40+ Years of Excellence

Quality Control Services for Footwear

Quality Assurance and Quality Control for the Footwear Industry

With over 40 years of experience in the footwear industry, Pro QC International provides a wide range of quality assurance and quality control solutions to shoe manufacturers and retailers.

In the footwear industry, fashion and comfort must always go hand in hand. In addition, shoe manufacturers and retailers must comply with international regulations and meet market expectations of quality and consistency. This is challenging due to the complexity of the global footwear supply chain.

Since 1984, Pro QC International has helped companies match the quality of their shoes with international standards through our industry experience and technical expertise. Our team brings our expertise to bear on supplier qualification, prototype development, mass production, and shipping. This allows our customers to ensure quality and reduce production delays and costs. We control footwear quality and secure our clients’ supply by offering factory audits, QMS audits, social compliance audits, ISO 14001 audits, shoe inspections, and supplier management services.

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Shoe Quality Control

The several parts of a shoe, such as heels, soles, and laces, are often produced by different suppliers and then assembled elsewhere. This makes the production process complex and can lead to quality challenges. Quality defects in the footwear industry are often related to dimensions, excess glue, degumming, marks and dents, asymmetry, packaging, and incorrect labeling. During a quality control inspection of shoes, our inspector covers quantity, package and packaging, product style/construction, logo, labeling, markings, accessories, measurement, functional and performance tests, and more.

Our range of footwear inspections includes:

Environmental Compliance

The footwear industry is increasingly adopting new materials and manufacturing methods to improve its environmental impact. The negative impact on the environment from conventional shoe manufacturing is mainly due to the processes and materials used. For example, in some countries, harmful chemicals are used for the tanning process and discharged into rivers, riverbanks, or near fields, thus polluting water and soil.

To ensure environmental compliance, companies can audit their suppliers, implement environmental management systems such as ISO 14001, and take the necessary actions to improve their environmental impact.

Our range of Environmental Compliance solutions includes:

ISO 14001 audits
Certification Preparation

Complete Quality Control Coverage of All Footwear Types

From athletic performance shoes to medical-grade footwear, we provide specialized quality control services for every category of footwear manufacturing.

Athletic & Sports Footwear

Running shoes, training sneakers, basketball shoes, football boots, and specialized sports footwear.

Business & Formal Shoes

Dress shoes, oxfords, loafers, heels, and professional footwear for corporate environments.

Outdoor, Work Boots & Safety Shoes

Hiking boots, work boots, safety shoes, and specialized outdoor footwear with protective features.

Fashion & Lifestyle

Fashion sneakers, casual shoes, sandals, and trendy footwear for everyday lifestyle wear.

Children’s Footwear

Kids’ shoes, baby shoes, school shoes, and specialized children’s footwear with focus on safety.

Specialized & Medical

Orthopedic shoes, diabetic footwear, therapeutic shoes, and specialized medical footwear.

We check every type of material used in footwear production, from leather and synthetics to textiles and composite soles, ensuring each batch meets both international standards and the specific requirements set by the client.

Leather
Textile & Canvas
Rubber & EVA
Polyurethane (PU)
Memory foam & cushioning
Breathable mesh materials
Waterproof membranes
Recycled & sustainable materials

Our thorough inspection process covers visual, dimensional, and functional aspects to ensure your footwear meets the highest quality standards before shipment.

Visual Inspections
Comprehensive visual assessment of footwear appearance and construction quality.

Color matching and consistency
Surface finish quality
Stitching alignment and quality
Logo placement and clarity
Material texture and appearance
Overall aesthetic assessment

Dimensional Verification
Precise measurement verification to ensure compliance with specifications.
Length, width, and height measurements

Heel height accuracy
Sole thickness verification
Size grading consistency
Component alignment
Symmetry between left and right

Functional Testing
Performance testing to ensure durability and functionality standards.

Sole adhesion strength
Flex resistance testing
Water resistance evaluation
Zipper and closure functionality
Insole comfort and support
Overall construction integrity

In footwear production, the problems we find most often have to do with sizing inconsistencies, traces of excess glue, soles beginning to separate, or visible surface flaws like scratches and dents. Asymmetry between the left and right shoe, issues with packaging, and labeling mistakes all come up frequently, which affect both compliance and customer satisfaction.

Minor Defects

Small scratches
Minor thread ends
Slight color differences
Packaging issues

Major Defects

Excess glue
Color variations
Stitching issues
Marks and dents

Critical Defects

Degumming
Major asymmetry
Wrong size/style
Safety hazards

Pro QC’s highly skilled inspectors and auditors conduct quality control solutions for the footwear industry. Ensuring social and environmental compliance and the quality of shoes without an anchored presence on the ground is challenging and costly. Pro QC operates in all major footwear manufacturing regions:

China

Vietnam

Indonesia

India

Cambodia

Thailand

Bangladesh

Turkey

Italy

Germany

Belgium

France

Netherlands

Spain

Poland

United Kingdom

Portugal

Romania

Bulgaria

United States

Mexico

Brazil

Tunisia

Morocco

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Ready to Improve Footwear Quality?

Get started with a free consultation and discover how our quality assurance services help to meet international standards and improve footwear quality.

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Quality Assurance and Quality Control Services for Footwear

From initial supplier verification to final product inspection, we provide end-to-end quality assurance services that ensure your footwear meets the highest international standards.

Footwear Quality Inspection Services

Our quality control inspections for shoes include:

First-Article Inspections (FAI) are performed prior to mass production. Product properties are measured and compared to specifications to verify quality matches.
In-Process Inspections (IPI) ensure the processes and techniques used to manufacture footwear are followed.
Pre-Shipment Inspections (PSI) verify conformity to specifications before shipping. Inspectors evaluate workmanship, functionality, packaging, labeling, and other criteria as required.
Container Loading Supervision (CLS) ensures that proper methods are employed during product loading, and counts are verified on-site.
Sorting and rework services inspect production and detect quality issues or perform rework operations.

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Manufacturing Audits & Advisory Services

Take advantage of our end-to-end comprehensive approach to improve supply chain performance for accessories with the following quality solutions:

Manufacturing Process Audits
Process Improvement
Production Capacity Analysis (Run & Rate)
Quality Investigation (root cause investigation of a defective product)
Root Cause Analysis
Corrective Action Follow-Up
Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis (PFMEA)
Continuous Improvement

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Supplier and Factory audits

Pro QC’s range of comprehensive audits for the footwear industry includes:

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Supplier Management

Pro QC’s Supplier Management Solutions enhance compliance and performance of the entire supplier portfolio by:

Performing an on-site risk assessment
Establishing a corrective action plan
Verifying corrective action implementation through detailed follow-up activities
Scheduling subsequent annual visits based on supplier risk level
Providing a supplier portfolio dashboard and performance analysis

Our supplier management team will create a customized checklist that meets the most detailed requirements. The supplier management service is particularly suitable for small QA teams with a large global supplier base. Pro QC assists these teams in investigating and resolving compliance and quality issues in a timely and cost-effective manner.

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Pro QC International

Our Service Reports

Detailed & Actionable

Following International & Industry Standards

24 Hours

Report Delivery forInspections

48-72 Hours

Report Delivery for Audits

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Why Pro QC International?

Stability and Expertise

Founded in 1984, over 40 years of experience make Pro QC a trustworthy and dependable quality partner

Expert-Led Solutions

Technical expert advice from first contact ensures reliable solutions are executed with precision

Qualified Resources

Resource transparency and the right qualifications safeguard your interests on every project at every supplier

Globally Aligned Operations

Operational processes are optimized and aligned for a seamless cross-regional experience

Stringent Technical Oversight

Meticulous technical preparation, guidance throughout the engagement, and report review by senior engineers

Advanced Quality Analysis

Industry-leading quality dashboard, analytics, and supplier performance analysis tools and framework

Single Contact Point

A single contact point for quality services globally simplifies your supply chain

Pro QC Blog Posts & Related Offerings

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