A large-scale investigation conducted by the European Footwear Confederation has revealed that one in three pairs of ultra-fast fashion shoes sold on major Chinese e-commerce platforms fails to meet European regulatory requirements. The study, which ran between February and May across seven European countries — including France, Germany, and Spain — targeted products listed on Shein, Temu, and AliExpress through a structured mystery shopping exercise.
Chemical analyses performed by accredited laboratories, including the Centre Technique du Cuir in France and PFI in Germany, found that 36% of the 76 pairs of shoes tested were in breach of REACH regulations. Phthalates emerged as the leading cause of non-compliance, followed by other restricted substances including formaldehyde, heavy metals, nickel, and chromium VI.
Safety Footwear Records 80% Non-Compliance Rate
The findings for safety footwear were particularly alarming. Of the 10 models tested in this segment, eight failed to meet the requirements of the European ISO standard — representing an 80% non-compliance rate. The shortcomings identified spanned a range of critical performance criteria, from slip resistance and puncture protection to the structural robustness of toe caps.
Beyond technical failures, the European Footwear Confederation noted that many of these products carry safety-related claims that are misleading to consumers. Experts commissioned as part of the investigation flagged the systematic absence of mandatory CE marking, as well as the consistent lack of conformity assessment documentation that is legally required to accompany personal protective equipment in European markets.
Regulatory Pressure and Customs Reforms
This industry finding comes at a time when the European Union is actively working to update its Customs Code with new rules governing cross-border e-commerce. In response to the investigation’s findings, the footwear sector is calling on the European Commission and EU Member States to establish clear and enforceable responsibility across the full supply chain, ensuring that products imported directly by consumers through online marketplace platforms comply with applicable EU safety standards.
The European Footwear Confederation also highlighted that market surveillance regulations are set to be revised this year as part of the broader European Product Act, which is expected to strengthen oversight of goods entering the single market.
New Parcel Levies Begin to Affect Chinese Platform Traffic
On the fiscal side, a two-euro charge is set to be applied to every non-European parcel entering Europe from November 1, building on a three-euro tax that came into effect on July 1. According to the EFC, this tax is already showing an impact on traffic and sales volumes across Chinese platforms targeting European consumers, including Shein, Temu, and AliExpress.
Beijing has signalled retaliatory measures in response to these levies. Meanwhile, European textile and clothing professionals are pushing for stronger action, arguing that the current tax structure is insufficient. As the charge applies only once per product category regardless of quantity — capped at three euros whether an order contains one or twenty items — industry stakeholders maintain that it does not effectively deter large-volume imports that bypass online marketplace compliance standards.
The dual issue of product safety and fiscal fairness continues to drive calls from the European footwear industry for more robust enforcement mechanisms to protect both consumers and compliant manufacturers operating within the EU.
