Overview
ISO 18454:2018 - "Footwear - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing of footwear and components for footwear" specifies the ambient conditions required when conditioning and testing footwear and footwear components. The standard defines a reference atmosphere and two alternative standard atmospheres, sets tolerances, and gives basic rules for conditioning and testing to ensure repeatable, comparable test results across laboratories and manufacturers.
Key topics and requirements
- Reference standard atmosphere: 23.0 °C and 50.0 % relative humidity (RH).
- When conditioning is carried out at 23 °C / 50 % RH, it need not be reported; other conditions must be explicitly stated in test reports.
- Alternative atmospheres (use only by mutual agreement; reference applies in disputes):
- Specific standard atmosphere: 20.0 °C, 65.0 % RH
- Tropical standard atmosphere: 27.0 °C, 65.0 % RH
- Tolerance zone: temperature ±2.0 °C; relative humidity ±5.0 % RH.
- Conditioning: samples must be brought to the specified temperature/RH with free access of moving air to all surfaces; the conditioning period is specified in the relevant component or test specification (not defined in ISO 18454 itself).
- Testing: specimens shall be tested in the same atmosphere in which they were conditioned and the test must be carried out immediately after removal from the conditioning chamber.
Applications
ISO 18454:2018 is practical for:
- Footwear manufacturers and component suppliers establishing laboratory procedures for material and product testing.
- Independent testing laboratories performing mechanical, physical, or durability tests on shoes, insoles, soles, uppers and related components.
- Quality assurance and R&D teams standardizing pre-test conditioning to ensure consistent performance comparisons.
- Regulatory and certification bodies that require reproducible test environments for compliance verification.
Practical benefits include improved inter-lab comparability, reduced variability from ambient conditions (temperature and relative humidity), and clearer reporting requirements for test records.
Related standards
- ISO 554 - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and/or testing - Specifications (basis for atmospheres).
- ISO 558 - Conditioning and testing - Standard atmospheres - Definitions.
- ISO 2419 - Leather - Sample preparation and conditioning (referenced for terms and conditioning practice).
Keywords: ISO 18454:2018, footwear testing, standard atmospheres, conditioning chambers, 23 °C 50 % RH, temperature tolerance, relative humidity, footwear components.