It is recorded that cloth shoes existed in the Chinese Zhou Dynasty and has had a history of more than 3,000 years.

Inherited traditional skills and technics, cloth shoes manufactured in Beijing time-honored brands like Beijing Qianjin Shoes Factory, Neiliansheng and Buyingzhai are one of representatives of old Beijing cloth shoes and are also called Kung Fu shoes. The main feature of its craftsmanship is how to produce the shoe sole which is completely hand-made and requires strict and complex process. The sole of old Beijing cloth shoes is well known as “thousand-layer sole”, which does not really mean that the sole has a thousand layer; instead it emphasizes the comfortability. After a series of processes including gluing, airing, compaction, sewing and so on, the sole becomes flat, comfortable and breathable.

The material of old Beijing cloth shoes is the fire-new cotton that is comfortable and breathable for wearing, and it is also helpful to exude the foot sweat and the heat.

For many the elders, compared with fancy and expensive shoes made of leathers, they prefer cloth shoes which are softer and more comfortable. If you pay a visit to China, buying old Beijng cloth shoes as gifts for your friends or the elder relatives would be a wonderful and thoughtful choice.