Overview
ISO 19953:2004 - Footwear - Test methods for heels - Resistance to lateral impact specifies a laboratory method to determine the impact strength of ladies’ shoe heels. The standard assesses a heel’s liability to fail under occasional heavy lateral blows encountered during wear. It is applicable to all high-heel types but is especially useful for injection-moulded plastic heels with a steel dowel reinforcement, giving insight into the suitability of dowel hardness or softness. Heels with inherently high lateral resistance may not require testing.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Test principle: Repeated measured lateral blows from a pendulum striker are applied to the heel stem; impact energy is increased stepwise until failure or until the maximum energy is reached.
- Lateral impact tester: Uses a pendulum bob and striker assembly. The standard specifies key dimensions and characteristics (example: pendulum bob diameter 108 ±1 mm, striker edge radius ~3.0 ±0.5 mm) and requires a calibrated energy scale.
- Energy increments and limits: Blows are applied in increments of 0.68 J, with the test continuing up to 18.3 J or until heel failure.
- Specimen mounting: Free heels are set in metal mounting trays using a metal alloy with a melting point between 100 °C and 150 °C to provide rigid support; special mounting guidance is given for very short heels.
- Failure criteria and reporting: Record number of blows to failure and energy of last blow. Distinguish valid failures (stem break or bending/jamming) from chisel-type striker damage (cracking at striker point), which must be reported as an invalid mode for the test’s intent.
- Test report: Must include each heel result, sample description (style, color), reference to ISO 19953, test date, and any deviations.
Applications and who uses it
- Footwear manufacturers and designers use ISO 19953 to:
- Validate heel designs for lateral impact durability.
- Evaluate suitability of injection-moulded plastic heels and embedded steel dowels.
- Support quality control and production acceptance testing.
- Independent test laboratories and compliance teams apply the method to certify product performance and to compare heel constructions.
- Product development and materials engineers use the results to select dowel hardness/softness and optimize heel geometry to reduce failure risk.
Related standards
- Prepared by ISO/TC 216 (Footwear) in collaboration with CEN/TC 309; ISO 19953 is part of the broader set of footwear test methods addressing mechanical and wear properties. For comprehensive compliance, combine ISO 19953 test results with other ISO/CEN footwear performance standards relevant to your product.
Keywords: ISO 19953:2004, heel impact test, lateral impact resistance, footwear testing, pendulum tester, injection-moulded heels, steel dowel reinforcement, heel failure.
