Footwear is among the product groups identified under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) for future ecodesign requirements and Digital Product Passport development.
While no footwear-specific Digital Product Passport requirements have been adopted yet, the European Commission has confirmed that footwear will follow its own preparatory process before any Delegated Act is proposed.
What is the Digital Product Passport for footwear?
The Digital Product Passport for footwear is the future digital record that will support the implementation of ecodesign requirements under the ESPR. The final Digital Product Passport requirements, product scope and implementation timeline for footwear will be established through future preparatory work and a dedicated Delegated Act.
Footwear Digital Product Passport regulatory framework
The Digital Product Passport for footwear is being developed through a series of European legislative and technical initiatives. These will determine whether Digital Product Passport requirements apply to footwear products, what information will be required and when the obligations will become applicable.
espr Working Plan
In force
Identifies footwear among the product groups for future preparation
footwear Preparatory Study
Planned for end 2027
Will evaluate potential ecodesign requirements for footwear
footwear Delegated Act
Not yet announced
Will establish any Digital Product Passport requirements for footwear
Current regulatory status of footwear DPP
Unlike textile products, footwear has not yet entered a product-specific preparatory phase. The European Commission plans to launch a dedicated preparatory study, which will assess potential ecodesign requirements before deciding whether and how to introduce a Digital Product Passport for footwear products.
CURRENTLY CONFIRMED
- Footwear follows a regulatory pathway separate from textiles.
- A dedicated preparatory study is planned by the end of 2027.
- No footwear-specific Digital Product Passport Delegated Act has been published.
- No mandatory implementation timeline has yet been adopted.
Footwear Digital Product Passport data requirements
No Digital Product Passport dataset has been adopted for footwear products. The future preparatory study and Delegated Act will determine the required product information, technical specifications and any product-specific obligations. In particular:
- Product scope
- Mandatory DPP dataset
- Data carrier requirements
- Product-specific technical requirements
DPP data carrier requirements for footwear
Under the ESPR, every Digital Product Passport must be accessible through a data carrier physically linked to the product, its packaging or accompanying documentation. Although no footwear-specific requirements have been adopted, current Digital Product Passport implementations typically use:
- QR codes as the primary data carrier.
- GS1 Digital Link to connect the physical product with its Digital Product Passport.
- Product labels, shoe boxes or hangtags depending on the product design.
- NFC technologies for selected authentication or premium product experiences
Digital Product Passport implementation examples for footwear brands
Examples of Digital Product Passport implementations developed by Renoon for footwear brands.
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