SATRA chief selected on ISO committee of footwear sizing
27 Jul '10
2 min read
SATRA's Mike Wilson has been elected as Chairman of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) technical committee, ISO/TC137 'Footwear Sizing Designations and Marking Systems' during a recent meeting in Beijing, China.
He succeeds former SATRA Chief Executive Richard Turner following his retirement from the post.
Accurate shoe sizing and size marking is an increasingly important issue facing companies in the footwear supply chain, particularly due to the growth of internet purchases and rising levels of returns caused by the sale of incorrectly-sized shoes. The first objective of TC137 is to produce an accurate international conversion chart for the main sizing systems: Chinese, Mondopoint, Paris Points, UK and US.
The proposed size conversion table is due to go to formal enquiry shortly where it will be circulated to all national member bodies participating in the ISO for comment. The new Chairman wants to encourage as much feedback as possible from the national bodies.
China hosted the TC137 meeting for the first time and, as well as providing excellent organisation and hospitality, provided valuable input from the footwear manufacturing side. In addition to sizing, progress was made on defining vocabulary and terminology relating to the measurement of footwear and last dimensions, standard methods for measuring lasts and internal shoe dimensions.