Symbols
You are in a shoe store and you are choosing your beautiful shoes, but can you say for sure what they are made of?
When you buy shoes you should know that: Directive no. has been in force for a few years now. 94/11/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 03/23/1994, which introduced the obligation of quality labels on all shoes intended for sale to the final consumer.
Quality labels indicate the quality of the materials the shoes we buy are made of. At the time of purchase it is therefore very important to know how to recognize the symbols shown on the quality labels and know their meaning to ensure that your new purchase is in all respects a real deal or what you wanted to buy : the symbols contain important information on the materials used to produce the parts that make up the shoes. It is good to know that shoes are made up of 3 main parts:
The upper is the external surface of the shoes, the one attached to the sole; The lining under the upper (also called lining) and internal insole is the internal part of the shoes, the one in effect in contact with our feet (lining and insole);
The external sole which is the lower part of the shoe also known as the tread is the one on which we walk and is the part most subject to wear.
The materials that are used for the production of footwear can be:
LEATHER (tanned leather or hides of animal origin)
COATED LEATHER (thin layer of bonded leather
with another type of material)
TEXTILE MATERIALS (natural and synthetic or non-woven)
OTHER MATERIALS (para, rubber, polyurethanes…)
These symbols printed on the quality labels on the shoes indicate "the quality of the materials used" for the construction of the shoes we are about to purchase and can also appear in combination with each other on the upper, lining or sole level depending on the percentages of material contained in the different parts.
- they must be present on at least one of the shoes and must contain information relating to the material from which each part of the shoe is made and must provide the information through the symbols adopted or through written indications in Italian;
- must contain information concerning the material that constitutes at least 80%
- of the surface of the upper, of the lining of the upper and of the internal sole of the shoe or at least 80% of the volume of the external sole (if no material reaches this limit, the label must contain information on the two main components of the article);
- they must be clearly visible, firmly applied and durable
- they must necessarily be legible (with symbols of sufficient size to make the information easy to understand) and accessible to the consumer;
- they must not mislead the consumer; to this end, a clearly visible sign illustrating the symbols used must be displayed in places of sale;
- Quality labels must be printed, glued, embossed or applied to a backing attached to the shoes;
- The quality labels can also contain other indications, to clarify the quality and finishes of the footwear, as the regulation only establishes the minimum level of information (for example the wording "full grain leather", which indicates a better quality leather) .
Every retailer is obliged to verify the presence of the quality label on the shoes on sale, and display a sign illustrating the symbols shown on the label clearly and visibly so that the consumer can see it.
MILLE925 has always paid close attention to the materials used, so much so that it has made it a strong point: only first choice materials and Made in Italy production. It is important that our customers are aware and informed about quality, for this reason we always invite you to pay attention to the symbols shown on the quality labels on the shoes you purchase.
Always be wary of the product on which the label has not been affixed! Give the true value to the shoes you buy, don't stop at appearances or the price but always check what you are buying... Protect your health!
If you want to safely purchase high quality and truly Italian-made footwear, look for our brand "MILLE925 "