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China Updated Footwear Product Standard – GB 21148-2020

SoftlinesMay 20, 2021

GB 21148-2020 was released on July 23, 2020 and will be officially implemented on August 1, 2021.

On Jul 23rd, 2020, State Administration of market supervision and administration and State Standardization Administration issued Foot protection-Safety footwear product standard GB 21148-2020 and it became effective on Aug 1, 2021. The previous versions of GB 21148-2020 replacing and abolishing the standard are as follows:

  • GB 12011-1989、GB 12011-2000、GB 12011-2009;
  • GB 21146-2007;
  • GB 21147-2007;
  • GB 21148-2007.

The new standard is applicable to shoes that protect the wearer's feet from hazards in the work area or safety in the work area.

Main Technical Changes

GB 21148-2020 <Foot Protection-Safety footwear> is mainly based on GB 21148-2007, integrating the contents of GB 21146-2007, GB 21147-2007 and GB 12011-2009.

The main differences between GB 21148-2020 and GB 21148-2007:

  • The scope of application has been revised
  • Four terms of "safety shoes", "leather", "polymeric materials" and "protective Baotou" were revised; four terms of "conductive shoes", "antistatic shoes", "electric insulating shoes" and "fuel oil" were deleted; and the term of "mixed shoes" was added
  • Part of shoe parts description has been modified
  • Added and modified protective performance marking symbols
  • The basic requirements and additional requirements of safety shoes are adjusted to basic requirements, protective performance and additional requirements
  • Added shoe seat area requirements
  • Modified the structure requirements of sole performance
  • Revised Ergonomics requirements
  • The requirement of slip resistance is added
  • Increased the wear resistance requirements of shoe seat area lining
  • The general requirements for toe protection are added
  • The perforation force and structure requirements of perforation resistant insert are added and modified, and Appendix B is added accordingly
  • The requirements of electrical insulation performance are modified and Appendix C is added accordingly
  • The requirements of thermal insulation performance are modified and Appendix D is added accordingly
  • Appendix A is deleted
  • Added "mixed shoes" related content
  • The information provided by the manufacturer shall include the statement of harmlessness and the requirement of safety information
  • Appendix E is added to the adjustment

Main technical requirements of GB 21148-2020 <Foot Protection-Safety footwear>

Basic Requirement
No. Item
Requirement 
1Whole shoeUpper height: meet the requirements of table 5;
Upper / sole bonding strength: the bonding strength shall not be less than 4.0 N/mm; If the sole is torn, the bonding strength should not be less than 3.0 N/mm
Leak proof: there should be no air leakage;
Ergonomics requirements: GB/T 20991-2007, 5.1 requirements;
Slip resistance: ceramic tile surface with detergent solution ≥ 0.28.
2Upper
Thickness: rubber ≥ 1.50 mm, polymer ≥ 1.00 mm;
Tearing property: leather ≥ 120 N, coated fabric / textile ≥ 60 N;
Tensile property: it shall meet the requirements of table 10;
Flexing resistance: Rubber 125,000 times without crack; polymer 150,000 times without crack;
Water vapor permeability: ≥ 0.8 mg / (cm 2. h);
Water vapor coefficient: ≥ 15 mg / cm2;
pH: ≥ 3.2 (if pH < 4, dilution difference should be less than 0.7);
Hydrolysis: Polyurethane uppers flex 150,000 cycles without cracks;
Cr VI: ≤ 3.0 mg/kg.
3Forepart and counter upper lining
Tearing property: leather ≥ 30 N, coated fabric and textile ≥ 15 N;
Abrasion resistance: after the required number of tests, there should be no holes;
Water vapor permeability: ≥ 2.0 mg / (cm2. h);
Water vapor coefficient: ≥ 20 mg / cm2;
pH: ≥ 3.2 (if pH < 4, dilution difference should be less than 0.7);
Cr VI: ≤ 3.0 mg/kg.
4TongueThe tongue is tested only when the material or thickness of the tongue is different from that of the upper.
5Insoles and insocks
Thickness: ≥ 2.0 mm;
pH: ≥ 3.2 (if pH < 4, dilution difference should be less than 0.7);
Water absorption: ≥ 70 mg / cm2;
Hydrolytic absorption: ≥ 80% of water absorption;
Abrasion resistance: non leather insole should not be worn seriously before 400 times;
Insoles: non leather insoles shall not have any holes on the surface after the required number of wear tests;
Cr VI: ≤ 3.0mg/kg.
6Outsole
The thickness shall meet the requirements of table 14;
Tear strength: ≥ 8kN/m if material density > 0.9 g/cm3; ≥ 5 kN/m if material density ≤ 0.9 g/cm3;
Abrasion resistance: Type I shoe: ≤ 150 mm3 if material density > 0.9 g/cm3; ≤ 250 mm3 if material density ≤ 0.9 g/cm3; Type II shoe: ≤ 250 mm3; Class II electrical insulating shoes of 20kV and above:≤ 400mm ³;
Flexing resistance: 30,000 cycles, cut growth ≤ 4 mm;
Hydrolysis: Polyurethane insole flexes 150,000 cycles continuously, and the cut growth is ≤ 6mm;
Bonding strength of middle layer: ≥ 4.0 N/mm, sole tear: ≥ 3.0 N/mm.

 

Protection Performance
No.ItemRequirement
1Toe protection
Internal length of protective toecap: it shall meet the requirements of table 15;
Impact resistance: after the impact of (200 ± 4) J or (100 ± 2) J impact energy, the minimum spacing in the protective toecap shall meet the requirements of table 16;
Pressure resistance: after the impact of (15 ± 0.1) kN or (10 ± 0.1) kN impact energy, the minimum spacing in the protective toecap shall meet the requirements of table 16;
Corrosion resistance of metal protective toecap: the corrosion area shall not exceed 3 places and the length shall not exceed 2 mm.
2Perforation resistance
Metal perforation resistant insert: penetration ≥ 1100 N;
Non-metal perforation resistant insert: 1100 N, observed within 10s, the nail tip should not be exposed from the sample;
Structure: the perforation resistant insert should be installed in the sole, and the insert should not be movable without damaging the shoes. Except for the non-metallic perforation resistant insert which is used as the insole, the insert should not be located above or in contact with the roll edge of the protective cap;
Dimensions: shall meet the requirements of clause 6.3.3;
Perforation resistant insert folding resistance: 1*106 after bending, there should be no visible fracture, crack or delamination phenomenon;
Corrosion resistance of metal perforation resistant insert: the corrosion area shall not exceed 5 places, and the area of each place shall not exceed 2.5 mm2;
Stability of non-metallic perforation resistant insert: it shall meet the requirements of article 5.2.4 of GB/T 28288-2012.
3Electrical properties
Conductivity: resistance ≤ 100 kΩ;
Antistatic performance: 100 kΩ< resistance ≤ 1000 MΩ;
Electrical insulation performance: it shall meet the requirements of table 17.
4Resistance to harsh environmentHeat insulation: the temperature rise of the upper surface of the inner bottom shall not exceed 22 ℃ after 30 min;
Cold resistance: the temperature of the upper surface of the inner bottom shall not decrease more than 10 ℃ after the test.

 

Additional Requirements
No.ItemRequirement
1Energy absorption in shoe seat area
≥20 J
2Water Resistance
After the test, the total wetted area of the inner side of the shoe should not exceed 3 cm²
3Metatarsal protection
The minimum spacing after impact shall meet the requirements of table 19
Average value ≤ 10 kN, single value ≤ 15 kN
4Ankle protection
Average value ≤ 10 kN, single value ≤ 15 kN
5Anti-cutting
The anti-cutting index should not be less than 2.5
6Water permeability and water absorption of upper
Water permeability ≤ 0.2 g, water absorption ≤ 30%
7Thermal contact resistance of the outsoles
There shall be no melting and no cracking when bending along the circular axis
8Oil resistance of outsolesVolume expansion≤ 12%;
Volume shrinkage is more than 1% or hardness increase is more than 10 Shore A, continuous flexion 150,000 times, incision growth should not be more than 6 mm.

Details of The Technical Content

For more information, please refer to the standard GB 21148-2020 <Foot Protection-Safety footwear> or contact SGS directly.

China’s GB national standards set requirements for product quality, safety and performance. SGS Global Softlines’ global network, including 10 laboratories in China, offers a wide range of CNAS and CMA accredited services for textiles, apparel, footwear and accessories to help your company demonstrate compliance with Chinese requirements. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Contact us for more information or visit our website.  

For enquiries, please contact:

Louann Spirito
Consumer and Retail - Softlines
US & Canada Softlines Business Head
t: +1 973 461 7919

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