Reflexcellent

So I was lookin' around for some cool Chinese souvenirs to bring home--something other than a People's Liberation Army hat, the Little Red Book, fake antiques--any number of things found in YuYuan that are nifty to look at but really end up being dead weight in your luggage. My roommates know of my reliance on the good ol' internet, so after some putzing around I found out about these bad boys:

Feiyue. They've been makin' em in SH since the 1920's (take that PLA hat!) and are worn by young and old alike. The OG version is this style in white with the arrow part in red and blue, which is ironically very USA patriotic looking.









Every pair comes wrapped like this. No box, just a brown paper bag with a strange little Pinocchio mascot boy on it.














Chinese burrito anyone?

I also got me a pair of these Huili or Warriors--you can see the logo here on the back heel.

Feiyues have actually become quite trendy in France and are sold alongside big name brands. Feiyues are also favored by those who practice martial arts such as Wushu as well as Shaolin practitioners (apparently not all of them are monks). I took them out for a trial run (walk really) and I like how close they fit on my feet and the grippiness of the soles. I joke quite often with friends about my cat-like reflexes, but in these I feel like I'm bordering on ninja. The soles aren't thin per se, but I can feel the uneven flooring outside, which makes me wonder how easily and noiselessly I can scale the bamboo scaffolding surrounding all the construction outside on my street. These will be perfect for slipping shadow-like onto the subway to claim a seat before that old granny gets it.

Huili is another Chinese brand that's the equivalent of Chucks I'd say. They were the cool shoes to wear in the 80's when China was finally coming back from the black pit of despair.

I'm diggin' it so far: there's history, authenticity, usefulness, the trend factor, comfort, and the inexplicable desire to run stealthily through the night.