More than a third of Shein and Temu's shoes do not comply with European rules

Ma third of the footwear purchased on platforms such as Shein and Temu does not meet European limits for chemicals, concluded a study by the European Confederation of Footwear (ECC) published today.

European research was carried out between February and May 2026 in seven European countries, including Portugal, and covered 76 pairs of footwear purchased on the three platforms.

Of the pairs analyzed, 27 (35.5%) had at least one non-compliance with the regulatory limits applicable to substances such as phthalates, formaldehyde, hexavalent chromium, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and short-chain chlorinated paraffins.

In the case of phthalates (chemicals used for flexibility), 15 of the 50 pairs tested exceeded the legal limits and a concentration of 37%, approximately 370 times the 0.1% limit provided for in the European REACH Regulation, was identified in one of the products.

The study also identified non-compliances in 30% of the samples analyzed for hexavalent chromium, 21.4% for short chain chlorinated paraffins, 10% for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 9.3% for formaldehyde and 4% for heavy metals.

The situation is particularly worrying in footwear marketed as personal protective equipment: of the ten models submitted to physical-mechanical and safety tests, eight did not meet at least one of the applicable requirements.

Among the faults detected are deficiencies in slip resistance and drilling, protection against impacts and compression, strength of the toes and connection between the upper part of the footwear and the sole.

Products marketed as safety footwear were also identified without mandatory conformity assessment documentation and potentially misleading claims.

In the platform analysis, non-conformities were detected in 13 of the 27 pairs from Shein (48.1 %) and in 14 of the 46 acquired from Temu (30.4%).

The study also examined three samples of AliExpress footwear in which no non-compliances were identified.

The ECC notes that the results relate exclusively to the products tested and cannot be extrapolated to the full supply of platforms.

Cited in the statement, the president of the Portuguese Association of Industrials of Footwear, Components, Skin Articles and their Succession (APICCAPS), Luís Onofre, considers that the study should serve as a warning, arguing that the European industry cannot be required to comply with strict rules and allow, at the same time, the entry of products that do not meet the same requirements.

The person responsible warns that this condition conditions the activity of European companies and puts consumers at risk.

The ECC advocates strengthening market surveillance, cooperation between national authorities and customs services and accountability of digital platforms that facilitate the marketing of non-compliant products.

The organisation considers that all articles sold to European consumers must meet the same legal requirements, regardless of their origin or marketing channel, and calls on the European Commission and the Member States to strengthen control mechanisms.

The study had the collaboration of technological centers and specialized laboratories from various European countries, such as the Centro Tecnológico do Calçado de Portugal (CTCP), in Portugal.