ISO 17700-2019 PDF

Full title and description

St ISO 17700-2019 — Footwear — Test methods for upper components and insocks — Colour fastness to rubbing and bleeding. This international standard specifies laboratory test methods to assess colour transfer (rubbing) under dry and wet conditions and to determine the likelihood of colour bleeding from footwear uppers, linings, insocks and certain accessories (e.g. sewing threads, shoelaces).

Abstract

ISO 17700:2019 (Edition 2) defines four test methods — Method A (to-and-fro square rubbing), Method B (rotative rub), Method C (to-and-fro circular rubbing) for evaluating colour transfer under dry or wet rubbing, and Method D for assessing colour bleeding (exudation) in water and artificial perspiration. The methods are applicable regardless of material type and provide procedures for specimen preparation, apparatus, test conditions and reporting of results to support quality control and material selection in footwear manufacture.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: 19 July 2019
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• ICS / categories: 61.060 (Footwear)
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2019)
• Number of pages: 16

Scope

ISO 17700:2019 applies to uppers, linings and insocks of footwear made from any material. It specifies standardized rubbing tests (dry and wet) to determine the degree of colour transfer to adjacent materials and a bleeding test to assess colour loss into water or artificial perspiration solutions. Method D (bleeding) is additionally applicable to sewing threads and shoelaces. The standard is intended for use in laboratory testing for material assessment, production quality control and comparison of alternative materials or finishes.

Key topics and requirements

• Definitions and normative references relevant for colour fastness testing in footwear.
• Apparatus descriptions: to-and-fro square rubbing machine, rotative rub fastness machine, circular rubbing apparatus and equipment for bleeding tests (immersion/solution exposure).
• Specimen sampling, preparation and conditioning (standard temperature/humidity before testing).
• Detailed procedures for Methods A, B and C (dry/wet rubbing cycles, loads, rub cloth/pads, number of cycles) and for Method D (immersion or exposure to water/artifical perspiration, extraction and evaluation).
• Evaluation criteria and reporting formats: visual assessment of transfer (using comparison scales or grey scale-type assessments), description of surface damage, numerical/qualitative reporting of bleeding results.
• Requirements for repeatability, test documentation and result interpretation for material selection or QA acceptance criteria.

Typical use and users

Primary users are footwear manufacturers, component and material suppliers (leather, textiles, synthetics), independent testing laboratories, product development and quality assurance teams, and standardization bodies. The standard is used for incoming material inspection, comparative material trials, finishing-process validation and verification of supplier claims about colour fastness.

Related standards

Relevant related standards and documents commonly used alongside ISO 17700 include the earlier ISO 17700:2004 (superseded by the 2019 edition), standards for leather colour fastness (e.g., ISO 11640 / IULTCS methods), ISO 20344 (test methods for footwear, including other performance tests), and various national/adopted versions such as EN/EN ISO adoptions used in regional conformity and procurement. Equipment manufacturers’ test methods (VESLIC / IULTCS rub testers) are also referenced operationally for compliance with ISO 17700 test procedures.

Keywords

footwear, colour fastness, rubbing, bleeding, exudation, uppers, linings, insocks, test method, Veslic, rub fastness, ISO 17700, ISO/TC 216

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 17700:2019 is an international standard that establishes laboratory test methods to assess colour transfer under rubbing and the likelihood of colour bleeding for footwear uppers, linings, insocks and some accessories.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers four test methods — three rubbing methods (Methods A, B and C) for dry and wet rubbing and one bleeding method (Method D) for water/artificial perspiration exposure — plus specimen preparation, apparatus, conditioning and result reporting.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Footwear manufacturers, material/component suppliers, independent test laboratories, R&D and QA teams, and regulatory or procurement bodies use the standard for material assessment and quality control.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2019 edition (published 19 July 2019) is Edition 2 and supersedes ISO 17700:2004. As published on 19 July 2019, it is the current edition (no later ISO revision was published as of 28 February 2026).

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: ISO 17700 sits within footwear-related standards developed under ISO/TC 216. It is commonly used alongside other footwear test standards (for abrasion, flexing, seam strength, etc.) and harmonized national/adopted versions (EN/ISO variants) but is not itself a multi-part series.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Colour fastness, rubbing, bleeding/exudation, uppers, insocks, linings, footwear testing, rub fastness methods, ISO 17700.