FDRA President & CEO Matt Priest issued the following statement on California PFAS restrictions taking effect in January 2025:

“FDRA urges the California legislature to extend the January 2025 PFAS deadline and create a sell-through provision for existing merchandise.

FDRA members are working hard to comply with these massive new restrictions on footwear sold in California. The current law, with no phase-in period for already-manufactured footwear, creates serious issues for sustainability. It is unclear what companies are supposed to do with this inventory. Not having a phase-in period for existing merchandise could lead to hundreds of thousands of shoes ending up in landfills or being destroyed, neither of which helps the environment.

In addition, it will take time to complete necessary PFAS tests. There are not standardized tests in this space yet, and it is possible tests performed by labs may have varying results. More time is also needed for testing to ensure product updates do not adversely impact performance for consumers.

Footwear companies are committed to achieving the goals of California’s PFAS rules. However, full compliance by January 2025 – including for shoes that are already manufactured, in distribution centers, and in stores – is simply not enough time for footwear companies to successfully address this important issue.”

Ensure full compliance—join FDRA to stay on top of legal shifts

FDRA offers its members a wide array of services and products to help companies understand product safety regulations, as well as alerts to help them know when changes occur.  Learn more about how FDRA’s product safety program can help your company, including: footwear testing training and guidance, our annual Footwear Product Safety Workshop, access to FDRA’s product safety document archive and resource center, and product safety intelligence (alerts & bulletins) to stay ahead of legal shifts.