:: I came across this pair of shoes worn by a woman on the subway today in Shanghai. I know Puma has done some cross-branded efforts with BMW (and Ferrari), but this just can’t be the result. Hybrid shanzhai’ing? // AjS
:: this is a follow up to a few previous posts I’ve done on Chinese brand sneakers (here, here, and here). On my way back from (one of my many trips to) the water cooler today, I spotted the office Ayi (custodial staff), Zhang Ayi, sporting these rad trainers. Check them out below. Maybe a hybrid shanzhai’d effort of the and (so cool if so) ? Oh the memories, K’roos’ zip-pocket sneaker design dominate my youth. Two words: milk money. But, who would shanzhai Mizuno? Maybe. Unlikely. At any rate, Zhang Ayi informed me that she purchased these for RMB 20 at a shop in Shanghai on Jiangning Rd. // AjS
:: 56minus1 reader (and my friend) 小杜 recently started a company called I Want One that makes rad kitsch badges. Have a look below. My favorites are the ones with Shanghainese phrases (支持方言, 支持普通话!). RMB 5 each. Bravo, well done. // AjS
wolixiang – home (Shanghainese)
xiaozilu – little rascal / brat / pig (Shanghainese)
nonghao – hello (Shanghainese）
cena – shit (Shanghainese)
:: today at a small shop on Dagu Lu (right next to the Alley #489 gate) in Shanghai I came across a pair of shanzhai’d Feiyue (飞跃) sneakers called “Feiyin.” (RMB 18) Compare the photos below with the real thing.
At the same shop I also found some Rongguang Brand (荣光牌) sneakers, which I had never heard of before and still cant find any info on. I don‘t know who is shanzhai’ing who, but these look almost identical to The People’s Shoes (人民牌) that I recently introduced here. Interestingly, a pair of Rongguang Brand is shown on the “The People’s Shoes” web site (see the fourth picture). [UPDATE: Anton Brandt from The People's Shoes has informed me that they in fact work together with Rongguang Brand to produce their shoes.] For RMB 20, you too can be the proud owner of a pair of Rongguang Brand. (RMB 20)
This shop also had Chinese electrical workers’ boots. I picked up a pair for RMB 18. // AjS
:: related to a previous post about retro Chinese sneakers, below are two pairs of limited edition Warriors and a collection of limited edition dolls / action figures donning a pair of Warriors designed as part of AMG Labs’ PROJECT RE:BORN (回忆回力), a “brand revitalization exercise” with the classic Chinese sneaker brand Warrior (回力, Huili). // AjS
:: …first came the original, Huili / Warrior (回力), priced between RMB 30 – 65…
…then came the, also original, Feiyue (飞跃) sneaker, priced between RMB 30 – 65…
…now there is The People’s Shoes (人民牌), a modern, higher-quality and more comfortable, hybrid version of the above two, by Anton Brandt (who, by the way, is cool enough to donate a portion of the brand’s profits to The Starfish Project, a Cambodia-based humanitarian organization), priced at USD 42 (RMB 285)…
…similarly, there is also OSPOP. (One Small Point of Pride.)’s Skywolf sneaker line by Ben Walters, priced at USD 76 (RMB 520)…
…which is essentially an indie-hipster remix version of Tianlang’s (天狼, literally “Skywolf”) classic revolutionary-flavored Chinese military / migrant worker “liberation shoes” (解放鞋), and also the timeless Chinese electrical workers’ “boot,” priced between RMB 10 – 35…
…and of course, let us not forget about the recent return of traditional Chinese “cloth shoes” (布鞋) to the modern fashion scene, priced between RMB 10 – 30…
…and last but not least, my favorite, a shanzhai’d NIKE version of “liberation shoes,” by a young man who actually wears them during military training exercises, priceless. // AjS
:: I recently got to know Shanghai-based François Yang, the man behind PHAI DESIGN – I was even fortunate enough to have been gifted a few of his most recent pieces: great stuff. Yang’s work addresses the relationship between design and the problems of human society. As such, Yang aims to create basic products that are environmentally reasonable and friendly, using old and new materials. In this line, titled 1st collection (shown below), Yang uses only recycled materials – aluminum coated aluminum bubble wrap (fun!), Velcro, and nylon / polyester cloth – in designing a handbag, wallet, file pouch (I use it for my laptop accessories), and computer sleeve. You can even pop the bubbles if you want! Bravo, well done. // AjS
:: in the office today I noticed a colleague of mine wearing an interesting contraption around his neck. He’s not injured – despite its bulkiness, he assured me the device it’s strictly for comfort. I want one. // AjS
:: a couple days ago in Beijing at Danwei’s 3rd Plenary I met the lovely Ms. Tang Xuemei from Status Tee, an indie design shop (just her) based in Beijing doing some very clever t-shirt designs, many of which are based on current Chinese Internet culture and social issues. Below are two Status Tee designs advocating “privacy” (私) on the front with (ironically?) familiar images from the very recent Zhang Ziyi bikini-photo scandal online in China on the back. Bravo, well done. // AjS
:: is it just me, or have face / surgical masks evolved into proper fashion statements in China? Being sold for 3 RMB at just about any subway stop in Beijing. Snap taken on the Beijing subway, line 1, between Jianguolu and Yonganli stop. // AjS
:: happy 2nd birthday to Neocha.com. Join us to celebrate on January 17th at the Neocha office / basement warehouse (Changshu Lu, lane 100, building 10, basement of the Bao Li building, inside the Shanghai Opera Institute). There will be “ghetto” mini Olympics (ping ping, billiards, Chinese chess), free Belgium beer (courtesy of Vedett), acoustic and electronic music performances, local indie design / creative arts / film exhibitions, and a Let’s Tee fashion show. The party will start at 7pm and run until late. It’s free admission, but you have to be on the list. If you want on, send me an email at 56minus1 at gmail dot com. // AjS
[full disclosure: 56minus1 is a partner at Neocha.com]
:: Tee-Shirt Factory (link?) packages their products in mini bucket-boxes with a cardboard cut-out showing the enclosed design. The t-shirts themselves are made from paper thin, durable cotton (with 5% spandex, of course) and are form-fitting…scenesters, hipsters, and indie posers alike couldn’t ask for anything more. Bravo, well done. // AjS
I bought this t-shirt in Zhouzhuang but was told this brand has a shop in Shanghai – does anyone know where it is?
:: see below for fotos of two pairs of Vision Street Wear (rad brand site…peep “history -> vision’s legends” section) spotted at “EAST,” a small skateboarder and urban wear shop on Shanxi Nan Lu (陕西南路) just north of Huaihai Lu (淮海路) on the east side of the street…next to the Converse and Nike stores. [SIDE NOTE: 56minus1's all-time top picks for Vision Street Wear kicks? Of course the timeless black canvas lo-top and its big brother the black suede hi-top.]
red / black zebra hi-tops ::
red / black Duane Peters 4-stripe lo-top ::
// AjS
