Neiliansheng was set up in the 3^rd year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign in the Qing Dynasty or 1853 by Zhao Ting. With a workshop behind the store, it sold self-produced shoes. The name Neiliansheng indicates that people wearing shoes from this shop may win promotion and get wealth.

Neiliansheng had very thriving business after it was open. Ministers, generals and officials came in an endless stream to order or buy their court boots. For each order of court boots, Neiliansheng asked clients to have their feet size measured and try the models until they got fully satisfied with the boots. Even the boots for Emperor Xuantong in his enthronement in the Hall of Supreme Harmony were made by Neiliansheng before sent to the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Zhao Ting was good at doing business. He made a record book for those noblemen and officers detailed with their preferred patters, sizes and specific shape their feet. Officers in the Qing Dynasty, to please their superiors, usually came here and order court boots for them referring to the recorded information. Court boots made by Neiliansheng was extremely popular and expensive, each pair cost dozens scale of silver.

“Laotoule (Happy Oldman)” is another famous traditional product from Neiliansheng. It is cotton-padded shoes for old people in the winters. It is warm, durable, and easy to put on and off, hence the name Laotoule. It is also called Cloud Cotton-padded Shoes because of the handiwork cloud patterns on the upper. Later, shoes with small round opening, reinforced cloth sole and satin or woolen vamp got popular. With light sole and looks elegant, they were suitable for those engaging in commerce and politics. This sort of shoes made by Neiliansheng had new and fine cloth used in vamp, lining and sole, and had fine quality, so was popular.

Neiliansheng also made for sedan-chair bearers double-vamped shoes with eyelet which looks imposing. This sort of shoes is soft, flexible and sweat-absorbing. People wearing it may walk fast and silently. It was popular among sedan-chair bearers, wagon drivers and porters. Xiangzi, a rickshaw man in Lao She’s novel loves this sort of shoes. Up till now, it is martial art masters’ favorite.

Since 1996, Neiliansheng held several exhibitions on shoes culture with more than 100 articles and over 400 pictures introducing the evolution of this time-honored shop and the development of world shoes industry. 

Neiliansheng has improved its awareness from sole quality to brand thus explored a new way for the development of a time-honored brand. Leaders of the party and state such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and Guo Moruo preferred shoes with reinforced cloth sole. The golden-lettered plaques on the first and second floor of Neiliansheng Shop were inscribed by General Zhang Aiping and eminent writer Guo Moruo respectively. Neiliansheng had its shop rebuilt in 1988, while the splendid and ancient architectural style remained with golden tiles, red pillars, colored paintings.