Sourcing shoe shanks from China

Shoe-shank duty and material controls

Heading 6406 covers footwear parts. HMRC says these parts can be made of any material except asbestos. Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, the selected residual footwear-part lines carried 0% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspensions. Steel and plastic variants share the illustrated lines; the table does not establish the classification of a particular shank.

These lines attach CITES import and export controls, cat-and-dog-fur import and export controls, and seal-product import controls. Ask your customs broker to confirm the relevant permits for CITES-listed materials moving between China and Great Britain, and the prohibitions applicable to importing, exporting or placing cat and dog fur and products containing it on the UK market. Seal products imported for sale in Great Britain must have a seal catch certificate; confirm exemption eligibility with your customs broker.

Send your customs broker the material specification, drawings, manufacturing method and details of any attached covering or insole to confirm the commodity code and requirements under the attached controls. For related stiffeners within the wider heading, see shoe toe puffs and heel counters.

Specify shank curvature, stiffness and fixing

Specify steel grade or plastic composition, length, width, thickness, longitudinal curve, transverse profile and fixing-hole positions. Identify the shoe last, heel geometry and size allocation. Agree whether the shank is flat, ribbed or otherwise formed, and approve its fit inside your actual sole construction.

For steel shanks, agree heat treatment, surface finish, corrosion protection and edge deburring. For plastic shanks, agree moulding consistency and resistance to permanent deformation. Set bending and repeated-flex checks with the factory using an approved sample and agreed acceptance criteria. Trial the shank in an assembled shoe before approving production.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative mixed-size batch of steel shoe shanks for a small footwear business; values are illustrative under 6406 90 90 90, invoiced at £3,000 free on board, with £135 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,135. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,135, so it is £627. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Geometry: compare length, width, thickness, curve and hole positions with the approved drawing; check size allocation and any left-and-right pairing.

Performance: compare bending stiffness and recovery with the approved sample; inspect for cracking, permanent set or movement after agreed flex checks.

Finish: inspect steel for rust, coating gaps, burrs and sharp edges; inspect plastic for voids, cracks and distorted ribs.

Assembly and packing: trial fixing and seating in the intended sole; check batch identification, separation of sizes and dry protective packaging on arrival.

What goes wrong

A shank can match the stated length but have the wrong curve, leaving it rocking inside the sole or changing the shoe’s support. Misplaced holes can force the assembler to bend the part or alter the fixing. A substituted material or heat treatment can make production shanks softer or more brittle than the approved sample.

Rust, sharp stamped edges and inconsistent moulding can remain hidden until assembly. Check arrivals against the retained sample before releasing the batch, and record defects by size and batch using the quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.