Chinese Shoes

A few months ago, Coolhunting mentioned some classic Chinese shoes that were supposed to be the next big thing in Europe. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but walking around Hongkou last week I saw the exact same Feiyue (飞跃) trainers at a sporting goods store on Sichuan N Rd. They’re light and comfortable, but most importantly they’re cheap — around ¥30 for men’s sizes. According to Coolhunting, they go for £40 (¥600) in London, but you can get them “direct” from Feiyue for only €50 (¥540). Seriously, if anyone wants to sell a container or two of these in the US I’ll split the 2000% markup.

At the same store, Damen bought a pair of Warrior (回力) low-top basketball shoes, also around ¥30. Apparently these were the standard gym shoe for schoolkids in the ’80s — sort of Chinese Chucks. I haven’t noticed anyone wearing them in Shanghai, but that’s probably just because Chinese kids haven’t figured out irony yet. Next time I’m in the neighborhood I plan on picking up a pair for myself, if only for the amazing retro cool packaging: