More than a third of shoes sold on Shein, Temu and AliExpress breach EU chemical rules
A study by the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry tested 76 pairs bought on three platforms in seven European countries. Twenty-seven pairs broke at least one chemical limit.
The study and its scope
The European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC) published a study on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, in Brussels. Testers bought 76 pairs of shoes from Shein, Temu and AliExpress between February and May 2026, and accredited national laboratories checked them for chemical compliance in seven European countries: the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. Twenty-seven pairs, or 35.5%, showed at least one breach of the chemical limits under REACH, the EU regulation governing how chemicals are made and used. The federation's press release gives the share as 36%. The CEC stresses that the results apply only to the products tested and cannot be extended to the platforms' full ranges.
Chemical findings
The study singled out phthalates, which are used to make plastics flexible and whose use is restricted in the EU because of exposure risks, as particularly worrying. Fifteen of the 50 pairs tested for phthalates exceeded the regulatory limits, and one product showed a concentration of 37%, about 370 times the 0.1% limit set under REACH. Other breaches were found in 30% of samples for hexavalent chromium, 21.4% for short-chain chlorinated paraffins, 10% for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 9.3% for formaldehyde and 4% for heavy metals.
- Hexavalent chromium
- 30 %
- Short-chain chlorinated paraffins
- 21.4 %
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- 10 %
- Formaldehyde
- 9.3 %
- Heavy metals
- 4 %
Safety footwear
The weakest results came from shoes sold as personal protective equipment. Ten models went through physical, mechanical and safety tests, and eight failed at least one applicable requirement, a failure rate the Portuguese press puts at 80%. Weaknesses included slip and puncture resistance, protection against impact and compression, the strength of toe caps and the bond between upper and sole. Some products marketed as safety footwear lacked the mandatory conformity assessment documentation and did not carry the required CE marking, and some safety claims were potentially misleading.
Platform breakdown
Results varied sharply by platform. Shein accounted for 13 of its 27 pairs with breaches (48.1%), and Temu for 14 of its 46 pairs (30.4%). The three AliExpress samples showed no non-compliance. Shein, Temu and AliExpress did not respond to requests for comment from AFP about the findings.
- Shein
- 48.1 %
- Temu
- 30.4 %
Industry response
The CEC, which says it represents 21,000 European companies employing 278,000 people, presents the study as a call for equal rules. Luis Onofre, president of APICCAPS, the Portuguese footwear association, said in the release:
This study should serve, first of all, as a warning signal.
Onofre argued that European manufacturers cannot be held to the world's strictest rules while products that ignore them reach the market, a gap he said puts consumers at risk. Diário de Notícias reports that the industry favours open trade but under the same rules. AFP notes that the platforms are regularly accused of unfair competition by European textile and footwear players.