Tai Chi Boxing MMA Taekwondo Retro Shoes Wushu Karate Footwear Sports

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Feiyue (meaning ‘to leap’ or ‘to fly over’) originated in Shanghai in the 1920s. They gained popularity during the '30s for their robustness, flexibility and comfort which were considered essential requirements for martial arts and various forms of athletics. The shoes are a staple for almost all wushu practitioners and athletes in China, even being used by numerous Shaolin monks and Kung Fu masters.

Feiyues have now become popular with many foreign martial arts clubs and schools who are now importing them as the standard shoes for their students. They are also extremely popular for Parkour, Skateboarding, BMX, and more!

The official Chinese Feiyues are manufactured by either Top One or DaFu in China. It's important that the distinction is made between the Chinese Feiyues, which are still made as a sporting staple, and the American Feiyues that are a fashion and lifestyle shoe: an American company having acquired the rights to produce shoes with the Feiyue logo and branding in 2006.

The main differences between the Chinese and the American Feiyues are as follows:

- The Chinese Feiyues are made of a thinner canvas, allowing for a large range of ankle movement, whereas the Amercian versions are a lot thicker

- The original Chinese Feiyues only come in 2 colourways: White with red and blue arrows, and dark brown writing, or Black with white and red arrows and white writing. However, the Chinese Manufacturers are now looking at increasing the range of colours available.

- The Chinese Feiyues only come in two styles - high and low top. The low top is by far the most popular for martial arts, Parkour etc. as it is designed to provide the greatest range of ankle flexibility

- The Chinese Feiyues have a thinner rubber sole so users can "feel the ground" whereas the American Feiyues are thicker for everyday use.

Whether you buy the Original Feiyues or the American Feiyues, you will still be part of the current zeitgeist with celebrities such as Orlando Bloom, Miranda Kerr, Reese Witherspoon and Poppy Delevingne all praising their comfort and fashion-forward look.