Tiger Claw brand Feiyue

[chris_b]

Do the monks in shaolin run in their Feiyue shoes? They are quite thin soled. Would you not suffer injuries if you did this?

Just curious!

[GeneChing]

Tens of thousands of Shaolin students run in Feiyue shoes (http://www.martialartsmart.net/45353l.html) every morning, and that includes the few hundred monks that are there too. They do a lot of corss country running. For most of the students, a pair of feiyues is all that they own, so it's their running shoe, their training shoe and their street shoe.

Don't beleive the hype. In many third world cultures, people run in all sorts of crappy shoes. Some even run barefoot. It's the natural way, really. Of course, my feet are so tender from a lifetime of wearing comparatively expensive shoes, that I balk at the idea of running up to Tamo cave in Feiyues too. But I've done it. I was ten years younger then. :o

[PangQuan]

At the school I belong to, we run in our feiyue's as well.

we run an average of 2 miles in a semi small circle on concrete every day.

at the begining of this it kind of sucked, blisters and the sort. but now the bottoms of my feet are rock hard.

[chris_b]

Well if it's good enough for them, then it's good for me too!

Truth is that I can't be bothered to head down to my local Niketown (or whatever) to have some Rudeboy try and sell me the latest pair of pogo stick soled moonboots just so that I can keep running in my training (my last pair of "trainers" broke)!

Anyway, I like to keep the Shaolin dream alive by conforming to authentic training methods, and as I already have a few pairs of Feiyues,.....

Thanks again!

[IronFist]

we run an average of 2 miles in a semi small circle on concrete every day.

:eek:

10 character limit

[Invisible-fist]

Your feiyues will wear out quickly if you run in them.

[chris_b]

They're real cheap though. So when they wear out i'll just buy more!

[PangQuan]

:eek:

10 character limit


I DONT GET IT

[GeneChing]

That's a really funny notion when you think about it. I'm sure Shaolin's detractors roll their eyes at that one. That's sort of what I was alluding to when I penned my first Feiyue informercial (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=527). Shoe technology has improved greatly in just the last few decades. So when people talk about 'traditional' practice, how does that affect their shoes? Personally, I wear Feiyues because they work well for me. I find that they don't wear out that quickly for me, but maybe that's because they fit my feet well. I've noted that some shoes, like Nikes, wear out really quick for me. On the flip side, I have a buddy who wears Tiger Claw shoes (http://www.martialartsmart.net/90-201.html) as street shoes. He keeps them going for a good year on the street, something I could never do.

If the shoe fits...

[Fitdoc]

I trained at Shi DeCheng's school in DengFeng during the month of october, '05 and ALL the martial art students at his school and every other school in dengfeng run in feiyue shoes (EVERY DAY). The foreign martial students ran in them also.

[ZhuiQuan]

I've seen pictures, some of their Feiyue's are knock-offs.
----

I train in Tiger Claw Feiyue's, they're awesome. The soles are really cushioned, it's like walking barefoot on a plush carpet at all times. I bought a 10.5 because I thought the 10's would be too small, but they ended up being too loose for training. So now I wear the 10.5 as street shoes and the 10's for training. They make excellent street shoes! And they're so cheap! I honestly think I'm not going to wear anything but Feiyue's for a long time.

And aren't they just cheap Chinese athletic shoes? They're not strictly made for martial arts right?

[monkeyfoot]

Every student trained in feiyues when I was in dengfeng and shaolin si.

Nearly a year since I left for china.....I wonder why the hell I didnt pick up more than 1 pair.....now I have to pay 19GBP instead of 1.50GBP.


On the point of running. The sole is very very thin and it can hurt your foot when you run/jump alot in them. I found that I had very severe pains in my heals (especially being a 7* practitioner) after a few weeks of using feiyues. But now I have conditioned the soles of my feet to the point where the heal is now rock solid. So I suppose the pain is worth it in the end.

Im never having another shoe.

craig

[TaichiMantis]

Every student trained in feiyues when I was in dengfeng and shaolin si.

Nearly a year since I left for china.....I wonder why the hell I didnt pick up more than 1 pair.....now I have to pay 19GBP instead of 1.50GBP.


On the point of running. The sole is very very thin and it can hurt your foot when you run/jump alot in them. I found that I had very severe pains in my heals (especially being a 7* practitioner) after a few weeks of using feiyues. But now I have conditioned the soles of my feet to the point where the heal is now rock solid. So I suppose the pain is worth it in the end.

Im never having another shoe.

craig

I put sport gel pads in mine, it makes it somewhat better....

[monkeyfoot]

yea I put inner-soles in them a few months ago and it helps a lot. I really need to buy some more, mine are tottally trashed from training outside all the time.

I wouldnt mind a pair for leisure aswell, when I walk round in etnies or emiricas I think 'holy **** i'd never be able to kick in these'.

craig

[Mortal1]

It won't bother you if you jog correctly. That means running with a low light step. Sort of like a military double time trot. Don't pick your feet far up and slam them down hard. Like i see many joggers in their expensive shoes do on a daily basis.
I saw something on TV where these people run bare foot with no problems. i notice they also utilize the shaolin running style.

[FooFighter]

Do the monks in shaolin run in their Feiyue shoes?

Based on what I have seen in NYC, yes. Based on what I have in Mags, yes.

Would you not suffer injuries if you did this?

To be honest, there are so scientific tests or research that went behind seeing if running with Feiyue shoes will injury you that I am aware of? I am do know if the makers of Feiyue have invested money on this kind of reserach? I can tell you from my experience that people in the past have ran with Converse or Chucks (thin soles) without hurting themselves. So I guessing that Feiyue would be the same? I am not making any claims that I cannot back up so just be becareful and exercise common sense. I use to own a pair of Feiyue, but perfer my chucks because of its classic design. It looks cooler with my jeans than a pair of Feiyue. <wink>

[GeneChing]

I'm trying to imagine Feiyue conducting any sort of test on their shoes. That's just not the way things work in China. :rolleyes:

Its not so much about your shoe as it is your foot. Some people can run without running shoes. Some people beleive that the very notion of running shoes is a created market. After all, running has got to be a very natural function of the human foot. Then again, all the pros use pro shoes, except for in China, of course, where they were Feiyues.

BTW, two days ago I was hiking a bit of the Kalalau Trail from Ke'e beach on Kauai in Tevas. There's all these warnings at the trailhead about wearing good shoes and I'm a bit of a tenderfoot (although I have jogged up Songshan in Feiyues). Then this yoga chick goes sprinting past me up the mountain in a teeny tiny bikini, barefoot. So I didn't worry anymore. Of course, on the way back, I slipped and jammed a stone into my right arch. Still hurts. Darn those bikini yoga chicks...

[PangQuan]

feiyue is our school standard.

on my own time i like these. http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/on/onitsuka-tiger-tiger-tai-chi-perf.jpg

[ZhuiQuan]

I'm just curious, why are there so many companies that make Feiyue? I know Feiyue means flying fish or flying bird or something... I don't remember, but I'm assuming that's not copywritten?

Just curious about that... boring post, but whatever. Anyway, I like the Tiger Claw brand, I wear a pair as casual sneakers pretty often and another for training. They're so soft and flexible (and cheap). It's like being barefoot on a plush carpet.

Hey, Mr. Gene Ching... you should sponsor me (like a pro skateboarder) and send me and my family free shoes :D

haha... seriously though, I love them, good job on those sneakers... they kick the crap out of other brand Feiyue's.

[CLFLPstudent]

Are they anything like the old Century sneakers? Those things were the best training shoe's. The only problem was the soles wore out too fast..... I know they discontinued the Century shoes a while ago.

Are the Feiyue's high-top or low-top?

-David

[Banjos_dad]

i like mine. black ones. they are low tops. very low actually.

i just thought they were named after Marshall Yue Fei. i don't know


i got these to use in class but Sifu doesn't like em so much because everyone else has black soled shoes with no red stripes on the side. so i don't blend in properly, so i had to buy more otomix. fei yues are so much more comfortable. there is no padding though, the soles are like converse all stars but even thinner, even thinner than old-school Van's. but yeah, they are real low cut and the cloth is kind of soft so that if you are doing a crouch stance our back stance where your front leg is almost parallel to the ground and your foot is hooked to the inside, your are not feeling any constriction or discomfort, where with me fat padded otomix, the top of the shoe is cutting in on my ankle enough to where i notice it & it bothers me. know what i mean? lol

plus when you are sporting fei yues, all the kung fu people know you are one of them. at first i thought people were going to make fun of them, but no one has so far. (lol: here it comes. that's what's known as walking right into it)
for the record, i do not officially become a "shill" until i actually receive some free size 46 fei yues, Gene. lmao. just kidding.

[Banjos_dad]

--Can you imagine the extra power that must have been infused into my gung fu by believing that my shoes were dedicated to Marshall Yue Fei? if my shoes were not in fact named after the Song dynasty hero, will i still be able to channel the energy? or will it all collapse into chaos.

[ZhuiQuan]

"fei yues are so much more comfortable. there is no padding though, the soles are like converse all stars but even thinner, even thinner than old-school Van's"

That's why I asked about Tiger Claws... I have them and the soles are way more padded than old-school Vans and Converses. I have a pair of classic Vans, after wearing Tiger Claw Feiyue's, it's like walking with a slab of wood strapped to my foot.

[GeneChing]

Monk Takes Off His Shoe: My Life as a Shaolin Shoe Salesman (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=527)

Monk Takes Off His Shoe: The Sequel (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=546)

[Banjos_dad]

real quick on my way to something.

but yeah, i like them for training jibengong and forms. i haven't sparred with them on but they don't look worse to get hit by than other martial arts shoes. as far as abrasions and that.
the soles are kind of on the soft side so they might not give "extended mileage." for some reason the canvas is holding up better than the canvas on my allstars do.

as far as the grip and rooting feeling through the sole i think it would be a great skating shoe, not as much protection in a crash as a padded new school suede Van. and as far as braking, if you put your foot down to brake after shooting a hill or whatever, the sole on your back foot is going to be holed in a matter of weeks. they would work good in a half pipe setting though

[GeneChing]

£40? Wow.


Feiyue Plimsolls by SummerSeventySix (http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2007/04/feiyue_plimsoll.php)

Chucks are beyond ubiquitous aren't they? In London, even the anti-Converse, non-branded, army surplus training shoe is everywhere these days, so what's next? Chinese brand Feiyue looks the most likely over the summer. They've been made in Shanghai since 1920 and have been worn by everyone from politicians to Shaolin masters. Apt, as the brand-name means "flying forward." They are incredibly comfortable to wear.

The original Shaolin Soul shoe (top left) is going for around £40 in a handful of London stores at the moment. You can also get them direct from Feiyue's online shop for €50 plus postage. However, there are specialist martial arts stores out there selling them for as little as $18. [Eds. note: Feiyue wrote us to tell us that those are fakes.] Seek them out, Grasshopper.

Never thought of calling them 'plimsolls'. Apparently they're becoming all the rage in some non-martial arts circles. Or maybe that's just me, trying to sell more shoes...

[David Jamieson]

40 pounds is like 100 dollars.

which is crazy for a 3 dollar chinese shoe. lol

as for the mam ones, they gotta pad the price a little cause they gotta import them and then export them out etc etc. so, pretty reasonable price and you don't have togo all the way to shanghai to get em... but if you were to go to shanghai and buy a pair, you would be right ticked that you spent 40 pounds on a pair!

I will reiterate ~G's "wow" on that. :D

[GeneChing]

Feiyue Plimsolls. If I had thought up that name, maybe I'd be a rich man by now. Did anyone else have to look up the word plimsolls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plimsoll_shoe)? Ironically, I noticed a pair of high fashion shoes...sorry, I mean plimsolls, at Macy's that reminded me of the Feiyue Plimsolls design a while back. All I could think is 'Why the heck am I selling these beauties to martial artists instead of high fashion supermodels?' Why? I ask you why?

[neilhytholt]

Feiyue Plimsolls. If I had thought up that name, maybe I'd be a rich man by now. Did anyone else have to look up the word plimsolls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plimsoll_shoe)? Ironically, I noticed a pair of high fashion shoes...sorry, I mean plimsolls, at Macy's that reminded me of the Feiyue Plimsolls design a while back. All I could think is 'Why the heck am I selling these beauties to martial artists instead of high fashion supermodels?' Why? I ask you why?

Yeah, I had to look up Plimsoll ... haven't run across that one in a while.

Obviously you need to change your marketing. If they can sell perfume to guys like Ax Body Spray by making them think chicks will dig them, then obviously you need to change your marketing strategy.

Does anybody remember the Jaeger Meister girls? Maybe Gene can start the TC girls ... a bunch of KF chicks going around to schools giving away T-shirts and selling swords and stuff like that.

[MasterKiller]

Yeah, I had to look up Plimsoll ... haven't run across that one in a while.

Obviously you need to change your marketing. If they can sell perfume to guys like Ax Body Spray by making them think chicks will dig them, then obviously you need to change your marketing strategy.

Does anybody remember the Jaeger Meister girls? Maybe Gene can start the TC girls ... a bunch of KF chicks going around to schools giving away T-shirts and selling swords and stuff like that.

Do a search for the Got Qi girls. They are legendary.

[GeneChing]

Sexy girls selling alcohol is much more efficient than sexy girls selling swords (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41007). But still, we do what we can (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16442).

[EarthDragon]

Hands down the best longest lasting MA shoe i have ever worn has been KWON brand, they held up better than century, tiger claw and pinetree

[nuxia]

I love wearing Feiyue shoes for wushu training. As anyone who has worn them knows, they quickly fall apart and only provide minimal support for a short period of time.

I've been having some knee trouble and would like to wear shoes with thicker soles for training. But Feiyues, or other slipper like brands, are very traditional for wushu.

Is this because it is better to train (jumps, tumbling, splits, etc.) in slipper like shoes? Can more traditional sneakers with thicker soles cause injury? I'd love to hear what you guys think/have experienced.

[unkokusai]

I've still got an old pair of those stylish paragons of footwear I got when I was in China back in the mid-90s.

[Pk_StyLeZ]

these shoes are awesome!!!
i have no problem with them
beside the fact there are holes in the shoes every now and then!!

[TaichiMantis]

You want to avoid shoes that lift the heel. You may want to try some volleyball or indoor soccer shoes. Both are flat bottom, allow side to side movement, and may have more arch support. The soccer shoes will have a stiffer sole.

[SifuChow]

As funny as this sounds, I actually wrote about this in my blog about a month ago. Here's the link (http://sifuchow.blogspot.com/2008/01/5-tips-to-shoe-shopping.html) if you want to check it out.

I also like the feel of Feiyue shoes and recommend them to my students but I don't think they are perfect.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

christ i missi kung fu sometimes. i love posting when drunk.

for different reasons i need similar shoes. when squatting and deadlifting i need something that keeps me close to the ground, yet doesnt squish a lot which ****s everything up. if you squish into the floor you cant generate power for squatting or pulling ... same as in rooting.

the best bang for your buck in powerlifting is converse chuck taylors. although i wore them as a kid because they were cheap, i thought it was just trendy until i tried them out. they are better than barefoot for squatting, and although i've done no extensive tma training in them, they feel great when i go through some old movements for warmup before lifting.

[kwaichang]

High top converse with good orthotics for support, for Wu Shu I like that the best . with too much heel lift there is a greater chance of rolling of the ankle and also increased chance of tendonitis of the Patellar tendon especially with alot of jumping and low squatting. Try Pumas and or Nike again with orthotics. Some of the New balance stores can fit you for orthotics from 25.00 to 200.00 KC :)

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

wrestling shoes too.

[nuxia]

very helpful folks, thank you! I'll try out some different things with orthotics.

[Chief Fox]

Here's what I used to wear.
http://www.worldsoccershop.com/departments-footwear-adidas-indoor-soccer-shoes-adidas-argentina-samba-millennium-soccer-shoes.html

I got a few years out of a single pair.

[Becca]

wrestling shoes too.Second this, with a cavite: don't use wrestling shoes if you gots to run durring class. They're fantastic for every thing else, but not running. I actually only use my mat shoes ing kung fu, never on the mat any more. Kept injuring my toes because I couldn't flex my ackles enough.:rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

I gotta sell some Feiyues here!!!

Monk Takes Off His Shoe: My Life as a Shaolin Shoe Salesman: A Shaolin Side-Trip (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=527)

Monk Takes Off His Shoe: The Sequel: My Continuing Life as a Shaolin Shoe Salesman (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=546)

black (http://www.martialartsmart.net/4535k.html) & white (http://www.martialartsmart.net/45353l.html)

[sean_stonehart]

I gotta sell some Feiyues here!!!

Monk Takes Off His Shoe: My Life as a Shaolin Shoe Salesman: A Shaolin Side-Trip (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=527)

Monk Takes Off His Shoe: The Sequel: My Continuing Life as a Shaolin Shoe Salesman (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=546)

black (http://www.martialartsmart.net/4535k.html) & white (http://www.martialartsmart.net/45353l.html)


HIGHTOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[brucereiter]

my favorite shoe is vans slip ons ...

http://shop.vans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product2_10001_25101_10101_302951_-1

[sean_stonehart]

Yeah one of our guys in Athens has a pair of the solid black ones & besides comfort & support.... are cool!!!!!

I wish Vision hadn't gone under from back in the day.

[tattooedmonk]

HIGHTOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!All Stars??

[sean_stonehart]

All Stars??

Neh... Chuck's are great but too $$$$$$ ....

I'm wanting Hightop Fei Yue's I turned Gene onto.

[kwaichang]

Look at the New Balance ultralights they look great. KC

[tattooedmonk]

Neh... Chuck's are great but too $$$$$$ ....

I'm wanting Hightop Fei Yue's I turned Gene onto.Too Much $$$$$?? Really? I know they have gone up over the last few years.

[sean_stonehart]

Here in ATL a pair of black Chucks... $40+

[tattooedmonk]

Here in ATL a pair of black Chucks... $40+OUCH!!!......

[GeneChing]

We *are* working on it. ;)

If it comes to pass, I'll try to arrange to comp you a pair for the tip.

[Blacktiger]

I have tried a few different MA shoes but I always come back to the old Feiyue's.

Best fit and after a while they become like socks -great sole as well unlike some of the fancy shmancy ones that have a narrow one.

Im sure they are not what the podiatrist would recommend but hell - think of its as conditioning for the feet.

:D

[sha0lin1]

I once spent $50.00 on a pair of those adidas martial art shoes, black with red stripes, they lasted me three months. The tips scraped to hell and the sole peeled back. Feiyue's last three times as long for a fraction of the price. I don't really like them when they are brand spanking new but after a month or two they are broke in just right. After I am done using them for training I lace them up one last time and push the heel down and they make a very comfortable pair of house shoes. No shoe conforms to your feet better after breaking in. In my opinion, they are the best shoe for training, last the longest, and are the cheapest, what more could you want.

[冠木侍]

Feiyue's are nice shoes and they look good as well.

What I do to make mine last is rotate my martial art shoes. I have one pair of whites, one of the black, a pair of the white tiger claws and a pair of the black ones.

This method I find works awesome for your regular outerwhere shoes as well. I looked back to when I was younger and I noticed that I used to where the same sneakers everyday. And I needed new shoes more frequently. Now, that I am older, I find that switching pairs (find a rotation system that best suits your needs) has yielded some good results.

So, back to the martial art shoes. Feiyues sometimes have tendency to slip off during push-ups or sprints so it is important to find a pair that exactly fits your foot. You need your heel to hug the shoe. So, if it is a light workout class or a class where I am an assistant, I will tread ground in the feiyues, usually.

For the regular classes, the Tiger Claw shoes have a snug fit that stay on the whole class. I like the canvas of the feiyues though. I think that it is comfortable. The tiger claw's work just as well but the wear and tear on them is much more visible. So those I try to rotate each class or each week (depending on the frequency of my training in any given week). I know these shoes will last me for a good amount of time (they'll have to because I have other financial priorities).

I have the Thunder Kicks as well but I haven't worn them yet. They are definitely not for sparring and are very bulky. Someone suggested I just use them as a regular sneaker instead of martial art shoes. Does anyone here train with Thunder Kicks?

[Pk_StyLeZ]

I don't really like them when they are brand spanking new but after a month or two they are broke in just right.

LOL>..after a month of two is usually when i have to throw them away......

[Vash]

Are feiyues safe for training on low carpet? I don't wanna pop my knees or ankles, but carpet is nasty anymore.

[Pork Chop]

the soles are rounded on the bottom; at least the pair I bought.... really didn't like that.
tried to use 'em in a stint where i was going back to traditional training and they didn't work out for me.
Got a pair of old school vans that i think is a bit better.

[SoCo KungFu]

Haven't tried the Ottomax cuz the soles look too narrow for my liking. At least the ones I've always seen. I tried the Tiger Claws when they first came out and while they were nice, didn't last nearly as long as I was hoping they would. All the horse stances and my feet started coming out the sides.

I love my feiyues though. Yeah they wear out in the soles. But they last just as long as any other "martial arts" shoe I have worn. And the price is right:D

I keep a pair of black ones for training cuz anyone practicing tiger should be wearin black...and a nice clean pair of white ones for chillin, cuz all the homes dig em...no lie I can't tell you how many times I've been asked where to get a pair....I just say ancient chinese secret:cool:

[xcakid]

I have both the Fei Yu and the Tiger Claw leather shoes. Both are great. Wear them to comps, to the gym or just going to the store.

[GeneChing]

We actually have two reps in China now searching for the hi-tops. Feiyue is a funny company because it's strangely diversified. Such is business in China. There is a main company, a parent company if you will, that oversees all the products. However they outsource - which I'm not sure is the right word to use here since we usually think of outsourcing shoe making to China (or extreme rendition to Egypt :eek:) and not China outsourcing to itself. This means there are many smaller factories, which is why we see so many knock-offs. Our official Feiyue rep is now saying that the high tops aren't official label but from one of these smaller factories. This is after an initial report that they were going to secure them for us. When our two reps return next week, I hope to have more for you about this.

Business with China is always challenging this way.

[David Jamieson]

hahahaha

teh awesome!

holy shoes! (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/images/ezine/Anime_feiyueshoes.gif)

[Vash]

and ordered a pair. At worst, I've got some cool footwear. At best, I've got something to keep me from getting plantar's wart, or somesuch.

[Lucas]

Are feiyues safe for training on low carpet? I don't wanna pop my knees or ankles, but carpet is nasty anymore.

I used Kwon and Feiyues on hard bound carpet for a few years. Back in my days of wushu. Burned through a pair pretty quick though, regardless of the brand.

soft rubber is a ***** on carpet.

[Lucas]

I have both the Fei Yu and the Tiger Claw leather shoes. Both are great. Wear them to comps, to the gym or just going to the store.

I have become a big fan of leather training shoes. Except for use on heavy bags, i find the sole threads pop to fast. I use my feiyus for the bag and i use the leather for pretty much everything else now.

[crisden]

I have had a pair of Tiger Claws for the past year and generally enjoy them, save for the fact that the width of the heel is so thin! Whenever you stand in them, you feel like you're going to tip to one side or the other.

I refuse to pay a huge amount of money for a training/sparring shoe (like the Adidas shoes). I'm going to check out these http://www.superfoots.com/turfblackshoe.html

Anyone with any experience with the Turf shoe?

[sean_stonehart]

I have had a pair of Tiger Claws for the past year and generally enjoy them, save for the fact that the width of the heel is so thin! Whenever you stand in them, you feel like you're going to tip to one side or the other.

I refuse to pay a huge amount of money for a training/sparring shoe (like the Adidas shoes). I'm going to check out these http://www.superfoots.com/turfblackshoe.html

Anyone with any experience with the Turf shoe?

Yeah ... order them a half size big. I ordered the same size I wear in most other shoes. It fit lengthwise, but the shoe was too snug for comfortable wearing.

[monkeyking168]

having tried a mariad of different shoes for martial arts, i finally found a shoe that will work fairly well & hold up to a pounding. feiyue & dicsciplines shoes i have found in my experience wear out too quickly & the discipline tends to separate at the sole or the leather will tear at the fore foot. i have been wearing a pair of adidas adi racers & previously a pair of adidas tuscany's for kung fu & lion dancing. the shoes themselves are similar to disciplines & other wu shu shoes but they do offer abit of a stiffer sole, arch support & a good stiff heel cup. they were originally developed for cart & car racing. i have been using my current pair for about 2 years now & they are still holding up strong. the only down side is that it takes about 1-2 months to break in but afterwards no complaints. fwiw, i train 4-5 days a week in them & they are still holding up well. i stock piled a few pairs just in case when these wear out...
cheers,
mk
p.s. they do offer these in low tops & high tops.

[冠木侍]

I've tried a few different brands. Some of the ones mentioned in earlier posts seem a bit costly though. On that note, I was thinking about getting a pairing of RingStar training shoes. I figure it would be nice to have something comfortable to walk around in when I am assisting class.

[Becca]

I want some toe shoes!!!! Sorry, I ain't calling 5 fingers; fingers is on hands not feet. But I bet those would been regular mat shoe hands and feet down.:D

[GeneChing]

Black Feiyue Hi Tops (http://www.martialartsmart.net/45-35hk34.html)
White Feiyue Hi Tops (http://www.martialartsmart.net/45-35hw34.html)

They're in customs now. If all goes well, we'll have them here by Jan 5th.

[SimonM]

Got size 13s?

[Reverend Tap]

Ooh, hi-tops. Neat. Might have to get a pair.

Been using a pair of the black TC Feiyues for a while now, both for general wear and training. They've worked well so far, regardless of surface or activity, and are super comfy. Had to replace the laces pretty early on, but that's not uncommon in my experience. What's been really odd, though, has been the wear on the soles; they were nice and grippy at first, then wore down kinda smooth and started getting uncomfortably slick on the kwoon's tile, but after they wore down even a little bit smoother they've regained a lot of the original grippyness. Not wearing down past the rubber or anything either. Kind of strange.

[GeneChing]

Maybe next shipment. Depends on how well these sell, but I'm anticipating them to do just fine.

[SimonM]

Curse my freakishly large feet!

[SimonM]

Shameless bump of one of Gene's fave products... even if they don't fit my freakishly large feet! :D

[GeneChing]

They were in by January 5th, but it took two weeks to sort out the inventory. I just got mine. Others got theirs already. (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=906894)

[GeneChing]

So sayeth TIME! :eek:

:cool:


The Best of Asia 2010

It's impossible to capture Asia's diversity, but we try. Our annual guide to the region's best experiences for Mind, Body and Soul represents a mere fraction of what makes Asia special — and, every year, our correspondents realize just how much remains untold. That's how it should be. One of the best things about Asia is that we'll never get the better of it

Sneakers Pimped (http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1988463_1988989_1988985,00.html)
By Gary Jones Thursday, May. 13, 2010

Originating from Shanghai in the 1920s, Feiyue sneakers have long been the durable, lightweight and (perhaps most significantly) cheap footwear of choice for sporty Chinese school kids, Shaolin martial artists and workers migrating to China's fast-moving cities. But in 2005, recognizing the brand's potential appeal to youthful hipsters perpetually prowling for the sneaker du jour, a small team of French entrepreneurs struck a deal with the manufacturer to roll out the brand to Europe and beyond. Could they have stumbled upon the Chinese Converse?

Quite possibly. Quality standards and materials have been improved and new designs created in collaboration with contemporary designers and graphic artists. The first Sino-European collection was launched in France in February 2006, with the shoes flying from Parisian boutique shelves (rather aptly, since Feiyue means "flying forward") for an impressive $65 a pair.

Since then, the revamped marque has been rolled out worldwide and — with the unwitting assistance of a paparazzi photograph of Pirates of the Caribbean actor Orlando Bloom sporting white canvas Feiyues — the brand has been gushed over by cool hunters and fashion editors from Kowloon to Knightsbridge, and even championed in French style bible Elle. But budding entrepreneurs (as well as Chinese children, wushu practitioners and construction laborers) will be pleased to note that the original mass-produced sneakers with their distinctive scarlet and royal-blue trim can still be found in down-and-dirty Shanghai hardware stores for as little as $5. On your next trip, take an empty suitcase.

[taai gihk yahn]

$65 for Feiyues?!?

looking out my window for locust swarms now...

nope, just 4 weirdos on horses coming down the street...

[GeneChing]

Look up at the top of this thread, to post #8 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showpost.php?p=754591&postcount=8)and our discussion of plimsolls.

Now you see what a great deal you get with Tiger Claw Feiyues (http://www.martialartsmart.com/shoes-feiyue-shoes.html)!

[GeneChing]

* OCTOBER 1, 2010
Retro Gets a Retread (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703882404575519811356951410.html)
These Chinese old-style sneakers are all the rage
BY JASON CHOW

Long before Nike and Adidas came to China, there was Warrior and Feiyue. But today, even in a country obsessed with Western brands, the shoes made by the old Chinese companies—vintage-style footwear that was once associated with youth rallies, Shaolin monks and Olympic teams of the '70s—are back in vogue.

The main force behind the retro-sneaker resurgence is Feiyue, an old Chinese brand that began in Shanghai in the 1920s and was popular in its early days as the footwear of choice for martial arts experts and athletes. The Feiyue brand, which means "flying forward" in Chinese, was purchased in 2006 by a group of French entrepreneurs and recast as chic street wear by slightly altering the design and incorporating colors. Two years ago when Orlando Bloom was spotted on a park bench sporting a white version of the sneakers, the shoes hit the fashion zeitgeist.

A classic Shulong Shoe, a style inspired by the original Feiyue brand of vintage Chinese sneakers

Meanwhile, a rival Franco-Chinese company is trying to strike its own place in the trend. Inspired by the original Feiyue shoes, French entrepreneur Brice Genin has started his own line called Shulong. Based in Shanghai, Mr. Genin's shoes are similar in its simple construction but have been updated for modern styles with flashier colors and patterned fabrics. The shoes sell in China and Europe.

The third company in the retro-Chinese footrace: Warrior, a state-owned brand from Shanghai. The company, which began making shoes in the 1930s as a way to use up the excess rubber from its tire-making operation, has a cult following in and outside of China and recently opened a flagship store in its hometown.

To Chinese wearers, Mr. Genin thinks the retro-styled sneakers are more than just a fashion statement.

"China's changing so fast and there is no reference point for [consumers]," says Mr. Genin. "They have so many new Chinese brands with no history, and there are Western brands with histories that is hard for them to identify with. So, with these shoes, it's something that is familiar. And that's why we're popular here."

But like all industries in China, retro shoes are fraught with their own set of unique problems, especially for Feiyue. Though its French owners bought the brand four years ago, it doesn't own the rights to the name within China—that remains with a Chinese company that still makes similar shoes under the same name. And for some Chinese consumers, there's a world of difference between a pair of "real" Feiyue shoes made by the Chinese-owned factory and a pair made for the French-owned brand, even though the two appear to be identical.

Requests for an interview were made to the French brand, but the company chose not to comment, saying that it tries to keep away from media stories that link it to the Chinese market.

Still, Mr. Genin credits the French Feiyue for the recent resurgence in retro brands and says the trend is still kicking—in both China and in Western markets.

"Feiyue started it, but the whole market is just beginning in China. There's a whole generation who will want something that reminds them of what it used to be like."
http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-KG154_0930cs_F_20100930061517.jpg
Don't even ask us about carrying the orange feiyues. Just don't.

[GeneChing]

I don't even know what this below is about really, but it's an amusing plug for Feiyues (http://www.martialartsmart.com/shoes-feiyue-shoes.html).


Reality Theater: Memory of a Free Festival (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2010/09/29/reality-theater-memory-of-a-free-festival/)
Posted by Chris Klimek on Sep. 29, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Being an original drama in one act.

SETTING: The press tent of a large outdoor pop music festival in the suburbs. Not far from here. Not long from now.

CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:

RICHARDS, a music critic for a newspaper, about thirty

A WOMAN, perhaps thirty-five

A BALD MAN, maybe forty

MALITZ, Richards’s malnourished colleague, also about thirty

KLIMEK, a writer, somewhat older than thirty

LIGHTS UP on a tent on a dusty field wherein a makeshift office has been erected. A dozen laptop computers, many of them covered in logo stickers, sit unattended on folding tables, power cords dangling precariously. The tables are also littered with piles of small zip-up nylon portfolios and maps and pamphlets. There is no more free water ANYwhere in this tent, if you can believe that ****. A MAN seated at one of the tables rubs sunscreen on his head. Music wafts in from a beyond a hill, loud but indistinct.

MALITZ uses a PROTRACTOR to adjust the bill of his SILVER JEWS BASEBALL CAP to precisely the right skewed angle while RICHARDS stands animated in conversation with A WOMAN, gesturing frequently towards his white FEIYUE SNEAKERS.

RICHARDS: …so I bought like nine pairs! I’ll totally get you some next time I’m in New York.

Enter KLIMEK.

KLIMEK: Hail, Fellows! I just thought I would drop by to charge my phone up for a minute and also, while that is happening, perhaps to engage in some collegial banter with the both of youse.

RICHARDS (To MALITZ): Don’t talk to him, Dude — he’s the enemy! The enemy!

MALITZ: The enemy is everywhere!

KLIMEK: What is that, a Blue Öyster Cult song or something?

MALITZ: Titus Andronicus. Heard of ‘em?

KLIMEK: I KNOW IT’S A ****ING TITUS ANDRONICUS SONG, YOU GOOF!

END OF PLAY.

[Violent Designs]

I like my Nike running shoes made of ultra-light composites and wired mesh, with air-soles....

So comfortable, and so light...

Feiyue sucks, I used to wear them. Break and die, gogo sh1t quality.

Get some real shoes like Pumas, Adidas or Nike sportswear.

[Lucas]

i like them but it depends on what im feeling like.

i generally wear addidas in door soccer shoes. best ma shoe imo. plus has applicablity, such as reinforced toe tip and a shielded heel.

[GeneChing]

I don't wear them as a street shoe. For the street, I wear ipaths. Although lately I've been thinking I should wear Feiyues for street shoes. I want to be as cool as Orlando Bloom. :cool:

http://my.telegraph.co.uk/expat/files/2010/08/Orlando1.jpg

[hasayfu]

I found this blog site that promotes the Chinese version over the French version and had this comparison image:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gBpdNBAiJ4g/S550wVQIEII/AAAAAAAAAqw/-vGBmZ-ZMmU/s640/vs.jpg

Also, they claim real feiyues are $39 USD so TC Feiyues are a bargain!!

http://feiyue-kungfu-shoes.blogspot.com/

[TenTigers]

do these run bigger, smaller, or true to size?
If a person is between a seven and seven and a half-what size do they order?
I am going to be ordering them for my students-and buying by mail is a chore unless you can get the size right.

[GeneChing]

There's a conversion chart (http://www.martialartsmart.com/45-35k.html) alongside the product. I'm between 7 and 7.5 and I wear the 39s, but I like my Feiyues really snug...perhaps too snug... I'd suggest you go for the 40s.

I almost always buy shoes by mail strangely. :confused:

[TenTigers]

I have two students who have wide feet-one is a 12 4E
Should he save his money and look elsewhere?

[GeneChing]

I would definitely bump it up a size if they are extra wides. You can always return (http://www.martialartsmart.com/shipping.html) them if they don't fit.

Just between us, if you're going to buy large Feiyues, buy them now. Due to some shifts in the exchange rate, the larger sizes will increase in price very soon. That's just a little tip for the forum. ;)

[GeneChing]

Feiyue Shoes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQzMetvyLsY)

:cool:

[GeneChing]

Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDTZ7iX4vTQ)

Feiyue shoes spotted at 0:57 & 2:03. :cool:

[Lucas]

ive gotten about 5 families hooked on feiyues that dont even practice martial arts lol

they all better be ordering through martialartsmart.com !!!

[kristcaldwell]

having recently purchased a pair; i have to say that the tiger claw brand of feiyues are the highest quality that i've owned.

given all the pirating and trademark misappropriation when it comes to dealing with chinese products - it's nice to find a reliable vender that sales a high quality (true to the brand) product.

[crashhelmet]

I have 2 pairs of Feiyue shoes. 1 white and 1 black. I bought the White pair at the Temple and the black pair through my old instructor. With both pairs, I always feel like I'm going to roll my ankles.

How much extra support do the hi-tops provide? Have they hindered you at all?

Thanks!

[GeneChing]

@crashhelmet,
The Hi-tops definitely give you better support. They aren't true Hi-tops - not as high as basketball shoes - so they aren't restrictive in the least. As they are lace-up, you can adjust the tightness around your ankle, but they don't really go above the ankle joint, so they don't bind your deep stances at all. I don't know if they will prevent ankle rolling, but they'll certainly help more than the original version.

Time to post the link to our store again. ;)
Get your Tiger Claw Feiyues here. (http://www.martialartsmart.com/shoes-feiyue-shoes.html)

[GeneChing]

'Made in China’ is finally cool (http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/shop/chinese-design-made-china-renaissance-807794)
How Chinese brands are reinventing themselves, winning huge numbers of fans in Shanghai and internationally
By Ellen Himelfarb 8 February, 2011

After a decade of being hit over the head with international brands like Adidas, Vans and Converse, China is bringing it back home.

The coolhunters today are talking more and more about a Shanghai renaissance, considered China's source of all things cutting edge, led by homegrown names such as Feiyue, Shang Xia and bicycle brand Forever C.
Re-inventing classics

Much of this is a result of old brands undergoing some serious revamps to tap into their local provenance.

In Shanghai, where buying the original Feiyue sneaker has become a rite of passage for many hip locals and foreigners, a Belgian entrepreneur was moved to relaunch the classic shoe under the name Sudu (which roughly translates to “speed addiction”).

The sneakers go on sale online later this year.

In additional to the shoe's new local look, Feiyue has recently also gone international with a redesign in France, featuring a sexed-up campaign akin to American Apparel’s, which won the shoes prime placement at the new Shoe Galleries in London’s Selfridge's.

http://www.cnngo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/240x240/2011/02/07/feiyue-inline.jpg
Made in China - Feiyue - inline
Feiyue sneakers are leading the revival of Chinese-made brands.

And if that’s not proof enough that the working-class Chinese shoe is making a major footprint on the world stage, there’s Huili. The time-honored brand’s classic Warrior shoe had its own makeover last year and now sells for more than RMB 300 a pair worldwide.

But sneakers aren’t the only Chinese products enjoying a comeback.

Fall 2010 began with the opening in Xintiandi of Shang Xia, a Hermes spin-off designed by Chinese for Chinese. It ended with the launch of the Forever C flagship in Hangkou, which sells a restyled version of the vintage postman bicycle for RMB 900. (An early run of 1,000 cycles sold out on Taobao in September.)

A shift in perception

Trends tend to start on the street, so it seems apt that Shanghai’s latest -- the comeback of "Made in China" -- should start with a few choice brands of similar cachet. As trends go, however, this one seems to have some life left in it yet.

“There’s definitely been a shift in perception [of Chinese brands],” says Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group. Targeting youth, he says, is the key.

Take China’s version of Kappa.

“Sports apparel is premium purchase for a lot of younger consumers, so they gravitate towards Kappa, whose Chinese incarnation puts the European brands to shame.”

Ditto Septwolves, the menswear brand from Fujian.

“It does very well in third- and fourth-tier cities,” says Rein. “In fact it beats the foreign companies investing out there.”

Lin Lin, co-founder of the design group Jellymon, cites Hangzhou-based fashion label JNBY as an example of the homegrown brands beating out the competition.

“It’s an example of how good Chinese fabrication can be,” she says. “The design is quite simple, yet avant garde. They’ve made an excellent transition from manufacturer to brand builder.”

Lin is a champion of “Made in China.”

Two years ago she designed a line of watches for Shanghai Watch Co., a heritage brand in need of an update.

The limited run sold out fast -- not only at The Source, but also Kidrobot in New York and Colette in Paris. Lin has attempted similar revivals with Feige bicycles and the classic Chinese Seagull cameras.

Still somewhat grassroots, the trend has nonetheless been noticed by blogs like www.nicelymadeinchina.com. And it’s providing fodder for case studies nationwide.

“Shanghai Tang is a clear role model,” says Elan Shou, a managing director for training at Ruder Finn PR in Shanghai.

“Meanwhile Huili and Feiyue were revitalized by foreigners, who have a great sense of the local market, and local brands like Forever are working hard to catch up," she says.

"With all these brands, some factors are similar -- blending the old and new to create a unique style. So far it’s still a niche market, although the fans are growing,

Look back to move forward

Nostalgia, or “the power of the golden sweet past,” as Shou calls it, has become a popular marketing tool. Indeed it’s the raison d’etre of the Time Honored Chinese Brand Shopping Mall in Pudong.

The city’s only one-stop shop for Qing Dynasty-era goose-egg powders and whitening creams opened last summer and began wooing shoppers unconvinced by expensive imported moisturizers.

“International brands do not belong to us,” says Daisy Wang a spokeswoman for the store. “Our true brands are all over China, but they’ve never been all together. Here we’ve made a building to promote them all in one place.”

So what’s the lesson for the multinationals out there looking to China to save their bottom line?

“Be worried,” says Rein.

“Up-and-coming Chinese brands are no longer positioning themselves as ‘cheap but good enough,’" he continues. "Younger brands are impressive and ambitious and can go head to head with foreign brands on equal footing.”

Shoot, I posted the link to buy FEIYUES too early. I'll post it again for you now, broken down for your convenience. ;)

FEIYUE Original White (http://www.martialartsmart.com/45-35.html)
FEIYUE Original Black (http://www.martialartsmart.com/45-35k.html)
FEIYUE Hi-Top White (http://www.martialartsmart.com/45-35hw34.html)
FEIYUE Hi-Top Black (http://www.martialartsmart.com/45-35hk34.html)

[David Jamieson]

amazing!

...cheapest if you buy in China. lol

[Blacktiger]

http://www.feiyue-shoes.com/pages_en/accueil.cfm

Anyone come across this before??

Gene - will you be adding to the range :eek:

[GeneChing]

That Euro company you've linked to above, Blacktiger, has done all sorts of permutations of the design - some high end stuff actually. They hold the international distribution rights for Feiyue and will shut down any smaller distributor. Just try sell Feiyues on eBay and you'll get a cease and desist soon enough. Tiger Claw has been selling Feiyue longer than them, so we precede their distribution claims. Check out their prices, and you'll be thankful we have this precedence.

[Blacktiger]

Wow!!!!

Im to stuck in my ways in any case - I like the classic style as is!!!

White or black - thats as wack as I get :D

[Siu Lum Fighter]

The only trouble I've had with these shoes is that they can only last a little over a month if you practice with them and wear them on the street. It's a good thing Tiger Claw sells them for so cheap.

[Blacktiger]

Thats very true....

I tried a whole host of different types in the early days and I have to say I think they are the best KF kicks on offer.

[Featherstone]

I've only been able to train in mine for a couple weeks, but so far so good! Got a couple other students into them as well. Cost and effectiveness beats pricy any day.

[jimbob]

I have two students who have wide feet-one is a 12 4E
Should he save his money and look elsewhere?

Coming in a little late here, but I have feet like a gorilla (seriously, seriously wide feet) and I find my Feiyues a little tight around the little toe, but nothing too dramatic. I wouldn't want to go running in them for a long distance, but in the gym or for regular training I don't much notice them.

[GeneChing]

Sorry. Remember they are Chinese made - same culture that thought up footbinding. :o

[GeneChing]

Prada Creepers, Moncler x COMME, Shaolin Kicks & Cool Cat Snapbacks -- GEAR OF THE DAY (http://globalgrind.com/hip-hop-culture/prada-creepers-moncler-x-comme-shaolin-kicks-cool-cat-snapbacks-gear-day?page=3)
By GlobalGrind Staff 18 hours 59 min ago

KICKS
Who: Shulong
What: SHUs
Where: Shulong Online
When: Now

GG Certified: Shulong is now the only Chinese brand in Europe to distribute the real Wushu shoe worn by the Shaolin monks and later by the masses. These very minimalistic shoes are made with three parts and then baked before it gets to you, it also features a removable insole for added comfort.

http://static.globalgrind.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_images/images/2011_july/45d5601a7dadd47f392fb4ba8bff0e05.jpg


We all know that REAL AUTHENTIC Shaolin monks where REAL AUTHENTIC FEIYUES (http://www.martialartsmart.com/shoes-feiyue-shoes.html), not Shulongs. ;)

[GeneChing]

Fight for your Feiyues (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8zirOOBV6Q)

[SimonM]

Hi Gene,

Checked Martialartsmart.com and the largest size listed was 12 1/2. Do Feiyues come in size 14? Can I order them through martialartsmart?

[GeneChing]

Chinese imports have a ceiling when it comes to sizes. It's not a country of Yao Mings, so if your big and tall, it's pretty challenging to get a good fit for Chinese-made items. Even when they do offer larger sizes, they are often disproportionate. I've seen Chinese-made sample shoes (not Feiyues (http://www.martialartsmart.com/shoes-feiyue-shoes.html)) that were like US 13s, but they were made too narrow to be worn by anyone with feet of that size. Sorry.

[SimonM]

The narrowness of size 13s is why I generally wear 14s. I've got total clown-feet. Long and wide. I never found a pair of shoes that fit in China, but a man can dream. ;)

[GeneChing]

Don't even get me started on Chinese shirts. I've got some awesome Shaolin shirts, but the sizing is all whacked sideways. One of my favs is super wide, like XXL, but short in the middle, like a halter. I can almost wear it. Almost.

[SimonM]

Don't even get me started on Chinese shirts. I've got some awesome Shaolin shirts, but the sizing is all whacked sideways. One of my favs is super wide, like XXL, but short in the middle, like a halter. I can almost wear it. Almost.

I know, I hate that. Got almost all my clothes in China tailor-made.

[GeneChing]

Tailoring is reasonably inexpensive and usually good quality. The fabrics are pretty good too. Some of my cotton shirts from China are made from really good material.

But that doesn't help with shoes, does it? :(

[SimonM]

Tailoring is reasonably inexpensive and usually good quality. The fabrics are pretty good too. Some of my cotton shirts from China are made from really good material.

But that doesn't help with shoes, does it? :(

No, it doesn't.

My wife visited her parents a few months back and she was going to get me a tailor-made trench coat and a custom set of shoes.

The coat was perfect.
It is the best winter coat I've ever had and fits like a glove.

The cobbler swore he could produce 14s but had to renege when he couldn't order the soles from his normal supplier.

[Brule]

No, it doesn't.

My wife visited her parents a few months back and she was going to get me a tailor-made trench coat and a custom set of shoes.

The coat was perfect.
It is the best winter coat I've ever had and fits like a glove.

The cobbler swore he could produce 14s but had to renege when he couldn't order the soles from his normal supplier.

I see China hasn't started importing rubber in tanker size quantities yet :p

[SimonM]

Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. :)

But you know what they say about guys with big feet... :cool:

[Raipizo]

Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. :)

But you know what they say about guys with big feet... :cool:

Big feet that can't fit into regular sized feiyue's? :D

[Brule]

Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. :)

But you know what they say about guys with big feet... :cool:

I guess there's no tiptoeing around that one......you got me. ;)

[SimonM]

Bwahahaha :D

[jimbob]

I asked this before but didn't get much of a response so I'm re-asking in the hope that more people might be able to chime in.

Has anyone worn/does anyone wear minimalist running shoes to train in? They don't need to be those 5 toed things - just anything with good ground feel?

I love my Feiyues - love them - but after training hard my feet sweat and they get wet and then they're not the most comfortable things to wear the next day.

I was thinking of either getting a second pair, or investing in something minimalist that would breathe a little more.

Anyone out there have any experience?

thanks in advance.

[GeneChing]

Read our latest ezine article: In the Shoes of the Masters: Search for the Ultimate Kung Fu Shoe in China (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1120) by Greg Brundage

[GeneChing]

This article is a bit dated and doesn't really add anything we don't already know, but it came out this year and this thread was due for a ttt.


APR. 17, 2017
Feiyue - From Orlando Bloom to the Shaolin Flying Monks (https://souqstoreonline.myshopify.com/blogs/journal/from-orlando-bloom-to-the-shaolin-flying-monks)

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1286/1781/files/170414_feiyue_1_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492408487

Feiyue originated in 1920’s Shanghai and gained fast popularity for their robust, flexible, and comfortable design. This was the main reason why they were a favorite among martial artists and athletes.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1286/1781/files/170414_feiyue_3_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492408621

From Wu Shu practitioners to the Shaolin Flying Monks and Kung Fu masters of old, the Feiyue sneaker became a staple and to this present day is still a regular in martial arts clubs around the world, and even the French training discipline of Parkour.The grippy rubber sole, reasonably strong build and sensitivity they give the wearer are traits also valued by free runners and traceurs, for whom intense movements really put the sneakers to the test.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1286/1781/files/170414_feiyue_6_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492408706

Based on Chinese tradition, Feiyue symbolizes the dual elevation of body and mind (literally translated as “Flying Forward”) and with the opening of China and the associated cultural and economic shifts, prominent French designers and entrepreneurs - namely Patrice Bastian and his team that included Nicolas Seguy and Clement Fauth, seized the opportunity to bring Feiyue to Europe.

In 2006 the Feiyue sneakers were taken to France and quickly picked up on by the likes of Vogue and celebrity stars such as Orlando Bloom (even his son was seen sporting the cult item).

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1286/1781/files/170414_feiyue_7_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492408775https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1286/1781/files/170414_feiyue_4_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492408822

And to this day if you go walking in the white version of these shoes in Brooklyn and some parts of Queens, you will often hear people call them by their colloquial name “The Brettsters” – named after the New York City comedian Brett Davis after his love of the white classics.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1286/1781/files/170414_feiyue_5_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492408891

In the fashion world Feiyue has gained prominent cult status, but it will always be their firmness, sense of contact with the ground, and the engagement of movement due to their minimalist design that make Feiyue an ultimate necessity for the urban walker and the island runner alike. And while others may try to break the mold, Feiyue has done that without even trying!

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1286/1781/files/170414_feiyue_8_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492410815


Get your Feiyues here. (http://www.martialartsmart.com/shoes-feiyue-shoes.html)

[MasterKiller]

The orange ones are sweet.

[GeneChing]

Feiyue (http://www.martialartsmart.com/shoes-feiyue-shoes.html) is mentioned at the end.


Retro Chinese Warrior sneakers revived as new street fashion icon (http://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2115219/retro-chinese-warrior-sneakers-revived-new-street)
‘Hui Li’ shoes, once standard sporting footwear for Chinese athletes, are back on the streets again, looking cooler than ever
BY VIVIAN CHEN
13 OCT 2017

https://cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/landscape/public/images/methode/2017/10/13/60e5489a-af34-11e7-9cb1-5f6b75e2d8b2_1280x720_145258.jpg?itok=py0TCwcF
Chinese retro Warrior sneakers rebranded as WOS33

Warrior sneakers, or “Hui Li”, were so hip in China during the 60s and 70s that they were the equivalent of Yeezy Boosts of today. Like many other retro icons that have been revived to become cool again, the versatile white canvas sneakers with their signature red or blue leather panels and painted metal eyelets have been given a new lease on life.

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“Hui Li” hits the streets once again, as WOS33.

The 70-year-old sneaker brand has renamed the kicks WOS33 – which stands for Warrior Ordinary Streetwear 33 – and has launched refined editions of its two most classic Warrior sneakers in its signature red and blue as a tribute to its rich heritage. The inner soles have been improved to enhance durability and versatility.

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The sneakers are available in the brand’s signature red and blue.

WOS33 revives the classic models that were popular among Chinese basketball and volleyball players in the 80s, and which were “must-haves” for school gym classes back in the old days.

The brand’s popularity slowly waned in the 90s as more customers became attracted to foreign sportswear brands.

The sneakers are now available from the WO33 e-store. Los Angeles-based photographer Emanuele D’Angelo is tapped to shoot the launch campaign for the sneakers.

Warrior, however, is not the only Chinese brand to enjoy a revival. Feiyue – a brand of sneakers produced in Shanghai since the 1920s – has today gained a cult following and is worn by international stars such as Orlando Bloom, Emma Watson, and Poppy Delevingne.

We knew about Orlando Bloom (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?41187-Tiger-Claw-brand-Feiyue&p=1013333#post1013333), but not Emma Watson and Poppy Delevingne

https://i2.read01.com/SIG=16e1k84/304455376651436e4752.jpg

[GeneChing]

Poppy Delevingne Has A Thing For This Under-$100 Wardrobe Staple (http://thezoereport.com/fashion/accessories/poppy-delevingne-has-a-thing-for-this-under-100-wardrobe-staple/)
by Fawnia Soo Hoo July 13, 2015
It’s always cool to see a celebrity—with a vast clothing budget, no less—continuously repeat a favorite clothing item. It’s even more refreshing when the go-to wardrobe staple is a pair of $65 sneakers (yes, you read that correctly) worn by an über-posh Poppy Delevingne. The socialite-slash-model makes her her sporty white trainers work with everything—from jeans and a tank to a Valentino gown. (Like a pair of designer heels, but much less painful.) No wonder she always looks like she’s having the best time. Here, three ways to copy the British It-girl’s style.

WHITE SNEAKERS, THREE WAYS

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Photo: Getty Images
WITH A PRINTED MAXI SKIRT
The trick to making white kicks work with an ultra-fem skirt? An elevated sweatshirt in a bright color and a relaxed, but luxe tote.

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Photo: Getty Images
WITH FLARED JEANS
White sneakers obviously work with denim and a tank, but you can elevate the standard combo by opting for dressier flared jeans, a flouncy peplum top and a pair of movie-star sunglasses.

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Photo: Getty Images
WITH AN ANKLE-GRAZING GOWN
If you’re trying to spruce sneakers up for a outdoor party, a flowy printed gown is a cool choice. Don't be afraid of an ankle-grazing hemline—that awkward length is so in—and go for a dainty cross-body bag to counter the casual kicks.

I confess. I didn't know who Poppy Delevigne was before searching her on the interwebz. She was in Kingsman: the Golden Circle (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69396-Kingsman-The-Golden-Circle), which I have yet to see. Now I know and I luv her because she rocks Feiyues (http://www.martialartsmart.com/shoes-feiyue-shoes.html).

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7eLFlpIrns

This is from 2013, but I just stumbled across it.

See our ads around 1:27 :cool:

[GeneChing]

Chinese company calls French firm ‘robbers’ for making Feiyue trainers (http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/2073436/shoes-other-foot-chinese-company-calls-french-sneaker-firm)
Durable sports shoe favoured by martial art exponents in China at the centre of international dispute that raises questions about intellectual property rights in an age of global commerce
PUBLISHED : Friday, 24 February, 2017, 6:01am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 28 February, 2017, 6:15pm
Lucy Christie
lucy.christie@scmp.com
http://twitter.com/yplucyc

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When it comes to the sincerest form of flattery – imitation – Chinese companies are often considered to be the champions. From popular luxury handbags and Rolls-Royce cars to smartphones and even KFC fast food, there is little they won’t duplicate. Additionally, Chinese transliterations for famous Western brand names are trademarked in China, putting the original innovators in a bind when they want to sell in China.

Now, the tables may be turning, with one French business finding inspiration in a Chinese product and giving the design a sophisticated makeover. And not everyone in China is happy with the turn of events.

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A modern Feiyue shoe.

Feiyue is a brand of sneaker that originated in Shanghai in the 1950s as humble footwear favoured by monks and martial arts students. Known for their durability, the plimsolls gained a cult following. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, all martial arts performers in the opening ceremony wore Feiyue (which translates as “fly forward”). They are also the footwear of choice for secondary school students in PE lessons.
Patrice Bastian, a marketing and events manager, bought a pair of Feiyue for practising martial arts while he was living in Shanghai in 2005. He sensed that there could be a market for the shoes outside China. In the same way that Vans, Converse and Superga have evolved from humble beginnings to become youthful fashion statements, Bastian wanted to transform Feiyue into a hip must-have sports shoe for the French market.
So in 2006, he began working with a factory in China that manufactured the shoes. The following year, however, a factory representative told Bastian it could no longer continue to provide the small quantities his start-up required. Having poured his life savings into the business, Bastian was reluctant to give up. He asked if he could buy the brand registration to continue producing Feiyue independently through other factories in China and sell them in France. The factory manager consented, and Bastian went on to trademark the Feiyue name in France, and then the US.

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French versions of the Feiyue come in a variety of colours and styles. Photo: Feiyue

Going it alone, the French shoe brand has grown exponentially and on a global scale. It has recently trademarked the Feiyue name in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. Bastian has also harnessed social media and marketing to turn the shoe into a chic, sought-after label, with more than 250,000 likes on Facebook.

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Traditional Feiyue shoes drying outside a Shaolin kung fu school dormitory in Henan province, China. Photo: Alamy

The popularity of Bastian’s products has not gone down well in China, however.
“They’re robbers,” says Liu Qinglong, manager of Shanghai Da Fu Rubber Co, speaking to the Post by phone from Shanghai. Liu says he has worked with Da Fu, the parent company of what is considered to be the original Feiyue manufacturer, Double Coin, since 1979. He claims the French company took advantage of China’s Feiyue during a period when the communist state was still grappling with capitalism and privatising state-owned assets.
“No one in China knew about commodity intellectual property rights at the time and it wasn’t until 2007-08 that we found out the French had registered the trademark,” Liu says.
Bastian, 45, co-founder and creative director of France’s Feiyue company, says: “It’s actually a legal issue and there are many things that we cannot control. The main issue is that many people are claiming the right to this brand in China. So it’s very difficult to work with one owner.
“I wanted to have a unified brand. My dream was to partner with the real Chinese owner,” he adds.
He says when he tried to acquire the rights, there seemed to be multiple factories in China producing similar styles of the Feiyue plimsoll, so it was difficult to identify the “original” manufacturer. The factory he started out working with was an affiliate of Double Coin, he says, but he was unaware of that at the time.

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Feiyue shoes originated in Shanghai in the 1950s.

Ironically, if the Chinese company tries to sell its shoes in France, or in other markets where Bastian’s company has trademarked the products, customs officials could intercept them and declare them fakes – copies of the “authentic” French version.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

As long as the Chinese company has not registered its Feiyue mark in France, the French company can register it in France without getting anyone’s approval, and its registered mark is protected in France
DR LI YAHONG, THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Chinese Feiyue in France are counterfeit, Bastian says. “Ultimately, it comes down to business. We have the brand registration. We’re very respectful of the legal issues. For us, it’s two very different products.”
Liu asserts that Da Fu rubber has legally registered the trademark in China, where the brand originated, and is the rightful owner. Still, he acknowledges that the French market is legally off-limits to the Chinese company.
“We have overseas Chinese and foreigners come to buy our shoes, but we don’t take overseas orders because we’re in a stand-off with the French,” he says.
Dr Li Yahong, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong who specialises in intellectual property law, says that from a legal perspective a trademark is protected territorially, and on a first-to-file basis.
“As long as the Chinese company has not registered its Feiyue mark in France, the French company can register it in France without getting anyone’s approval, and its registered mark is protected in France,” she says.
The cross-border trademark issue has been in the spotlight recently after it was revealed that more than 225 Trump-related trademarks had been registered in China, based on the corporate brand name of US President Donald Trump. Chinese Trump trademarks range from condoms and toilets to pacemakers and a hotel. Representatives for Trump are fighting to have the Chinese trademarks dismissed.
It also emerged last week that at least 65 applications to use Trump’s daughter’s name “Ivanka” as a trademark have been submitted in China, for products including wallpaper and alcohol.
The issue of intellectual property rights in the case of the Feiyue brand – or brands – is further complicated by the fact that factories in Shanghai have recently started copying Bastian’s designs.
The original Feiyue plimsolls were produced in white or black. As Bastian has grown his company, he has introduced new designs and styles, such as blue canvas and patterned pairs. These are now being replicated in China. There is even a helpful article on eBay.com titled “How to identify fake Feiyue shoes”, with photos of the French versions – and the “designed in Paris” logo – included in it to help users differentiate between the “authentic” French ones and the “fakes”.


https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16807563_10155008635643767_5648460663760557687_n.j pg?oh=2a21b0c8b0ae43529cfe5900f3961d28&oe=5AA9718A

Splash of gold will save your soul #feiyue #shoenvy
Pictured : Fe Lo Court
Feiyue-shoes.com (https://www.facebook.com/feiyue.shoes/photos/a.435635443766.225753.41846023766/10155008635643767/?type=3&theater)

The rise of online shopping makes matters even murkier, because in the global marketplace physical boundaries are no longer a barrier, and this raises a host of questions about the future of intellectual property rights.
Until such legalities are resolved, one factor in the race for online Feiyue sales could be pricing. Bastian’s shoes sell for upwards of €55 (HK$450), whereas the Chinese version of the shoes retail at between 20 and 60 yuan (HK$23 and HK$68).
Bastian says the difference in price largely reflects the quality, although there are other factors. “The quality is very, very different,” he says. Representatives of his company held discussions with many factories in China, each proposing drastically different prices. However, lower costs equated to lower quality when it came to the rubber, the glue, the canvas and the working conditions for employees. Bastian says he wasn’t prepared to compromise in his choice of manufacturer.
“In Europe or the US, you can’t provide something bad. There are a lot of things out of our control … the glue matters, the canvas, the rubber … all the chemicals that they can sometimes use in China that we can’t use [in France].
“Maybe you can’t see it, but actually in the end the quality is very different. Also, if you buy it in China, there is no taxation, no importation costs, and no transportation costs,” he says, further explaining the price differentiation.
By extension, the differences are why he feels he hasn’t just copied the Chinese product.
“For us, our shoes are original in our countries where the registration is there. It’s another version of the Chinese, I would say. For example, we have brand registration in the US. [Our] Feiyue in the US are the original ones, because we have the brand registration,” he insists.
Uniting the French and Chinese Feiyue brands could be one way around the t***** trademark and intellectual property problems. So despite current disagreements, could there be collaboration in the future? Bastian says he is open to the idea of a partnership, but Liu isn’t as keen.
“Why would we work with them? They just came to take our stuff away,” he says.

Additional reporting by Young Wang

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Shoe on the other foot

I guess this is chinoiserie for the new millennium. :eek:

[SteveLau]

To be honest, no shoe will fit for all wearing purposes. I recently realize my decades foot heel pain has been caused by insufficient heel support shoes. Feiyue brand shoes are thin sole ones. For MA training purpose, the shoes should have no less than half inch thick sole. And we should train on soft floor (covered with carpet or grassland) while wearing them.




Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[GeneChing]

A 'Flying Leap' in Chinese branding (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/the-flying-leap-a-sneaker-with-history-breaks-the-mould-on-failed-chinesebranding/article35550535/?arc404=true)
The world's second-largest economy has often struggled to gain prestige abroad. That looks as if it could finally change, Nathan VanderKlippe writes, with names such as Feiyue, a Shanghai shoe brand that went from humble beginnings to global success, breaking the mould

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Feiyue shoes, a decades-old brand, has seen a revival in China after being imitated by a French company.
NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE
SHANGHAI
PUBLISHED JULY 4, 2017
UPDATED NOVEMBER 12, 2017

Feiyue shoes began their long journey to an Orlando Bloom accoutrement as military footwear made by a tire factory at the time of China's Communist Revolution – green in colour, utilitarian in nature.

In the decades that followed, they switched colours to white, added a stylish blue-and-red double chevron and picked up a list of devoted customers: first a generation of northern Chinese, then the country's famed Shaolin monks and, finally, a fashion-loving Frenchman.

In the process, Feiyue became what remains, at least for now, a rarity: a Chinese product that has found success overseas – and rarer still, one that accuses foreigners of stealing its design.

It's not bad for a humble pair of sneakers that once sold for the modern equivalent of 94 cents. Even today, the cheapest pairs go for under $10.

But Feiyue – the name means "Flying Leap" – might just be pointing the way to something new for a country that, in its rapid ascent toward the world's second-largest economy, has gained financial power but often struggled to build prestige, its companies falling flat in their efforts to build products, services and brands that win global loyalty and acclaim.

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Designer Amy Li prepares Feiyue sneakers for sale in Shanghai.
NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

While China now boasts 15 of the top 100 most valuable brands in the world, as judged by Millward Brown and WPP, most of that strength is domestic. In Interbrand's ranking of truly global brands with at least 30 per cent of revenue from outside their home region, only two Chinese companies appear near the bottom of the top 100: Huawei and Lenovo.

Still, there are signs Chinese companies are beginning to succeed globally on their own terms. Take Shenzhen-based drone-maker DJI, the undisputed champion of flying gizmos for photographers and filmmakers.

Meanwhile, the list of champions at home has grown much longer – and may provide a glimpse of the future.

A decade ago, the three top-selling companies in most Chinese consumer product categories were foreign. "Now, in literally every category a domestic company is in the top three," said Chris Reitermann, the current CEO of Ogilvy & Mather China.

In a decade or two, those will become better-known names, he said.

"Most people just say, 'Oh, there's no Chinese brands in the U.S. and very few in Europe, so there's no Chinese global brands.' There will be."

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The roots of Feiyue sneakers lie in the Da Fu Rubber Product Factory, a tire maker founded in 1931. It began making rubber-soled shoes for military use in 1948, followed by street shoes a decade later.
GOU YIGE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The desire for international success has come from the highest levels of the Chinese government, which has set overseas market-share targets as part of an ambitious Made in China 2025 program to invigorate its own companies.

"Pushing companies to succeed in export markets forces them to strengthen their competitiveness and build their own capacity to innovate," said Lance Noble, lead author of a lengthy report on the program for the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. The Chamber has argued that Beijing's policy underscores the need for other countries to demand reciprocal access to the Chinese market.

Mr. Reitermann, however, is betting that Chinese companies will succeed in building a new reputation abroad. "Might be hard to believe," but in the future, Chinese brands are likely to conjure "innovation," he said. "I'm pretty sure that China in the next 10 years will be a world leader in electric cars, for example."

And, maybe, footwear.

The roots of Feiyue sneakers lie in the Da Fu Rubber Product Factory, a tire maker founded in 1931. It began making rubber-soled shoes for military use in 1948, followed by street a decade later. It eventually branded the sneakers Feiyue, whose "Flying Leap" name had particular resonance in 1958, at the outset of Chairman Mao's Great Leap Forward.

"The primary characteristic of Feiyue shoes was that they were comfortable to wear, with good cushioning and grip," said Liu Wangsheng, a general manager with the sneaker brand in Shanghai. "At that time, they were mostly worn by people learning kung fu or who loved sports, like running."

The advent of China's planned economy ensured their spread far and wide. At one point, Mr. Liu estimates, one in 10 people north of the Yangtze River wore Feiyue shoes. For a time, Rubber Shoe No. 1 Factory was the biggest in Southeast Asia. They became, and remain, the shoes worn by the famed martial-arts-focused Shaolin monks.

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A warrior monk of the Shaolin Temple displays his Kung Fu skills while wearing Feiyue shoes at the Songshan Mountain.
CANCAN CHU/GETTY IMAGES

It was a rich history that appealed to Patrice Bastian, a fashion-loving Frenchman who discovered Feiyue in travels through Asia.

In 2006, he ordered 3,000 pairs of the sneakers and began selling them abroad. At the time, they "were really not fashionable shoes at all," Mr. Bastian said. But he went about building a company, taking the original silhouette and mixing it with gold, pink and other fresh designs. Feiyues once sold for pennies in China. The version Mr. Bastian created sells for upward of $80, has been photographed on celebrities and has had particular success in South Korea, whose consumers have become global trendsetters.

Over the past decade, Mr. Bastian said, the world has become "much more open to the Chinese arts when it comes to painting, sculpture, fashion and clothing and stuff like that."

How he got the shoes, however, has been contested for years. He paid for the overseas rights to the shoes, he said, and registered the design outside China. "The Chinese think that we stole the brand. This is not true," Mr. Bastian said. "They sold the brand to us."

"He didn't buy the rights. He didn't buy them at all," Mr. Liu responds. The Shuang Qian Group, which hold the Feiyue rights in China, took the case to a French court, spending $200,000 on the lawsuit. It lost. Mr. Liu has nonetheless called Mr. Bastian a "robber."

Whatever the case, Mr. Bastian did something few Chinese companies have accomplished. He popularized something distinctly Chinese. Websites and magazines published photos of actor Orlando Bloom and model Poppy Delevingne wearing the brand.

In 2010 alone, Mr. Bastian's company sold a million Feiyue pairs, before selling the brand in 2014 to BBC International LLC, a major footwear design and production company that works with marquee brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Teva, Cole Haan and Disney.

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A group of men warm up for a game of soccer wearing Feiyue brand shoes at a field in Beijing.
GOU YIGE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

All of the foreign attention has been good for business at the China Feiyue, too, whose sales are up 50 per cent this year. Chinese consumers are themselves increasingly willing to ditch foreign names for their domestic brands.

"Chinese people – they always in their heart will come back to something that belongs to themselves," said Jerry Tian, founder of Culture Matters, a company that has designed new lines of Feiyue shoes for Chinese consumers; the brand now has dozens of different sneakers. "People now think, 'Oh, maybe the quality has improved.' So we can try."

In May, Culture Matters opened a store in Xintiandi, a glitzy shopping mall in Shanghai, where on a recent day a woman who gave her surname as Xu bought a Feiyue pair for herself and another for her husband.

She had seen pictures of celebrities wearing the sneakers, but also liked the idea of getting something distinctly Chinese.

On a recent trip to Australia, she wore Chinese sneakers to a shopping mall, only to be "stopped and asked what I was wearing – and not only once. I was so surprised," she said. Buying Feiyue, she added, "does feel a bit like supporting our own national brand."

At another store in Shanghai, Italian graduate student Duccio Tripoli was buying his own pair. "It's cheap, it's comfortable, it's cool for the summer," he said.

Plus, it's a sneaker with a story.

In China, "they fake literally everything. And now something Chinese is being faked in Europe," Mr. Tripoli says. "It's kind of a nice revenge."

Having been involved with Feiyue shoes since 1995, it really fascinates me to read these reports now.

[GeneChing]

Here's more on the French poaching of Feiyues (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?41187-Tiger-Claw-brand-Feiyue&p=1306141#post1306141). This article is from last year, but it just got forwarded to me yesterday, and it's yet another excuse for me to plug our Feiyue shoes (https://www.martialartsmart.com/catalog/category/view/s/shoes-feiyue-shoes/id/819/).


Carl Samson·February 24, 2017·4 min read
Chinese Company Furious After French Firm ‘Steals’ Iconic Martial Arts Sneaker (https://nextshark.com/feiyue-sneakers-chinese-company-furious-at-french-firm/)

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A Chinese company is furious over a French-owned business that allegedly copied their well-established sneaker brand.

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Feiyue, which translates to “fly forward,” has been a household name for Chinese monks and martial arts students since the 1920s. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, all martial artists in the opening ceremony wore Feiyue shoes. Moreover, they are also worn by secondary school students in gym class. The sneaker brand successfully captured the necessity for simplicity and durability that athletes everywhere required.

Those were the qualities that attracted Patrice Bastian, a marketing and events manager who bought a pair while learning martial arts in 2005.

But Bastian was not just another fanatic. He loved the product so much that he thought of bringing the brand to France.

He followed his ideal and worked with a Chinese manufacturer in 2006. However, in the following year, this manufacturer notified Bastian that they could no longer supply the numbers he needed.

Yet Bastian did not give up and requested to buy the brand registration so he could continue producing Feiyue shoes through other factories. The manufacturer’s manager agreed, so he went to trademark “Feiyue” in France and the United States. Since then, the brand has enjoyed their unprecedented global popularity:

“Bringing together all walks of life, from workers, Shaolin Monks to politicians, Feiyue crossed borders and generations to land in France in 2006. Without losing any of its authentic vintage charm, this lightweight canvas shoe then underwent a series of transformations. Its DNA gradually evolved, combining French and international influences.”

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Apparently, the only place left unsupportive of Bastian’s brand is — you guessed it — China.

Liu Qinglong, manager of Shanghai Da Fu Rubber Co, told South China Morning Post:

“They’re robbers… No one in China knew about commodity intellectual property rights at the time and it wasn’t until 2007-08 that we found out the French had registered the trademark.”

Da Fu is the mother company of Double Coin, the original maker of Feiyue. According to Liu, he’s been working at the company since 1979.

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As it turned out, Bastian had difficulty identifying Feiyue’s real owner at the time he tried to acquire rights:

“The main issue is that many people are claiming the right to this brand in China. So it’s very difficult to work with one owner. I wanted to have a unified brand. My dream was to partner with the real Chinese owner.”

For Dr. Li Yahong, a University of Hong Kong professor who specializes in intellectual property law, it boils down to territorial and firsthand application of the trademark:

“As long as the Chinese company has not registered its Feiyue mark in France, the French company can register it in France without getting anyone’s approval, and its registered mark is protected in France.”

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This means when Chinese brand Feiyue is sold in France or anywhere else where Bastian registered the brand, they would be considered counterfeit. Bastian is, however, open to a partnership.

For Liu, it’s a difficult pill to swallow, “Why would we work with them? They just came to take our stuff away.”

[GeneChing]

How China’s Feiyue sneakers, shoes of Shaolin monks, are making a comeback (https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3015522/how-chinas-feiyue-sneakers-shoes-shaolin-monks-are-making)
Traditionally the go-to footwear of Shaolin monks, Chinese Feiyue sneakers are seeing a resurgence thanks to Gen Z’s love of retro heritage brands
New stores have opened in Beijing as the Chinese brand looks to differentiate itself from separate Feiyue brands in France, the US and elsewhere
Jessica Rapp
Published: 11:15am, 23 Jun, 2019

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A Shaolin kung fu student wearing Feiyue shoes. The sneakers are making a comeback in China as younger consumers seek out ‘Made in China’ heritage brands. Photo: Alamy
Chinese sneaker brand Feiyue started out providing the go-to footwear for Shaolin monks; the shoes were lightweight, supportive and cheap.

Fast forward nearly 70 years and the martial art accessory has become a fashionable must-have – and the cause of multiple copyright disagreements. For the past year and a half, Beijing resident AJ Donnelly and his business partner Nic Doering have been working with the Shanghai-based brand to bring it back to its humble roots.
Donnelly’s story starts like that of many who encounter Feiyue in Beijing: he stumbled upon the shoes when he started his martial arts training at the Shaolin Temple in Henan province in 2015.
The shoes, which were also a staple of the martial arts performers at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, are made using recycled rubber from the Shanghai Da Fu Rubber tire factory. Their Chinese name means “to leap” or “to fly over”, though its slogan “flying forward” will be more familiar to people in the West.
In 2016, Donnelly and Doering launched a company called Cultural Keys to help foreign students in China learn about traditional Chinese culture. It included martial arts programmes conducted in partnership with the Shaolin Temple and Feiyue shoes were part of the students’ training outfits. It soon became clear, however, that they would need a greater supply.
“All of the students who were with us were saying, ‘Wow, these shoes are so cool, they’re so hip, where can we get more?’” Donnelly says.
After discovering that few sports apparel stores in Beijing actually sold Feiyues, Donnelly contacted Da Fu to determine whether they could resell the footwear in their cultural centres in Beijing.

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Shaolin Monks wearing Feiyue shoes demonstrating their skills to tourists outside their training temple. Photo: Shutterstock

“They basically said the same thing that the Shaolin Temple told us: they said, ‘We’d love to do this *[as] we don’t have easy access to orders from an international market, so if you could help us by stocking our shoes … we’d love to work with you,’” Donnelly says.
From there, Donnelly says he and his team opened a shop in Beijing called the CK Culture Boutique (now located in the Songzhuang Art District in Beijing’s Tongzhou district) where they sell the shoes, along with Chinese calligraphy, kung fu clothes and other cultural products.
Most of Donnelly’s customers are tourists who find the shop through TripAdvisor or Google. But the Feiyue shoe has also been making a comeback in the Chinese market thanks to a surge in interest in all things retro, especially among Gen Z consumers.
The company, buoyed by this interest in “Made in China” heritage brands, has expanded its range of the shoes, as well as its consumer engagement strategy.

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Modern Feiyue sneakers.

“I’ve noticed wherever I go I see more and more young Chinese people wearing them on the subway, and just going down the streets,” Donnelly says. “But I see older people as well who just pop into the shop when they’re walking past who say, ‘Oh my gosh, I was wearing these when I was 10 years old and it’s amazing to see them here now.’ It’s great to hear both sides of that.”
The increasing popularity of Feiyues can sometimes pose challenges for Donnelly’s boutique. Da Fu makes around 150 styles of the shoes, but change out styles yearly depending on Chinese tastes.

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Feiyue sneakers on display at the CK Culture Boutique in Beijing.

“The Chinese consumer likes very bright and colourful styles, even rainbow-coloured shoes, whereas we see the most popular ones [among Western shoppers] are the most basic … very simple. Grey mid tops with a black line going through them are a number-one bestseller for us, but they’re not popular with the Chinese shopper. So Feiyue will stop making them after a year.”
Sometimes the range of colourful styles on offer can be confusing for those unfamiliar with Feiyue’s complicated brand story.
In 2006, a French marketing and events manager living in Shanghai had the idea to create a hip, stylish culture around the shoe. He bought the brand registration from a manufacturer in China and trademarked the name to sell them in France. Since then, not only has the French brand given Feiyues an updated, fresh look, it has attracted Western celebrities like Orlando Bloom and Poppy Delevingne, who once told W Magazine that she “lived in” the trainers.

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CK Culture Boutique in Beijing’s Tongzhou district.

The Feiyue name has also been trademarked in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan – all separate entities from Shanghai Da Fu Rubber and its subsidiary Double Coin, which took over manufacturing the shoes in 1979.

We serve a very specific group of customers. And when people come to us, whether it’s for classes or martial arts programmes, or for the shoes themselves, we always try and give as much of the story that we have
AJ Donnelly
There is also a US version of the sneaker company, headed by a Florida-based footwear firm called BBC International, which bought out the French brand in late 2014, according to new magazine Footwear News. In China, countless copies of both the Chinese and French versions of the Feiyue shoe are also available as the Chinese market still grapples with the protection of intellectual property rights.
For the moment, the Chinese Feiyue is carving out its own niche and recent years have seen the introduction of branded stores in Beijing.

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Feiyue shoes drying outside the Shaolin Kung Fu school dormitory in Dengfeng city in Henan province. Photo: Alamy

Donnelly believes his company is helping ground the flying footwear brand.
“We serve a very specific group of customers,” Donnelly says, noting that his shop has one additional value for foreign travellers that they won’t find at Feiyue’s branded shops: its collection is available in extended sizes, up to a size 47. “And when people come to us, whether it’s for classes or martial arts programmes, or for the shoes themselves, we always try and give as much of the story that we have from our point of view.
“We’re not a tour company; we don’t talk about modern China and these kind of things. We always take everything back to its roots.”

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: How a kung fu favourite gained traction

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Can ‘Made in China’ be cool? Yes, if the West thinks so (https://www.goldthread2.com/culture/made-in-china-guochao-hipster/article/3027942)
Jiaqi Luo
SEP 18, 2019

Guochao (国潮), literally “national hip,” is the latest buzzword in the Chinese fashion world.

The term initially referred to specific homegrown streetwear brands but now encompasses any Chinese aesthetic that counters style references from the West.

That includes heritage brands like Feiyue, Li-Ning, and Warrior, apparel makers that were once popular in the 1970s and ’80s but overtaken by foreign brands like Nike and Adidas because of their global prestige.

Now, Chinese youngsters wear guochao as a badge of pride, akin to the “Made in America” label in the United States. Call it Chinese retro.

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Feiyue, a Chinese sneaker brand, has benefited from the guochao resurgence. / Photo: Tmall

And with the ongoing political crisis in Hong Kong and the U.S.-China trade war, the youth in China desire guochao more than ever.

The Chinese media consistently portrays guochao as the result of “cultural self-confidence” (文化自信), that with economic power comes cultural might as well. China, they say, has had enough time chasing Western fashion and culture, and it’s time to embrace their own.

Ironically, much of guochao’s rise can also be attributed to the recognition of these brands in the West.

But ironically, much of guochao’s rise can also be attributed to the recognition of these brands in the West.

Feiyue, for example, became a global street fashion icon after a French entrepreneur discovered the shoes while learning martial arts in China. He bought the rights to sell them in France, and the shoes took off.

That this “Western gaze” is embedded in guochao makes it a complicated cultural trend. How Chinese millennials feel about heritage brands is a reflection of how they see their country: proud of its achievements but also aware that it still seeks validation from the West.

What is guochao?

Western media tends to portray guochao as the result of Chinese millennials looking back to their cultural heritage and generating renewed interest in Chinese culture.

But what excites millennials more about guochao is the transformation of old heritage brands into nostalgic chic. Because embedded in the story of guochao is the story of China’s rise.

One can pinpoint the start of guochao to February 2018, when Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning showcased its Taoism-inspired Wu Dao collection at New York Fashion Week.

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Li-Ning’s fall-winter collection at New York Fashion Week 2018. / Photo: Shutterstock

The show instantly became a social media sensation in China, where Li-Ning was lauded for “making it” in New York. Online posts juxtaposed photos of old Li-Ning products alongside new ones with the caption, “This is not the Li-Ning you knew.”

The narrative? A brand as dull and basic as Li-Ning could now turn heads with a Chinese flag design in glamorous New York.

After the Fashion Week hubbub, guochao emerged. Before, the word for heritage brands like Li-Ning was 国货 (guohuo), or “national product.” Now, they were not just products; they were cool, hip, and stylish.

Before, the word for heritage brands like Li-Ning was 国货 (guohuo), or “national product.” Now, they were not just products; they were cool, hip, and stylish.

Other brands started to jump on the guochao bandwagon, reimagining their products to capitalized on the nostalgia of millennials.

Hero, whose ink pens were a staple of primary school writing classes, launched an ink-colored cocktail with liquor distiller Rio, and Pehchaolin, a facial cream popular in the 1980s, collaborated with the Palace Museum on a chic cosmetics line.

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The original Pehchaolin cream (right) and the Palace Museum collab. / Photo: Pehchaolin

White Rabbit, known for its milk candies, launched a candy-scented perfume with Scent Library and even came up with a White Rabbit-scented lip balm with cosmetics maker Maxam.

All these products were sold out overnight.

While these heritage brands sought to capitalize on their image among a domestic audience, others looked abroad.

Warrior, a shoe brand worn by Chinese schoolkids in the ’80s and ’90s, has gone through a rebranding and now sells its signature sneakers at around $90 a pair overseas. In China, the same model goes for $9.

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Warrior rebranded for the Western consumer. / Photo: Warrior

And then there’s Feiyue, the once forgotten shoe brand from Shanghai that re-emerged after Patrice Bastian started selling the sneakers in France in 2006.

The shoes quickly became a street fashion icon. Celebrities like Orlando Bloom and Poppy Delevingne were spotted in them. Collaborations with Celine, Marvel, and Swarovski soon followed.

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Orlando Bloom wearing Feiyue sneakers on the set of "New York, I Love You." / Photo: Weibo

Within China, the brand saw a revival. Millennials who once thumbed their noses at Feiyue in favor of Nike and Adidas started buying them again. Ironically, it had taken recognition from the West to raise Feiyue’s profile in its home country.

Patriotism as fashion, or why “a loser strikes back” narrative works

In Chinese classrooms, students are taught at a young age that the last 100 years was a “century of humiliation.” Events such as China’s defeat in the Opium Wars and the destruction of the Old Summer Palace by European forces remain an indelible part of history education.

Against this backdrop, China’s economic miracle is seen as the country catching up to the West. In colloquial language, it’s known as 屌丝逆袭 (diaosinixi), literally “loser strikes back.”

The usefulness of this narrative has not been lost on the government, which has called the renaissance of Chinese brands “the result of rising cultural self-confidence.”

Buying domestic brands is now a patriotic act.

Buying domestic brands is now a patriotic act, and consumers will not hesitate to boycott foreign labels that they feel have tarnished China’s image.

Dolce & Gabbana took a hammering last year after releasing an advertisement that was perceived as racist. Versace and Coach sparked outrage last month for shirts that apparently suggested Hong Kong was separate from China.

And amid the U.S.-China trade war, many former Apple users have switched to Chinese-made Huawei to show their solidarity, boosting Huawei’s smartphone sales by 16.5% in the second quarter this year, while Apple’s declined 13.8%, according to research firm Gartner.

It’s not uncommon to find reviews that say, “I support Chinese brands,” rather than comments on the product itself.

In online shopping sites, it’s not uncommon to find reviews that say, “I support Chinese brands,” rather than comments on the product itself.

And the latest development in the guochao trend is buying Chinese wear before going abroad.

“I got a bunch of Li-Ning T-shirts for my trip,” says Jack Song, a 23-year-old Guangzhou native. “I think it will make me look cool in Europe.”

Herein lies one of the great contradictions of guochao. Underlying this newly empowered Chinese identity is a desire to prove oneself. The message is not “this is how great China is” but rather “see how much China has changed.” For a generation that grew up with stories of humiliation from the West and viewing foreign brands as superior, international recognition is still important.

But there are signs that the next generation—those born after the year 2000—might see things differently. They are coming of age in a China that’s developing its own brands and technology. They’re wealthier, more independent, and they view domestic products as superior because they actually believe they’re faster, better, and more innovative.

Today’s guochao might be about the “loser striking back,” but tomorrow’s might see a different narrative.

Want to learn more about Chinese heritage brands and how they came to be? Keep swiping for our series Retro China, where we explore the stories behind some of China’s most beloved brands.


Jiaqi Luo
Jiaqi Luo is a writer based in Milan. She writes about fashion and style in contemporary China. Her work has appeared in Jing Daily, The Business of Fashion China, and The Luxury Conversation.

THREADS
Made in China (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?66168-Made-in-China)
Feiyue (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?41187-Tiger-Claw-brand-Feiyue)
Li-Ning (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?55860-Li-Ning-opens-in-America)
White Rabbit (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71120-Follow-the-White-Rabbit)