GB20098-2025
Foot protection—General technical specifications
足部防护 通用技术规范
GB 20098-2025 is an upcoming mandatory Chinese national standard for Foot protection—General technical specifications. It appears in the Medical compliance cluster with a product safety focus and has an implementation date of Sep 1, 2026.
Applicability depends on product scope, certification route, competent authority notices and transition rules. Requst for the translation or verify source before using this record in a compliance decision.
Compliance overview
Scope and applicability
This standard applies to foot protection equipment designed to prevent physical and chemical injuries in the workplace. It covers various types of protective footwear, including safety shoes, chemical protective footwear, extreme heat protective footwear, and extreme cold protective footwear. This standard is mandatory for all manufacturers producing protective footwear for the Chinese market. It explicitly excludes firefighter boots, chainsaw protective shoes, molten metal footwear, and motorcycle rider boots.
Technical requirements
GB 20098-2025 specifies comprehensive baseline requirements for protective footwear. It classifies footwear into Class I (leather and other materials), Class II (all-rubber or polymeric), and hybrid types. The standard mandates strict harmlessness criteria, requiring leather components to meet specific pH limits and restricted substances to comply with GB 31420. Manufacturers must ensure all materials are non-toxic and safe for prolonged wearer contact. For the upper components, the standard defines mechanical thresholds for tear strength and tensile performance across different materials like leather, rubber, and polymers. It also includes specific hydrolysis resistance requirements for polyurethane materials to ensure longevity. Footwear must pass rigorous ergonomic evaluations to guarantee user comfort and functionality during actual wear. Regarding the outsole, the standard sets criteria for abrasion resistance, flexing endurance, and interlayer bonding strength. It dictates specific geometric parameters for the cleat area and outsole thickness to ensure adequate grip and durability. Compliance with these structural and material benchmarks is essential for basic safety certification. Finally, the standard requires clear and permanent product marking and comprehensive manufacturer information, including production dates, manufacturer details, and usage instructions. Specific protective performance levels, however, are deferred to corresponding product-specific standards such as GB 21148 for safety shoes.
Testing methods
Testing procedures referenced in this standard primarily rely on GB/T 20991-2024 and GB/T 28287. Key evaluations include pH value testing for leather, ergonomic assessments via wearer questionnaires, and mechanical testing for upper tear strength and tensile properties. Outsole performance is verified through abrasion resistance tests, flexing endurance for hydrolysis resistance, and sole adhesion strength measurements. Additionally, slip resistance is tested on ceramic tile surfaces with detergent solutions to determine friction coefficients.
FAQs
What products are regulated under GB 20098-2025?
GB 20098-2025 applies to foot protection equipment designed to prevent physical and chemical injuries. This includes safety footwear, chemical protective boots, and extreme temperature protection shoes. However, it excludes firefighter boots, chainsaw protective shoes, molten metal footwear, and motorcycle rider boots.
Are there any updates from the previous version of GB 20098?
The new standard replaces GB/T 20098-2006 and transitions from a recommended to a mandatory national standard. It significantly broadens the scope, adding new requirements for harmlessness, ergonomics, and comprehensive outsole performance, while removing the previously included specific testing methods.
How does GB 20098-2025 relate to other foot protection standards?
GB 20098-2025 serves as a general technical specification focusing on baseline requirements like material strength and slip resistance. Specific protective performance requirements, such as impact resistance or chemical permeation, are delegated to corresponding product standards like GB 21148 for safety footwear and GB 20265 for chemical protective shoes.
The summary above provides a high-level overview of GB 20098-2025. To ensure complete compliance for your products entering the Chinese market, a precise and professional translation of the full technical specifications is essential. Purchase our high-quality English translation of GB 20098-2025 today to access all detailed parameters, tables, and testing procedures.
Applicability hints
- Type
- Foundational
- CCS
- C 73
- ICS
- 13.340.50
- Competent department
- Ministry of Emergency Management
- Technical committee
- National Technical Committee on Personal Protective Equipment of Standardization Administration of China
Relationships
Replaces:GB/T 20098-2006