Using SATRA guidelines in shoemaking

Discussing the use of SATRA guidelines and the application of this information in the testing of footwear.

by Simon Courtney

Test methods and standards are the key to ensuring that product performance is measured accurately and consistently. SATRA has over 270 active test methods which have been produced after careful research and technical application. A test method should contain details about how a test is conducted, parameters of the equipment to be used and how the results are measured or calculated.

SATRA guidelines are performance standards used to interpret test results generated in SATRA test methods. Almost every footwear specification and international standard will have a foundation in SATRA test methods and guidelines.

Test methods

A test method is a set of instructions that enables a laboratory to carry out a particular evaluative process, in order to identify the particular performance criteria of a product or material. The test method should clearly outline the process without ambiguity, and should be clearly written to allow users whose native language may not be English to conduct the test.

The test method should describe the apparatus used – especially if it is unique to that test (not standard laboratory equipment) and provide sufficient details to enable the production of a suitable device (although some methods may suggest a supplier of equipment). SATRA test methods do not contain performance levels or performance guidelines, and the test method alone will not provide all the information that is needed to understand the suitability of a product for a specific activity or range of activities with respect to a particular property.

SATRA test methods are produced in-house by a technical innovation team and have become universally accepted within the footwear industry. Many commercial and manufacturers laboratories around the world use SATRA test methods and may choose to have their testing accredited by SATRA’s quality services team. SATRA is continuously reviewing existing methods and publishing revised versions which may cover a new generation of footwear materials, components and constructions. The testing methods are also regularly assessed to ensure that state-of-the-art testing procedures are used and that they are still relevant to the footwear industry.

SATRA test methods are available for purchase by members who may wish to use them to follow when conducting their own testing, or to be used for reference purposes.

Guidelines and test methods

Crucially, SATRA understands footwear performance requirements. This includes in-depth knowledge of the meaning of results and an understanding of the limitations of a result (an important aspect of testing), as well as the company’s very comprehensive guidelines to related test methods linked to product performance.

SATRA guidelines have been developed in conjunction with SATRA test methods and detail the performance and constructional guidelines which are used to evaluate materials, components, whole footwear construction, several footwear accessories and final footwear. The guidelines are divided into sections, collecting all the information about a particular material, component or attribute into a single location for ease of use.

For example, these guidelines contain sections on leather, synthetic and textile lining materials’, and they contain all the test methods and performance requirements for such materials. Individual tests – for example, SATRA TM31:2021 – ‘Abrasion resistance – Martindale method’ will be featured in each of these sections. However, the requirements may differ, as they will have been prepared with the extensive knowledge of how the material performs.

For instance, the Martindale abrasion guideline for textile lining materials includes a maximum requirement for the presence of ‘pilling’ of the test specimen surface after testing, as this kind of damage is commonly seen on synthetic fibre types. Although the requirement for SATRA TM31 for leather linings will not contain the same recommendation, as this phenomenon does not normally occur on leather.

Depending on how the results are generated in each test, SATRA guidelines may be expressed as a numerical result or a physical description, such as the appearance of a specimen. When a numerical value is given, the individual guidelines may be expressed as a minimum or maximum figure or a range (again, depending on the type of test being carried out).

For example, a ‘strength test’ guideline figure is generally a minimum result, with materials performing at this level or above being considered suitable for use with respect to a particular property. The guideline for an ‘abrasion resistance’ test is normally expressed as a maximum level of damage permitted when the specimen is visually assessed following the evaluation.

Different footwear applications may require a variety of properties, depending on how demanding an application is. For example, footwear worn occasionally within a formal setting is considered a significantly less demanding application when compared with footwear worn every day within an industrial work environment. To address this variation in the required levels for each property, several guidelines are included for each test where a difference is necessary for various applications.

Availability of test methods

SATRA guidelines are not published, and are only available for our members as part of a test report when it has been conducted by SATRA. In these circumstances, the report will include an individual selected guideline (or several guidelines) to support any recommendations being made. For example, a report covering abrasion testing of a lining fabric may include the requirements for various levels of application to illustrate that a moderate performance may be suitable for a less demanding application – such as indoor footwear – but may not be suitable for a more demanding application such as for everyday footwear.

SATRA reports do not conclude a ‘pass’ or ‘failure’ against the guidelines. Instead, they provide information to the manufacturer or supplier in order to assist them in making a commercial decision on accepting the product or component into their range.

A larger number of guidelines can be made available to members if they commission the creation of performance specifications, which they may use internally or implement across their supply chain. These specifications are ‘built to order’ and are tailor-made for the member’s product range while comprising both safety critical and quality tests.

Latest developments

During 2024 and 2025, SATRA carried out a detailed review of the technical content of its guidelines and examined how they have been applied. During this technical review, the actual guideline figures were appraised, taking into consideration recent testing and research work. In addition, reviews have been made as a result of our experiences as well as feedback from members.

This process also allowed SATRA to identify areas where we feel that a wider technical review is required. As a result of this process, during 2025, SATRA’s innovation team has investigated the cushioning and shock absorption properties of solings materials used in sports footwear, to bring the guidelines up-to-date with recent material developments in this area. Following this review, SATRA has also improved the categorisation system to more accurately classify footwear applications.

Classification of guidelines

The latest revision of the performance guidelines has introduced a new system for classification system. This is used as a guide for our technologists to select the most appropriate guideline figures for the application when assessing test results, or for inclusion in an appropriate performance specification. The classification system introduces the use of a dynamic and currently developing ‘Severity Matrix’ to guide the appropriate application of our guidelines, which is based on two intersecting factors: ‘frequency’ and ‘severity of wear’.

For example, an item of footwear which may only be worn rarely and in the least demanding conditions would score low on each of the matrix’s two axes, and would be considered to fall into our category for ‘low demand applications’. Conversely, an item of footwear that is worn every day in severe conditions, such as on a building site, would score high on both axes and would be considered to fall into our category for ‘high demand applications’.

TM83:2021 – ‘Measurement of the area shape retention and collapsing load of formed box toe (toe puff) and counter (stiffener) materials’ serves as an excellent illustration.

This is the test for the durability of toe puffs and stiffeners, and the material must be formed into a dome prior to testing. While very thin and light materials have ‘low performance’, they are very suitable for light wear and low use footwear such as those used occasionally for more formal occasions.

There is no need for a heavy-duty 2 mm thick stiff toe puff in a light use court shoe, as its presence will affect both the footwear’s fitting and its aesthetics. Hence in this case, ‘low performance’ implies a delicate and invisible purpose while performing a functional action appropriate for its intended end use.

It is worth noting that this approach is simplistic in its manner and considers ‘typical use’ of footwear. There will be exceptions to this rule, where more consideration will need to be taken – for instance, men’s dress shoes/formal shoes may typically be categorised as being worn infrequently, but there may be some occupations that require you to wear dress shoes regularly.

When assessing test results, SATRA’s technologists will work with the member to understand the intended use of the footwear being tested and so be able to select the most appropriate guideline figure to apply to the generated test results.

What sets SATRA apart from general testing laboratories is that we have all the necessary research and development data – as well as the experience – that underlines the methodology behind each test method and the guidelines. When testing is conducted at SATRA, the test results will be interpreted by comparison against the most appropriate guidelines based on the intended application of the products.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 28 of the October 2025 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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