The recent quality supervision inspection conducted by the State Administration for Market Regulation revealed that children's shoes made by the famous national brand, Warrior Shoes Company, contained a toxic component, phthalic acid ester (PAE), which can trigger sexual precocity, or early onset of puberty in children. Expectedly, the report triggered a public debate. In fact, it became a hot topic of discussion on Weibo.

PAE can enter the human body through skin contact and interfere with the endocrine system to trigger sexual precocity.

The shoe company responded, saying the PAE came from some raw materials they had purchased and that they had already stopped selling the shoes that contained the toxic material. The company has promised to improve its quality management system and enhance supervision of product quality.

That a hazardous substance has been found in children's shoes is a serious matter, as it has the potential to seriously undermine the brand's reputation.

Warrior Shoes Company, which was established in 1927, remains a reputable brand. Because of its high-quality and trendy products that changed the concept of footwear in China in the 1980s, Warrior became a popular brand and, in recent years, has even been called "the pride of Chinese brands".

Reports say Warrior sold more than 50 million pairs of shoes in 2018, and its sales volume on e-commerce platform Tmall exceeded 200 million yuan ($28.8 million).

But the presence of PAE in its shoes has exposed the loopholes in its quality control system. As its sales grew exponentially, the company began outsourcing its manufacturing and adopted the franchise-dealer business model. But quality control is one area it could still look into.

For any product, the most important thing is quality and safety, which should be the top concern for manufacturers. A quality scandal can easily destroy a brand's reputation. Many people buy Warrior shoes because they have grown up with its products. The company should strengthen its quality management to protect not just consumers' rights and interests but also its reputation.

—WANG YIQING, CHINA DAILY