SATRAs Footwear Fitting Accreditation Scheme

Announcing details of this new service which is available for SATRA member companies.

by Simon Courtney

No matter which brand name is on the footwear and what cutting-edge technology and performance benefits may have been designed into the product, it will not sell well unless it fits well. Good fit helps to win new customers and develops brand loyalty. Manufacturers and brands need to assess the quality of their footwear to ensure that these products match the size and proportions of the customers’ feet in the intended market. Footwear must also have the correct shape and accommodation for the toes and allow the foot to function normally in the activities and applications for which the footwear was intended.

SATRA’s new ‘Footwear Fitting Accreditation Scheme’ is designed to allow companies to demonstrate the quality of their fit assessment systems and the competence of each fit assessor. The scheme incorporates well-established footwear fitting training modules and auditing of adherence of processes to an established standard.

Footwear fitting assessment

A fitting assessment involves putting appropriately sized feet into the footwear. This may sound simple enough, but it must be done thoroughly and systematically in order to achieve meaningful, accurate and reliable results.

The aim of fit assessment is to determine how well the footwear will fit the average population of the intended market – not how well it fits any one individual’s foot. By ‘average’, we mean the typical range of foot dimensions and foot shapes seen within the intended market (based on survey data) while acknowledging that everyone’s feet are slightly different.

It is necessary to exclude anyone who may have foot health problems, unusual foot shapes or defects which make them atypical of the ‘normal’ or average population. The assessment examines the footwear’s length, toe allowance and toe depth, and determines whether or not there is sufficient room to allow the foot to function correctly.

Fit assessments may be carried out using ‘live’ wear subjects or with artificial fitting aids. The latter have been designed to represent a foot so that it can be used in the same way as a human foot. The design has a simplified skeletal structure buried within a soft flesh-like material.

To carry out an assessment using ‘live’ subjects, these personnel must be selected from a pre-screened panel and will have appropriate nominal foot size for the footwear being evaluated. The assessor will measure each subject’s left and right foot for length and girth using stick and tape while the subject is standing, and the results are recorded. The process could also be adapted for three-dimensional (3D) scanning.

The subject will don the sample footwear and walk a few steps back and forth while the assessor observes the process. This will allow for the observation of difficult ingress, poor fastening, heel slip or excessive forepart creasing. Fitting properties are also assessed in all other areas of the footwear, particularly where the footwear is tight on the foot, and which may signify potential points of high pressure which may lead to discomfort during wear.

The assessor analyses the results, considering how each subject’s foot dimensions compare with population averages. Feet at the top end of the appropriate dimensions for length and girths would be expected to have a tighter fit in the footwear than feet at the bottom end of the dimensions. Other observations of the subject’s feet which influence shoe fit are also considered, such as whether the subject has a high or low instep.

Finally, the assessor draws a conclusion about how well the footwear fits the intended market and makes recommendations for any required modifications. These may include increasing joint girth of the last to provide more volume, inserting a thicker insock to reduce volume or reducing quarter heights. The recommendation may be to simply re-size the footwear – that is, marking it to a more appropriate size if it is found to fit long or short for its original size marking.

Footwear Fitting Accreditation Scheme

The SATRA Footwear Fitting Accreditation Scheme includes a full training programme to teach the fitting process to the assessors, and this includes theoretical and practical instruction. The assessors have good opportunity to practise the evaluation, which can be specifically focused on a particular product range.

On completion of the training, an audit is conducted after the company has fully established the fitting service into their processes. This audit evaluation covers the key technical aspects of fitting processes, and includes the selection and qualification of fitting panel subjects, fitting assessment and control of documentation.

The scheme has three grades of award performance, based on a simple rating score which can be seen in box 1. This system is designed to drive continuous improvement, and companies in the programme may wish to build on the level of their award.

Benefits of the scheme

As mentioned at the outset of this article, it is well known that comfort sells footwear, and this helps to build brand loyalty and encourages repeat sales from customers. A good fit is a major contributing factor to comfort of footwear, so it is important for manufacturers to ensure that the footwear they supply has the appropriate size and dimensions for the target market. It is essential that sample and bulk production is evaluated for fit by competent assessors who can carry out the task and make the appropriate recommendations for adjustments to the footwear in order to improve the fit.

The SATRA Footwear Fit Accreditation Scheme allows manufacturers to be confident in the quality of their fit assessment. Brands or retailers are provided additional confidence and consistency when implementing this in their supply chain. 

Training can be carried out on the member’s premises and may be tailored to their specific needs and using selected footwear from their product range. The assessors are trained in recognised fitting methods and provided with supporting background knowledge to help underpin their understanding of the foot.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 16 of the July/August 2025 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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