ISO 17708:2018

Overview

ISO 17708:2018 - Footwear - Test methods for whole shoe - Upper‑sole adhesion - defines a standardized laboratory method to measure the resistance of a shoe assembly to separation of the upper from the outsole, separation of adjacent outsole layers, or tear failure of upper or sole materials. The document also specifies ageing conditions useful for production control and applies to all types of footwear construction (cementing, vulcanisation, injection moulding, etc.) where the upper is continuously assembled (closed shoe).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and objective: Test bond strength nearest the assembly edge; not required for mechanically fixed or stitched bonds.
• Definition: Upper‑sole adhesion - force required to separate the sole–upper bond.
• Sampling & conditioning:
  • Condition footwear per ISO 18454 for at least 24 hours; allow at least 72 hours before testing when adhesives need additional curing.
  • Minimum of two items per model.
• Apparatus & materials:
  • Sharp cutting device for preparing test pieces.
  • Tensile testing machine complying with ISO 7500‑1 (class 2), constant traverse rate 100 mm/min ±10 mm/min, force range 0–600 N.
  • Pincer or flat jaws (25–30 mm wide) for gripping test pieces.
  • Measuring device accurate to at least ±0.5 mm for bonding margin width.
• Test procedure & results:
  • Test produces force–deformation data and a measured bond strength value.
  • Failure modes are classified with codes: A (adhesion failure), C (cohesion failure), N (coalescence error), S (delamination), M (material break).
• Ageing: Annex A defines accelerated ageing conditions for standard testing and for production control to simulate bond durability.

Practical applications

ISO 17708:2018 is intended for:

• Footwear manufacturers for quality control and production acceptance testing of sole adhesion.
• Materials and adhesive suppliers to validate adhesive systems and bonding processes.
• Testing laboratories and R&D teams performing comparative evaluation, product development and failure analysis.
• Compliance and warranty investigations where objective bond strength and failure mode data are required.

Benefits include consistent, repeatable adhesion measurement, objective pass/fail criteria for production control, and standardized data for supplier and regulatory communication.

Related standards

• ISO 18454 - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing of footwear
• ISO 7500‑1 - Calibration and verification of static uniaxial testing machines
• ISO 17708:2018 is technically revised from ISO 17708:2003 and based on EN 344

Keywords: ISO 17708:2018, upper‑sole adhesion, footwear testing, sole adhesion test, bond strength, ageing, tensile testing, production control.