How to check if your slippers are genuinely ISI certified

A genuinely certified pair of sandals or slippers in India carries the ISI mark and a licence number you can look up. Since 1 August 2024, new production of sandals and slippers has needed that licence under IS 6721:2023, the standard for this category. The check takes about five minutes and you can do it before you pay.

The rule, and the grace period

The Footwear Quality Control Orders were issued in 2024 and came into force on 1 August 2024. A BIS circular from March 2024 lists IS 6721:2023 (sandals and slippers) under that date.

There is a grace period. Manufacturers and importers who declared old uncertified stock to BIS can still sell it. On 12 June 2026 the government amended both footwear orders and moved that deadline from 31 July 2026 to 31 July 2027. After that date, only BIS-certified footwear can be sold.

So an uncertified pair on a shelf today can be legal old stock. A pair made recently cannot.

The five-minute check

1. Look for the ISI mark on the footwear itself, on the sole, the insole or the label.
2. Find the licence number printed beside it. Without one, the mark is not enough.
3. Look the number up on the BIS website and see which manufacturer and which standard it covers. For sandals and slippers it should say IS 6721:2023. A licence for a different product category does not cover the pair.

What the licence does and does not tell you

BIS grants certification to manufacturing units, not to shops. BIS's own FAQ on the footwear orders says importers, retailers and distributors do not need their own licence, but they must buy from licensed manufacturing units. So the licence number on the pair belongs to the factory.

The standard tests things like bond strength between the sole and upper, abrasion resistance, hydrolysis resistance (whether a PU sole crumbles after repeated moisture), flexing endurance and slip resistance. It does not tell you whether the pair fits you or feels comfortable. Two certified pairs can feel completely different.

What to ask when a pair has no mark

Ask when it was made. If the seller says it is old stock, that can be true until 31 July 2027. If it is new, the missing mark is a problem.

There is a longer explanation of what IS 6721:2023 tests in NoStrain's guide to certified and uncertified slippers.

Sources: BIS circular on the 2024 footwear Quality Control Orders; BIS FAQ "Footwear QCOs, all you need to know"; DPIIT amendment notified 12 June 2026.