EN ISO 21061:2021 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 21061:2021 - Footwear: Chemical tests - General principles on the preparation of samples provides a harmonized framework for preparing and designating samples taken from footwear and footwear components for chemical testing. Published by CEN/ISO, it applies to all types of footwear and components and is intended to support consistent, repeatable footwear chemical tests and concurrent testing for multiple chemical analyses.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and purpose: Establishes general principles for sample preparation and designation to reduce inter-laboratory variability when testing for critical substances in footwear.
• Designation system: Requires clear specification of each sample’s parameters, including:
  • Component parts (identified using ISO component definitions)
  • Colour designation (rules provided in Annex A)
  • Material classification (rules and examples in Annex C; e.g., leather, textile, polymer, rubber, foam, metal)
  • Useful additional information (position, accessibility, composite/combined materials)
• Sample types and terminology: Defines terms such as accessible/inaccessible components, combined material, composite test sample and component in contact with the skin.
• Preparation procedures: Sets out general requirements for disassembling footwear, sampling, testing schedules, storage and conditioning before chemical analysis (detailed procedures in Annex B).
• Goal of harmonization: Enables concurrent chemical testing by standardizing how samples are taken, prepared and labelled to produce representative and comparable test specimens.

Applications

• Ensures reproducible sample preparation for chemical safety testing across:
  • Regulatory compliance and market surveillance
  • Manufacturer quality control and supplier verification
  • Third‑party testing laboratories and conformity assessment bodies
  • Research into material safety and product development
• Reduces testing complexity and cost by defining how to combine and designate samples for multiple concurrent analyses while maintaining representativeness.

Who should use this standard

• Footwear manufacturers and component suppliers
• Independent testing laboratories and quality-control teams
• Regulatory agencies and market surveillance authorities
• Standards writers, product safety engineers and material scientists working on footwear chemical safety

Related standards

• ISO 4044 - Leather - Chemical tests - Preparation of chemical test samples (normative reference)
• ISO 19952 - Footwear - Vocabulary (used for component definitions)
• Adopted as EN ISO 21061:2021 by CEN members for implementation across European national standards bodies.

Keywords: EN ISO 21061:2021, footwear chemical tests, sample preparation, footwear components, sample designation, chemical safety, testing laboratories.