How Wushu Ruyi makes martial arts and style worlds meet
by Maria Cristina Pavarini — June 30, 2023
Wushu Ruyi is an Italian sneaker brand that will soon further expand internationally and evolve to offer a wider selection of products in line with its origins and style, but aimed at a young and fashion-minded clientele.
Wushu Ruyi
Today the brand is sold in 37 countries through over 800 multi brand stores. Its revenues are over €15 million, of whose 45% is from Italy. Along with it, it continues to grow also internationally and especially in France, Germany, Belgium, The UK, The Netherlands and Scandinavia.
This minimalistic, high-quality and very comfortable sneaker brand originates from an idea by two Italian brothers, Walter and Paolo Lorini, two renowned Italian athletes and champions who dedicated themselves to the culture and discipline of Wushu, an Asian martial art.
From the late 1960s to 1970s, the Lorini brothers were enrolled as members of one of the earliest martial arts gyms in Milan. They first started doing Karate and Paolo racked up five wins in the Italian championship. Those victories lead them to make another fundamental discovery of a thousands-year old art that in Italy was still unknown–Wushu.
Walter and Paolo Lorini
A few years later, in 1987 Walter won the European Champion title in Barcelona, and became the first athlete awarded with a gold metal of Taji which made him being named as the first Italian Shaolin Monk, as part of the 32nd generation.
In the same years, more precisely in 1985, Walter and Paolo created the first shoes specifically devised for this sport: The first Wushu shoes were born.
The first Wushu shoes created by brothers Paolo and Walter Lorini
In 2017, Mauro Di Liddo, an expert insider of the fashion market and a connoisseur of the sneaker universe, created a Wushu sneaker variant inspired by the Lorini brothers sport shoe characterized by the Ru Yi, an ancient Oriental symbol and a historic amulet belonging to the emperors of the Qing dynasty who lived and reigned in China from 1644 to 1911. That symbol is actually considered as a talisman that can fulfill the desires of the heart.
Since 2002 Di Liddo has been CEO of Blackboard, his family’s company founded in 1996, known for having launched some bestselling shoe models like, for instance, the Police 883 boot and, among others, the sneaker brand Munich, inspired by soccer played among five-people teams.
Blackboard sells a vast selection of men's, and women's clothing, accessories and footwear brands including some own ones and others it distributes in Italy and internationally. Among them there are Karl Lagerfeld sneakers, Laidback London, Police 883, Sendra, Stutterheim, Swiss Criss, Szen along with Wushu Ruyi and many others.
Wushu Ruyi
Wushu is available in two models only–Master, offered in over 50 color variants and combinations, and Special Edition One, a premium version of the sneaker characterised by a smaller embroidered logo, a more essential and streamlined design available in ten color variants only.
They are sold respectively at €150 and €188 at retail. Both are sold through stores selling both apparel and footwear, though according to a different distribution network, as the premium line is sold through only 80 higher-end and selected boutiques.
Wushu Ruyi, Special Edition One
“We like to develop this brand by constantly launching new projects, though always very carefully and thoroughly,” explained Di Liddo who launched the Premium line a season ago.
“Our aims include, for instance, to start selling it in markets such as Asia and The US, all areas that have a high growth potential and could appreciate it significantly,” continues Di Liddo.
Wushu Ruyi
“We might soon also launch an apparel selection, but in a limited selection of pieces and in-keeping with their Asian identity and minimalistic design approach,” he continued, meaning they have no rush, as the universe of Wushu art has taught him, too.
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Originally Posted by GeneChing
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