ISO 17697:2016

Overview

ISO 17697:2016 - "Footwear - Test methods for uppers, lining and insocks - Seam strength" specifies two standardized laboratory methods to determine the seam strength of footwear uppers, linings and insocks regardless of material. The standard helps assess suitability for end use by measuring the force required to rupture needle perforations or stitched seams, providing reproducible data for quality control, material selection and design verification.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Two test methods
  • Method A - Needle perforations: Measures the force needed to pull a row of needles through a T‑shaped test specimen perpendicular to the row. Uses a needle holding jig with 17 needles and reports maximum force per specimen width.
  • Method B - Stitched seams: Measures breaking strength of stitched seams (cut from shoes or made up to simulate construction) by tensile loading perpendicular to the seam until failure.
• Apparatus and measurement
  • Tensile testing machine with jaw separation rate of (100 ± 10) mm/min; force-measurement accuracy per ISO 7500‑1 (Class 2).
  • Typical force ranges: usually