Digital Product Passport for Footwear
EU labelling and sustainability rules are expanding to footwear. Footwear must comply with existing EU labelling rules under Directive 94/11/EC and REACH chemical restrictions. There is no ESPR delegated act for footwear, so no passport is required. What does apply already: since 19 July 2026 large enterprises may not destroy unsold footwear under ESPR Art. 25(1) and Annex VII.
ESPR passport status
No adopted rule
Footwear labelling
94/11/EC
Destruction ban, large firms
19 Jul 2026
Applicable EU regulations
Regulations covering footwear
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
(EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR)
Framework regulation. Footwear may be covered alongside textiles in a future delegated act, but none has been adopted. The Art. 25 destruction ban already covers footwear for large enterprises.
Key articles
- Art. 9 - Passport mandatory only via an Art. 4 delegated act
- Art. 25 and Annex VII - Destruction ban, live since 19 July 2026
Footwear Labelling Directive
Directive 94/11/EC
Requires labelling of footwear with material composition of upper, lining, and outer sole using standard pictograms or text.
REACH Regulation
(EC) No 1907/2006
Restricts chemicals in footwear including chromium VI in leather, certain dyes, and other substances of concern.
Key articles
- Annex XVII - Entry 47 (chromium VI)
- Art. 33 - SVHC communication
Key dates
Compliance timeline for footwear
Each entry is tagged with how firm it is. Binding means the date is fixed in the Official Journal. Adopted means the instrument exists but the date has not arrived. Indicative means it comes from a Commission working plan or our own estimate and is not law.
In force
BindingFootwear Labelling Directive
Directive 94/11/EC requires material composition labels for the upper, lining and outer sole on all footwear sold in the EU.
Directive 94/11/EC, as transposed by your Member State
18 Jul 2024
BindingESPR enters into force
Framework law only. It creates no passport obligation for footwear.
Reg. (EU) 2024/1781
19 Jul 2026
BindingDestruction ban applies to large enterprises
Large enterprises may no longer destroy unsold footwear. Medium-sized enterprises follow on 19 July 2030; micro and small are exempt.
ESPR Art. 25(1) and Annex VII; Delegated Reg. (EU) 2026/296
Not scheduled
Indicative, not lawFootwear passport delegated act
No footwear DPP delegated act has been adopted and no adoption date has been fixed. Footwear would most likely be handled alongside textiles, which are themselves unlikely to apply before mid-2029.
ESPR Art. 9(1) requires an Art. 4 delegated act; none adopted
What compliance reviewers look for
DPP data requirements for footwear
Where no delegated act has been adopted for this category, the list below is our reading of the likely data set, not a legal requirement. Collecting it early is still the work that takes the longest. Everything below is supported out of the box in LabelEU.
Materials and composition
- Upper material (leather, textile, synthetic)
- Lining and sock material
- Outer sole material
- Recycled content share per component
Chemical safety and origin
- Chromium VI compliance (< 3 mg/kg)
- REACH SVHC declaration
- Country of manufacture
- Supply chain traceability data
Durability and circularity
- Durability testing results or rating
- Repair and resoling information
- End-of-life collection and recycling guidance
- GS1 Digital Link URL and QR code
How LabelEU helps
Built for footwear compliance
Component-level materials
Record materials separately for upper, lining, insole, and outer sole, matching the structure required by Directive 94/11/EC.
Chemical compliance tracking
Track chromium VI levels in leather, restricted dyes, and REACH SVHCs with threshold alerts for each substance.
Durability and repair data
Add flex resistance, abrasion test results, and resoling instructions. Show consumers the longevity and repairability of your products.
Product examples
Common footwear and their key requirements
Leather dress shoes
- Leather type and chromium VI compliance
- Upper/lining/sole material labels
- Resoling and repair information
Running shoes
- Synthetic material breakdown
- Recycled content per component
- Durability test results
Children's sandals
- Chemical migration safety (REACH)
- Material composition labelling
- Country of origin and traceability
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Digital Product Passports for footwear.
Ready to create footwear passports?
Ship the QR with confidence today and keep updating the passport as your supply chain evolves.