Sourcing own-brand trainers and slippers from China
Footwear is one of the few consumer goods where UK duty on Chinese goods reaches double figures: trainers, slippers and sandals with textile, rubber or plastic uppers pay 16%, leather uppers 4% to 8%, so the upper material changes the landed price. Every pair also needs a composition label. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand footwear across a full size run.
Textile and plastic footwear pays 16% UK duty from China, leather uppers 4% to 8%. The upper decides the rate, and the composition label is law.
The upper decides the duty
Footwear is classified by what the outer sole and the upper are made of, then by use, gender and size. Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, footwear from China with a rubber or plastic sole and a textile, rubber or plastic upper carried 16% duty. With a leather upper the rate fell to 8% for men's shoes and 6% for most women's, and 4% for women's styles with a strap or cut-out vamp. No line below carried an anti-dumping measure.
That gap is large enough to change a design decision. A trainer with a synthetic upper and one with a leather upper can differ by eight points of duty before freight, so price both in the landed price before choosing materials, and confirm each style's commodity code, because the size and gender splits carry their own codes.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports footwear and trainers, textile uppers | 6404 11 00 00 | 16% | None |
| Slippers and indoor footwear, textile uppers | 6404 19 10 00 | 16% | None |
| Other footwear, textile uppers | 6404 19 90 00 | 16% | None |
| Footwear with rubber or plastic uppers, men's | 6402 99 96 00 | 16% | None |
| Footwear with rubber or plastic uppers, women's | 6402 99 98 00 | 16% | None |
| Leather uppers, not covering the ankle, men's | 6403 99 96 90 | 8% | None |
| Leather uppers, not covering the ankle, women's | 6403 99 98 90 | 6% | None |
| Leather uppers with a strap or cut-out vamp, women's | 6403 99 38 00 | 4% | None |
The composition label is a legal requirement
The Footwear (Indication of Composition) Labelling Regulations 1995 require footwear sold in the UK to show what the upper, the lining and sock, and the outer sole are made of, by pictogram or in words. Under regulation 5 the label names the material that makes up at least 80% of the surface area of the upper, of the lining and sock, and 80% of the volume of the outer sole; where no single material reaches 80%, it names the two main materials.
The simplest way to get this right is to make it part of the factory's artwork: agree the materials in the specification, and have the label printed or stamped in production rather than stickered on in the UK. The same specification should state the material the duty depends on, so the label and the customs entry say the same thing.
Sizes, moulds and the minimum order
Footwear is ordered as a size run, not a quantity. A moulded sole needs a mould for every size, so the factory's minimum order is usually per colour across the run, and a style that sells mostly in three sizes still has to be bought in all of them. Agree the size curve, the quantity in each size, with the factory before it quotes, and check that the sizing is set to UK sizes on a UK last: Chinese factories size in millimetres of foot length, and a mismatch shows up as returns rather than at inspection.
The MOQ and sampling guide covers how to negotiate the first order. For footwear, ask for a fitting sample in your best-selling size and wear-test it before the salesman samples in every size are made.
What goes wrong in production
Sole separation is the commonest failure, so agree how the sole is attached, cemented, vulcanised or injected, and ask for a bond test on production pairs. Colour between left and right shoes, glue marks on the upper and uneven stitching are the usual cosmetic faults, and all three belong on the inspection checklist.
Shoes also travel badly in hot containers: moisture in the leather or the cartons turns into mould on arrival. Ask for desiccant in each box and dry cartons, and check a carton or two at the container loading. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand footwear across the full size run, matches the label to the materials, and inspects the pairs before they ship. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on trainers from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, sports footwear with textile uppers and rubber or plastic soles carried 16% duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Is leather footwear cheaper to import than synthetic?
In duty, yes. On 25 September 2026 leather uppers carried 8% for men's shoes, 6% for most women's and 4% for women's strap styles, against 16% for textile or plastic uppers.
What must a footwear label show in the UK?
Under the 1995 footwear labelling regulations, the material of the upper, the lining and sock, and the outer sole, by pictogram or words, naming the material that makes up at least 80% or the two main materials.
Why is the footwear MOQ per size?
A moulded sole needs a mould for each size, so factories set the minimum across the size run. Agree the quantity per size before the factory quotes.