China - Update of the Industrial Standard for Leather Shoes
SAFEGUARDS | Softlines NO. 134/16

Industrial standard QB/T 1002-2015 <Leather shoes> was approved and issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China, and was implemented on Mar. 1st, 2016. This updated version was based on QB/T 1002-2005 <Leather shoes>, and replaces all previous versions of this standard.
QB/T 1002-2015<Leather shoes> is applicable to leather shoes (including boots) used in daily life, where the uppers are genuine leather, man-made material or multi-material. Compared with the 2005 version, the scope of the new version excludes infants’ and children’s leather shoes (including boots)1.The technical requirements have been significantly modified with the main changes being the addition of the following 7 test items, odor, abrasion resistance of top piece, color fastness to rubbing of lining and insock, azo dyes, free or partly hydrolyzed formaldehyde, minimum length of steel shank and bending performance of steel shanks. Other modifications are the technical requirements and conditions for labeling, appearance quality, peeling strength of upper-sole, pull-out strength of upper-sole, flexing resistance of completed shoes, abrasion resistance of outsole, heel attachment strength, heel hardness of unit sole and shanks. The main differences between the two versions are listed in the following table:
Table1: Comparison Table
Test item | QB/T 1002-2005 | QB/T 1002-2015 | Note | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Labeling | Meet the clause 7.1 of QB/T 1002-2005 | Meet QB/T 2673 | Revision | |
Appearance quality | Chinese shoe size is required to be shown | No requirement to show Chinese shoe size | Deletion | |
The thickness (after reducing the pattern depth) on the forepart of outsole shall not be less than 3.0mm | The thinnest thickness of the forepart of outsole shall be not less than 3.0mm and shall be greater than 5.0mm in the heel part | Revision | ||
Odor | / | Not above Grade 3 | Addition | |
Peeling strength of upper-sole | / | When materials have been torn but upper and sole are still bonded, peeling strength of upper-sole shall not be less than 30N/cm | Addition | |
Sewn shoes are exempt from peeling strength testing. | Sewn shoes, cemented-sewn shoes or shoes processed by other special techniques (including riveting etc.) are exempt from peeling strength testing. | Revision | ||
Replace peeling strength by pull-out strength when the thickness of sole is above 25mm. |
Replace peeling strength by pull-out strength, when one of following conditions occurs:
|
Revision | ||
Pull-out strength of upper sole | Test pull-out strength of upper sole only when there are no measurement results for peeling strength. Sewn shoes or cemented-sewn shoes are exempt from the test. | Test pull-out strength of upper sole only when one of clause 5.5.1.5 conditions (listed in above cell) happens. Sewn shoes, cemented-sewn shoe or shoes processed by other special techniques (including riveting etc.) are exempt from this test. | Revision | |
/ | when material is torn but upper and sole are still bonded, pull-out strength of upper sole must not be less than 30N/cm | Addition | ||
Flexing resistance of completed shoes | The length of the cut after flexing: high-class grade≤12.0mm, qualified grade≤30.0mm | The length of the cut after flexing: high-class grade≤10.0mm, qualified grade≤20.0mm | Revision | |
No crazing or cracked grain on upper or debonding between upper and sole for high-class grade and qualified grade. | No damage on upper. No debonding on the connection part of upper-sole, foxing, welt and footwall, no peeling off on combined sole. No decoating on sole and footwall | Revision | ||
Test is exempt for shoes where the size is less 230mm, or the thickness of flexing position of sole is above 25mm |
Test is exempt when one of the following conditions happens:
|
Revision | ||
Abrasion resistance of outsole | / |
|
Addition | |
Abrasion resistance of top piece | / |
Abrasion resistance of assembled top piece shall meet the requirement as below:
|
Addition | |
Heel attachment strength |
|
|
Revision | |
Heel hardness of unit sole | Only the heel hardness of unit sole with the heel height above 25mm is tested. | Only the heel hardness of unit sole with the heel height above 25mm and without internal heel or other rigid material is tested. | Revision | |
|
Cellular material:
Non-cellular material:
|
Revision | ||
Color fastness to rubbing of lining and insock | / |
Normal material:
Suede:
|
Addition | |
Shank |
The longitudinal stiffness and the hardness of shank must meet the requirements in QB/T 1917-2000 | The longitudinal stiffness, hardness, minimum length and bending performance of steel shank shall comply with GB 28011 | Revision | |
heel height above 20mm and heel breast height above 8mm |
The following shoes must be assembled with steel shank or other rigid support material:
|
Revision | ||
/ | Shank test is exempt for injection molding midsole, but the midsole shall comply with the longitudinal stiffness requirements of QB/T 4862-2015. Wedge heel, wooden sole or rigid plastic molding sole (the hardness not less than 80 shore A) are exempt for shank test. | Addition | ||
Flexing resistance of upper material at low temperature | Meet QB/T 2224-1996 | Meet QB/T 2224-2012 | Revision | |
Azo dyes | / |
Textile:
Leather:
|
Addition |
|
Free or partly hydrolyzed formaldehyde | / |
|
Addition |
As the new version of the standard is implemented, leather shoe enterprises should update the labeling of their products accordingly and understand the technical requirements in the new standard in order to legally sell their products in the China market.
For ease of use, the requirements are summarized in the following table. More details can be obtained by referring to the related standards.
Table 2: Requirement of Standard QB/T 1002-2015 <Leather shoes>
Test item | High-class grade | Qualified grade | |
---|---|---|---|
Appearance Quality | Meet the requirements in Table 1 in QB/T 1002 | ||
Odor | ≤Grade 3 | ||
Peeling strength of upper-sole |
|
|
|
Shoes, whose uppers are ovine leather or man-made materials, or the thickness of the toe part of the outsole is less than 3mm, or the width of outsole is less than 40mm measured at the position 20mm distance to the tip, ≥ 40N/cm, |
|||
Adhesion strength between outsole and midsole |
|
||
Pull-out strength of upper sole | ≥ 100N/cm | ≥ 70N/cm | |
When materials have torn but are still bonded, ≥ 30N/cm | |||
Flexing resistance of completed shoes |
|
|
|
Abrasion resistance of outsole | ≤ 10.0mm | ≤ 14.0mm | |
Abrasion resistance of top piece |
|
||
Heel attachment strength | ≥ 1000N | ≥ 700N | |
Heel hardness of unit sole |
Heel high ≤50mm:
Heel high >50mm:
|
||
Color fastness to rubbing of lining and insock |
Normal material:
Suede:
|
||
Shank |
Longitudinal stiffness of steel shanks |
Heel high<50mm:
Heel high(50~74)mm:
Heel high>74~99mm:
Heel high>99mm:
|
|
Hardness of steel shanks ( GB 28011-2011) |
Heel high ≥ 30mm:
Heel high<30mm:
|
||
Minimum length of steel shanks ( GB 28011-2011) |
Meet clause 5.3.2 of GB 280112 | ||
Bending performance of steel shank ( GB 28011-2011) |
The shank shall not break after the 180° bending test, cracks on the surface are permissible | ||
Longitudinal Stiffness of Injection Moulding Midsole ( QB/T 4862-2015) |
Heel high<50mm:
Heel high(50~74)mm:
Heel high>74~99mm:
Heel high>99mm:
|
||
Flexing index of shoes fiberboard | ≥ 2.9 | ≥ 1.9 | |
Flexing resistance of upper material at low temperature | no visible damage on upper ( include crazing and cracked grain) after,60,000 cycles flexing at-10±2℃, |
no visible damage on upper ( include crazing and cracked grain) after 30,000 cycles flexing at -10±2℃ |
|
Restricted substances | Azo dyes |
Textile:
Leather:
|
|
Free or partly hydrolyzed formaldehyde |
|
Footnote 1: For infants’ and children’s leather shoes QB/T 2880-2007 <Children’s leather shoes> should be used
Footnote 2: Requirement for minimum length of steel shanks
Category | Shoe size | Heel height | Requirement |
---|---|---|---|
Men’s shoes | 235~243 | All | 105mm |
244~253 | 110mm | ||
254~263 | 115mm | ||
264~278 | 120mm | ||
279~298 | 125mm | ||
299 and above | 130mm | ||
Women’s/ Children’s shoes | 200~213 | < 30 | 90mm |
≥ 30 | 95mm | ||
214~223 | < 30 | 100mm | |
≥ 30 | 105mm | ||
224~233 | < 30 | 105mm | |
≥ 30 | 110mm | ||
234~243 | < 30 | 110mm | |
≥ 30 | 115mm | ||
244~258 | < 30 | 115mm | |
≥ 30 | 120mm | ||
259~278 | < 30 | 120mm | |
≥ 30 | 125mm | ||
279 and above | < 30 | 125mm | |
≥ 30 | 130mm | ||
L-shaped shanks | 15 mm less than the values of women’s/ children’s | ||
Y-shaped shanks | 25mm less than the values of men’s and women’s/ children’s |
SGS Global Softlines has an extensive network of over 40 laboratories worldwide, with a strong team of committed professionals from multi-disciplinary backgrounds. Our internationally accredited state-of-the-art testing laboratories offer a comprehensive range of physical, chemical and functional testing services for components, materials and finished products. We help your company ensure quality, performance and compliance with international, industrial and regulatory standards worldwide. Discover more at www.sgs.com/softlines.
For enquiries, please contact:
Louann Spirito
Director Technical Support, Softlines
t: +1 973 461 7919
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