ISO 20344 is an ISO test-methods standard used to evaluate footwear designed as personal protective equipment (PPE). It defines how specific footwear properties are tested so results can be used for product verification, compliance work, and ongoing quality control.
If you need help aligning your internal SOPs, lab capabilities, or the correct edition/amendment to a customer or regulatory requirement, talk with our team about your footwear test plan.
ISO 20344: Personal protective equipment — Test methods for footwear
ISO 20344 is the primary test-methods reference used for PPE footwear evaluation. It is commonly applied alongside footwear requirement standards where pass/fail criteria, marking, and classification are defined.
This document is a methods standard: it focuses on how to test. Acceptance criteria are typically controlled by the applicable footwear requirements standard and the specific protection claims being made for the product.
Quick Definition
ISO 20344 specifies laboratory test methods used to measure performance-related properties of PPE footwear and footwear components so results are generated in a consistent, repeatable way.
What This Standard Covers
ISO 20344 provides standardized procedures for evaluating a range of footwear characteristics that can be relevant to worker protection and functional performance. Depending on the footwear type and the requirement standard being targeted, testing may involve whole footwear, components, or cut test pieces.
Scope focus: test method definitions, apparatus use, specimen/test-piece preparation guidance (as applicable), and result reporting conventions for PPE footwear testing.
Why This Standard Matters in Testing
When buyers, auditors, or certification schemes reference ISO 20344, they are usually controlling the “how” of testing—so labs and manufacturers produce comparable results. This reduces ambiguity when comparing materials, qualifying new designs, investigating field failures, or running routine lot release checks.
For labs and QA/QC teams, the practical impact is that fixtures, conditioning practices, and reporting details often need to match the cited edition so results are defensible when reviewed by customers or third parties.
Common Materials, Product Types, or Applications Covered
ISO 20344 is used across many PPE footwear constructions and materials where standardized testing is required, including common upper, lining, outsole, and protective component systems.
Common product types: safety footwear, protective footwear, and occupational footwear designs where performance claims must be supported by repeatable lab testing.
Common application drivers: industrial sites, logistics/warehousing, construction, manufacturing, and other workplaces where PPE footwear is specified and checked through documented test results.
Common Test or Verification Workflow
ISO 20344 is typically used as the method backbone within a broader compliance or qualification program.
Typical workflow: (1) identify the required footwear category and claims in the applicable requirements standard, (2) map each required claim to the corresponding ISO 20344 method, (3) prepare samples and test pieces as required, (4) run tests using the specified apparatus and conditioning practices, (5) compile results into a report format suitable for internal QA, customer submission, or certification review.
Practical caution: the same footwear model may require different test selections depending on its intended marking/classification and any optional performance claims being made.
Equipment Commonly Used for This Standard
Because ISO 20344 is a multi-method footwear test standard, equipment selection depends on which clauses you need to run and whether you are testing components, materials, or finished footwear. Many labs build a “footwear test cell” rather than relying on a single instrument.
Common equipment families: abrasion and wear testers; footwear flexing/fatigue testers; slip resistance test systems; impact and compression test systems for protective components (where applicable); puncture resistance test setups; water penetration or water resistance test equipment (where applicable); thickness/dimensional measurement tools and sample preparation equipment (cutting dies, presses, conditioning cabinets).
If you are building out a capability list or comparing configurations for a specific test subset, you can request a detailed quote for equipment aligned to the ISO 20344 methods you actually need to run.
How to Read This Designation or Revision
ISO 20344:2021 identifies the standard number (20344) and the publication year (2021). Many procurement documents and customer specifications require the year to be stated to avoid applying the wrong method details.
Amendments: ISO may publish amendments (for example, “Amd 1”) that update or add content to a given edition. When a contract or certificate references an amended version, test setup and documentation should follow the cited edition plus the cited amendment(s).
Related Standards, Methods, or Frameworks
ISO 20344 is commonly used in conjunction with PPE footwear requirement standards that define performance levels, marking, and classification while referencing ISO 20344 for the test methods.
Common companion standards: ISO 20345 (safety footwear), ISO 20346 (protective footwear), and ISO 20347 (occupational footwear).
Get help selecting an ISO 20344 test setup
If you need to match equipment capability to the specific ISO 20344 clauses you run (and the edition/amendment cited by your customer), contact our team with your target footwear category and test list.
