Every year, more than 5,000 reports are prepared at INESCOP’s laboratories, including over 40,000 tests
Our laboratories are perfectly equipped for the performance of more than 600 different tests on materials, shoe components and on the whole finished footwear.
We apply well-defined and documented test methods and own the best equipment. Most of them are based on international standards and are constantly updated and adapted to requirements of manufacturing processes and footwear use.
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?
LABORATORY TESTS
- Plastics and rubber
- Leather
- Components
- Metallic accessories
- Adhesives
- Sole
- Heels
- Finished footwear
- Footwear for professional use (PPE)
- Bioassays (antibacterial effect, fungicide effect, cytotoxicity, etc.)
All our tests are accrdited by the Spanish National Accreditation Body (ENAC).
INESCOP - CTC international strategic alliance
Our alliance with the Technical Centre for Leather, Footwear and Leather Goods CTC, based in Lyon (France), is especially focused on certification and control quality services for companies, and is supported by INESCOP’s members, costumers and laboratory networks in Spain and CTC’s laboratory and inspection services network on an international scale, mainly throughout Asia.
In-factory inspections of finished products
We have professional inspectors with a solid expertise in all types of footwear: fashion, luxury, sports, etc. who master the specific characteristics of each type of shoe.
Our inspections adhere to standard ISO 17020 and, thanks to our collaboration agreement with CTC Groupe, they are carried out in Spain and in the main product procurement areas, i.e. China, India, Bangladesh.
INESCOp'S QUALITY LABEL
Quality of footwear enhances costumer’s confidence and promotes global awareness, which is why it is so important to indentify it.
Our customers can rely on our INESCOP'S QUALITY LABEL to prove and ensure the quality of their products.
This QUALITY LABEL may be awarded to: materials, components and finished products.
Where can you use it? On product labels, boxes, technical specifications, websites or on the product itself.
Download the QUALITY LABEL brochure here 
coMfort PROTOCOLS
Through performance of simple physical tests and wear trials at our laboratories we are able to assess the comfort of footwear. We have a skilled tester panel specially conformed to such purpose.
In addition, we have a Functional Footwear Analysis Laboratory to carry out plantar pressure studies, 3D digitisation, etc.
STANDARDISATIOn
We do not simply perform tests according to standards, but we do make the standards.
We belong to the Board of Directors of the Spanish Association for Standardisation (UNE) and participate in 14 Technical Committees and 26 Working Groups on footwear, components and environmental issues at national (AENOR), European (CEN) and international (ISO) level, which allows us to take part in the development of sectoral standards and technical documents containing requirements and specifications that can be resorted to afterwards within the sector in order to verify the quality of products.
This way, not only do we help the sector with the performance of tests, but also provide our more-than-40-year expertise to advocate for the sector’s interests in the technical field so that these verifications are standardised and can be accepted at an international level.
CertificaTIOn. FOOTWEAR FOR PROFESSIONAL USE
Footwear for professional use is classified as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and is bound to comply with a series of requirements ensuring the user’s health and safety.
INESCOP is the only centre accredited by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness as a Notified Body for certification of footwear for professional use (PPE).
To such purpose, we perform an EC type-examination on footwear to verify and certify that the model is compliant with essential safety requirements provided for in the European Directive (UE) 2016/425.
Through the contact form (topic "Certification"), INESCOP provides all interested parties with information on:
- Certification systems, assessment procedures, scope of certification or withdrawal of certification.
- Fees for services.
- Description of the rights and obligations of clients regarding the requirements and restrictions on the use of the certification marking, and how to refer to the awarded certification.
- Procedure for handling complaints and appeals.
