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Footwear
Footwear offered for sale to consumers must be labelled in accordance with Directive/94/11/EC, implemented in Italy by Ministerial Decree 11/1996 (modified by Ministerial Decree 30/2001).
Products covered by the Directive
The term "footwear" refers to all products with soles designed to protect or cover the foot, including parts that are marketed separately. Consequently, the Directive applies to a variety of items such as:
- flat or high-heeled shoes for indoor or outdoor wear;
- boots of any height;
- sandals of various types, "espadrilles", tennis shoes, running and other sports shoes, bathing shoes;
- special sports footwear which is designed for a sporting activity such as skating, skiing, wrestling, boxing, cycling, ballet, or equipped with spikes, studs, stops, clips, bars or the like;
- one-piece rubber or plastic footwear (excluding disposable items, without applied soles, of flimsy material such as paper, plastic film, etc.);
- disposable footwear with applied soles;
- overshoes that are worn over other footwear;
- orthopedic footwear.
The Directive does not apply to the following items:
- second-hand footwear;
- toy footwear;
- protective footwear regulated by Legislative Decree 475/92 (personal protective equipment);
- footwear regulated by Presidential Decree 904/82 (dangerous substances).
Labels and manufacturers' obligations
As established by law, labels must:
- be affixed on at least one shoe per each pair and display information on the composition of each part of the shoe;
- display such information in Italian, via either symbols or written indications;
- inform on the material that constitutes at least 80% of the upper surface, lining, insole, and outer sole;
- if none of the aforementioned materials reaches 80%, display information on the two main components of the item;
- be visible, firmly attached and durable;
- be legible and accessible to consumers, with symbols sufficiently large to make it easy to understand the information contained therein;
- not be misleading for consumers; to this end, a sign with the meaning of the relevant symbols must be clearly displayed in the sales premises;
- be printed, glued, or embossed on attached items;
- contain further indications to clarify the quality and finish of the footwear, since the Directive only establishes the minimum level of information. By way of example, it is possible to use the wording "full grain leather" to describe superior quality leather.
The manufacturer of soles can indicate their Italian origin by affixing the words "this sole is produced in Italy" exclusively on the inside of a sole, in Italian or other EU language.
In any case, the manufacturer is responsible for the accuracy of the information on labels.
Parts of footwear
Footwear consists of three parts:
- upper. It is the outer surface of footwear, attached to the outer sole;
- upper lining and insole. They constitute the lining and the lower surface in the inside of footwear;
- outer sole. It is the outer and lower surface, which is subject to wear, of footwear.
Materials used when producing footwear:
- leather. It is the hide or skin of animals that keeps its original fibrous structure, properly tanned to be rot-proof;
- coated leather. It is a very thin layer of hide, coupled with other pressed material such as cardboard, rubber, and fabric;
- textile materials (natural, synthetic or non-woven);
- oher materials (such as para or rubber).
Retailers’ obligations
Retailers must ensure that the footwear offered for sale displays the price and an appropriate label, and that a sign with the meaning of the relevant symbols is clearly displayed in the sales premises.
According to these obligations, the information must be clear and visible; in case of non-compliance, administrative sanctions will be applied.
Such provisions aim to enable the consumer to make informed choices: this is the reason why the information must not be misleading. If the information is missing or does not comply with the abovementioned requirements, retailers will be subject to the sanctions provided for in Legislative Decree 190/2017.
Authorities in charge of control
The Ministry of Economic Development (Department for Enterprises and Internationalization, Directorate General for Industrial Policy, Innovation, and Small/Medium Enterprises - Division VII ) is the competent authority for controls on footwear labelling, in collaboration with Chambers of Commerce.
To verify the compliance of footwear, the Legal Metrology and Public Trust Office of the Chamber of Commerce carries out controls in the premises where the latter is manufactured, stored, retailed, or sold wholesale.
If the surveillance authority holds that the examined footwear is without labelling or incorrectly labelled, it assigns a peremptory term for the regularization to the manufacturer, authorized agent, marketing responsible, or retailer. If he/she fails to do so within that term, the Ministry of Economic Development issues a reasoned decree to withdraw the footwear from markets.