"I just wanted to say a big thanks for 2 great days of leather education last week."

IKEA

Sweden

"Membership allowed us to use the expertise of Eurofins | BLC to improve our suppliers' environmental performance."

Clarks International

United Kingdom

"Smart chemical testing of wet blue saves our business time and money."

Casino Hide Tanners

Australia

"I enjoyed all of the leather course as a chemist I wanted to understand the whole process of making leather."

Smit & zoon

Netherlands

"Through Eurofins | BLC Membership, we have access to technical support for leather product testing, helping us to provide more efficient services to our customers."

William Lamb

United Kingdom

“10 years of Eurofins | BLC Membership has enabled us to provide continuous assurance of product quality and safety, giving our customers greater confidence in our products.”

ScS

United Kingdom

"All parts of the leather training course were relevant and very informative. I now have a new appreciation for leather!"

Ralph Lauren

United States of America

Send An Enquiry

Contact Eurofins | BLC to discuss your enquiry with friendly and helpful experts and to get a quotation. For Eurofins | BLC to receive your enquiry, you must complete all 3 sections of the contact form below. To receive the Technical Update email, you simply need to complete this form. Eurofins | BLC aim to respond to all enquiries within 24 hours Monday to Friday.

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