TÜV SÜD has collaborated with the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) to develop a website with comprehensive footwear testing regulatory information.
The website hosts FDRA’s guide to chemical and physical footwear testing requirements and allows compliance professionals to click on specific chemicals or jurisdictions and view the legal requirements for certain countries and regions. A catalog of global testing laws is also available—making the website a one-stop shop on footwear testing issues. FDRA membership is required to access the site.
“This website assists footwear companies in understanding and complying with the chemical and physical requirements for the United States, the European Union, Japan, Korea, and China,” TÜV SÜD Product Service Senior Vice President Consumer Products Kapil Bansal said.
TÜV SÜD provided the base technical guidance on what needed to be tested for entering these selected countries, including a chemical restricted substances list, and physical testing recommendations specific to footwear.
FDRA Senior Vice President Andy Polk said new materials and markets are making it more difficult to manage footwear compliance programs.
“This new product safety portal really is a one-stop shop that provides nearly everything a compliance team needs to understand global requirements for footwear, providing clarity and a better risk based approach to managing chemicals in supply chains,” Polk said. “To date, we’ve heard it’s been a great tool and resource for both global footwear companies as well as smaller family-owned footwear businesses.”