16 Chinese Shoe / Sneaker Brands You Must Know

The footwear industry in China is going through a boom and flourishing in recent years. Chinese are becoming more and more fashion-conscious and prefer Chinese shoe brands that match their different occasion and daily outfit.

The quality also has been improved a lot regarding several criteria like durability, material, style, design, comfort level, etc. Of course, the price, which is always the biggest advantage of Chinese products, is keeping being affordable.

In fact, shoes designed by Chinese shoe brands can be looked fresh and felt comfortable, easily defining your personality and wearing taste. If you’re curious or considering selecting a shoe brand from China, I’m here to give you a full list of Chinese shoe brands you must know which are manufacturing shoes for different occasions to suit particular needs like sports, formal, casual wear, and trendy.

If you’re interested in buying shoes from China, I think buying them through Chinese eCommerce platforms, like Taobao, JD, and Pinduoduo, is the best way!

If you’re having trouble accessing those platforms, you can sign up for Superbuy, which is one of the most reliable Taobao agents in China, and then, you can buy whatever you want from Taobao at a nice bargain. Here’s a beginner guide for using Superbuy.

(Feel free to check out this list of top Chinese clothing brands.)

Chinese sneaker brand: Anta (安踏)

Website: https://www.anta.com/

For men/women

Anta Sports Products Limited is a Chinese sports equipment multinational corporation based in Jinjiang. It is one of the largest sportswear companies in the world by revenue nowadays.

Founded in 1994, Anta’s operations involve all aspects of business regarding designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing, etc. Products like sportswear, footwear, apparel, and accessories are its main focus. The company already owns more than 25 sub-brands.

Regarding Anta footwear products, sneakers should be its most popular ones. As a Chinese, if you asked me the quality of Anta sneakers 5 or 10 years ago, I would definitely say they’re not good enough. But nowadays, I think they’re pretty impressive.

Anta KT3 should be a hot seller and for players who have not yet tried to play in other basketball shoes besides those from big brands such as Adidas and Nike, I think it is a good place to start as the shoe provides great traction, no-nonsense fit, an effective cushioning set-up, and a premium upper that is worth the shoe’s $120 price point.

China shoe company: XTEP (特步)

Website: https://en.xtep.com/

For men/women

Xtep International Holdings Limited is a Chinese manufacturing company of sports equipment based in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong. Established in 2001, the company was listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 3 June 2008.

Just like Anta, Xtep also engages in the design, development, manufacturing, sales, marketing, and brand management of sports equipment, including footwear, apparel, and accessories.

I can tell Xtep is developing super great in recent years, becoming a leading professional sports brand with an extensive distribution network of over 6,300 stores covering 31 provinces in China, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the PRC and overseas.

So are Xtep shoes good? I think Xtep still continues to build its positioning in China. They are now a mid-range brand that focuses on good quality, price, and price-performance ratio, which is particularly profitable in 3-, 4- and 5-tier cities. The income level in India is also in this range so I’m sure Xtep still got great potential.

I see lots of people ask if Jeremy Lin has a shoe deal with Xstep. The answer is yes. Jeremy Lin has had a global impact on basketball since we first heard of Linsanity in 2012. More than just a player for the NBA and the CBA, he is one of the few Asian Americans to play in the former. To solidify his legacy, Chinese sports retailer Xtep has released the athlete’s first signature shoe: the Xtep JLIN ONE.

Chinese sneaker brand: 361 Degrees (361度)

Website: https://www.361usa.com/

For men/women

Speaking of sneaker brands in China, I couldn’t miss 361 Degrees. It is a Chinese supplier of shoes and sports goods, primarily in China. As of March 2009, the brand had 5,543 authorized retail outlets in China. The company does not own any of these outlets. They are owned and managed by 3,031 authorized dealers. They have 7950 authorized retail outlets across the world as of 2020.

I can see 361 Degrees has been trying so hard to establish itself among American runners for its footwear products market expansion. I think the original Strata, from several years ago, helped it accomplish that, which is now in its fourth version.

Is 361 Degrees shoe good? I think it’s not bad. I remember once a user commented that the 361 Degrees Strata 2 was the most comfortable shoe they have ever worn. The stabilization feature of the Strata 2 worked terrifically in correcting pronation, according to several wearers. The midsole has exceptional flexibility, a reviewer observed.

Chinese sneaker brand: ERKE (鸿星尔克)

Website: https://en.erke.com/

For men/women

ERKE is a sportswear brand owned by the Chinese company Hongxing Erke Group. The brand specializes in footwear and sportswear and has sponsored major sports icons within the Chinese Olympic team. Erke was also the official kit sponsor for the Korea DPR national football team.

Besides, Erke was the official apparel sponsor for the 2012 WTA Tour Championships, and Shanghai ATP 1000 tennis tournament, and the Qatar Open table tennis tournament.

Even though Erke might not be as famous as the brands mentioned above, like Anta, and 361 Degree, it still has its own unique advantage and Chinese customers in Tier 2 and 3 cities are embracing this brand for its quality and reasonable price.

Is ERKE shoe good? Not a competitor for Nike and Adidas, but it is a good shoe brand and providing nice products in its target price range. I once bought a pair of running sneakers from ERKE, it Looked good, were light in weight, and I felt comfortable on feet. Can’t say about the durability is the best, but overall I was satisfied.

Chinese footwear brand: PEAK (匹克)

Website: https://peak.com/

For men/women

Now I’m going to talk about another famous Chinese sneakers brand called PEAK, which is a Chinese manufacturing company of sportswear and footwear based in Quanzhou. Founded in 1989 as a shoe manufacturer, the company was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2009 but has been acquired in August 2017 because of its low performance on the stock exchange.

Well, basketball has been PEAK’s strongest business since the beginning. But now the company basically covers a variety of sports such as association football, volleyball, running, tennis, etc. PEAK is also developing its business in America, Europe, Asia, and Australia with more than 5000 exclusive stores.

PEAK does produce some quality sneakers products. For example, the PEAK DH2 is a great basketball shoe according to a significant number of purchasers. One user says that these PEAK basketball shoes are just as good, if not better, as most models from more prominent brands.

Former NBA all-star Tony Parker leads the way with PEAK, but it has also gobbled up Carl Landry, Kyle Lowry, Shane Battier, George Hill, JaVale McGee, and Jason Richardson.

Chinese sneaker brand: Qiaodan (乔丹)

Website: http://www.qiaodan.com/

For men/women

Qiaodan Sports Company Limited designs manufactures and sells sports shoes, sportswear, and sports accessories products. The Company’s main products include sports shoes, sportswear, and sports accessories.

You might not quite know this Chinese brand but you’ve probably heard of Michael Jordan, the greatest NBA player of all time, who once sued Qiaodan Sports.

The real Michael Jordan is standing up—against Qiaodan because Qiaodan Sports is imitating Jordan in Chinese and has been selling basketball shoes and jerseys emblazoned with #23 (Jordan’s number as a player) in more than 5,700 outlets throughout China.

Personally speaking, I hate these kinds of things. It makes our country looks like a thief and builds a very negative image of the world. Even though Qiaodan Sports’ shoe products are not that bad, but still, because of intellectual property, I won’t support this brand at least.

Shoe brands made in China: BeLLE (百丽)

Website: http://www.belle.com.cn/?shoes_cat=women

For men/women

Belle is the number one women’s shoe retailer in China and once had 22% of the domestic market share. It is engaged in the manufacturing, distribution, and retail sales of footwear products and offers a number of brand names, including Belle, Staccato, Teenmix, Tata, Fato, JipiJapa, Joy & Peace, and Bata.

As of its IPO in May 2007, the company had 3,828 retail outlets in 150 cities in China and 35 in Hong Kong, Macau, and the US. In September 2008, Belle was named No. 8 in the BusinessWeek Asia 50, Businessweek’s annual ranking of top Asian companies.

Those are the glorious days for BeLLE, which once built an empire of shoe business in China. Its main focus is still women’s shoe products but there are decent amounts of other types of shoes for men, such as sneakers, running shoes, etc.  The price is reasonable but because of its miss management and terrible decision-making, BeLLE is no more the key player in China shoe market.

Chinese sneaker brand: Warrior (回力)

Website: http://www.warriorshoes.com/

For men/women

Warrior absolutely should be mentioned if you’re asking about Chinese shoe brands, which is pretty much the Chinese All-star shoe alternative, or Chinese Air-force shoe alternative.   At least I’m a big fan of this Chinese brand since it is one of the very few original Chinese brands. Warrior shoes can be considered one of the most iconic products in China.

Founded in Shanghai in the 1930s, Warrior became a nationwide shoemaker in China from the 60s to the early 80s. Even though foreign brands like Nike and Adidas were becoming more and more popular in the mid-80s, Warrior shoes were still competing with their unique sneaker products. Nowadays, Warrior gradually starts to export their shoe products to the west, selling along with Feiyue shoes in fashionable areas of Chinese cities.

Wearing a pair of Warrior shoes is basically becoming a way to experience Chinese culture, telling you a 90 year-long story about China, about Chinese footwear history, about Chinese people.

Shoe manufacturers in China: AOKANG (奥康)

Website: https://www.aokang.com/aokang/

For men/women

Zhejiang Aokang Shoes Co., Ltd., hereinafter referred to as Zhejiang Aokang Shoes Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Aokang Shoes Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Aokang Shoes Co., Ltd., and Aokang International (English: Zhejiang Aokang Shoes Co., Ltd., Shanghai Stock Market: 603001), was founded by Wang paitao (Chairman) in 1988, formerly known as “Yongjia Aokang shoe factory”.

At present, it is engaged in the production, design, and sales of leather shoes and leather goods in China, and the main brands are Aokang, KANGLONG, meimeiren, and red Firebird. At present, its headquarters is located in Qianshi Aokang Industrial Park, Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province.

China shoes company: RDF (红蜻蜓)

Website: http://cnhqt.com/rdf-planet

For men/women

The RDF brand was founded in 1995 by Mr. Qian Jinbo, a Chinese business fashion guru. The RDF business fashion leather shoes are suitable for work and fashionable, winning the choice of more than 200 million people. On June 29, 2015, the red dragonfly was successfully listed on the A-share main board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Red dragonfly established the first shoe science and technology laboratory and the first academician workstation in the footwear industry in China and developed 83 standardized shoemaking processes to ensure that each pair of shoes produced by RDF can be comfortable and durable.

Adhering to the brand concept of the perfect integration of business and fashion, RDF provides fashionable leather shoes for workers at different levels under different business scenes with business without losing personality and fashion without losing appropriate design style and product series.

Focusing on the three core business scenes of “daily office, business social networking and business travel”, RDF business fashion shoes are committed to providing fashionable clothes for fashionable business people with diversified business needs.

Mr. Raphael Yang, an international footwear master, and former luxury brand footwear design director will be employed as the footwear fashion design director. Bring customers the most cutting-edge shoe styles in the global fashion field and enable multiple personality expressions in the workplace.

Shoe manufacturers in China: SENDA (森达)

Website: https://www.sendagroup.com/

For men/women

Jiangsu Senda Group Co., Ltd., founded in 1977, is a leader in shoe manufacturers in China. In 1997, Senda became the first well-known trademark in China’s leather shoes industry; In 1998, the Senda brand was successfully exported to Italy;

In 1999, Senda won the special award of national quality and benefit advanced enterprise; In May 2000, General Secretary Jiang Zemin personally inspected Senda; In 2001, Senda took the lead in passing the ISO: 2000 quality system certification in the national leather shoe industry, and five brands including Senda, haorenyuan, Vatican, fareno and best picture were rated as national inspection free products;

In 2002, Senda group was selected as one of the 16 Chinese enterprises with international competitiveness to enter the world-famous brand by China Industrial Economic Federation and China Famous Brand Strategy Promotion Committee, and Senda brand leather shoes were rated as China’s famous brand products by the State Administration of quality inspection and quarantine.

Chinese footwear brand: Fuguiniao (富贵鸟)

Website: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hans/%E5%AF%8C%E8%B4%B5%E9%B8%9F

For men/women

Fuguiniao group, a Chinese footwear brand established in the 1990s, is China’s largest garment industry base – Shishi, one of the most influential large enterprises.

At the beginning of the group’s entrepreneurship, it has always adhered to the business purpose of “innovation for development, quality for survival, and management for efficiency”, worked hard for governance and entrepreneurship, and has now developed into a large group company integrating leather shoes, leather goods, and clothing.

It has nearly 10000 employees, 425000 square meters of modern standard factory buildings, nearly 2 billion yuan of fixed assets, and a brand value of more than 6.28 billion yuan – (assessed in 2007); The brand value reached 9.082 billion yuan – (assessed in 2011).

In 2001, in order to expand the brand effect, the group joined hands with Italy FGN clothing (International) Development Co., Ltd. to establish Fuguiniao Clothing Development Co., Ltd.

With the purpose of “improving internal management, increasing product development, and building a strong brand”, the clothing company has developed into a comprehensive clothing enterprise integrating product R & D, production management, logistics distribution, and marketing. The marketing network covers more than 20 provinces (cities and autonomous regions) in China, and there are more than 2000 brand stores.

Custom shoe manufacturer in China: Double Star (双星)

Website: https://www.jd.com/pinpai/9755-16116.html

For men/women

Double Star, a custom shoe manufacturer in China, shoe industry is the largest shoemaking enterprise group in China. Following the industry and market laws, Double Star has successively built 10 major shoe cities, including Double Star Development Zone, Haijiang, an industrial park, Luzhong, Hanhai, Zhongyuan, Chengdu, Guiyang, Zhangjiakou, and Fujian.

It has more than 140 shoe production lines, including six categories of hot vulcanized shoes, cold adhesive shoes, cloth shoes, leather shoes, injection shoes, and professional shoes. Its products reach more than 1000 varieties, with an annual output of nearly 100 million pairs of shoes. It has also established a marketing network of 10 operation war zones, more than 200 agents, and more than 3000 chain stores across the country.

It has set up ten branches in the United States, Germany, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates abroad, and has established trade partnerships with more than 200 foreign customers. It has the only national technical research and development center and leather footwear testing center in China’s footwear industry.

Hong Kong footwear brand: Dr Kong

Website: https://www.dr-kong.com.hk/en/

For men/women

Dr. Kong is a health shoe store with 42 chain stores and a clinic in Hong Kong. It is a Hong Kong famous brand established in 2006. The annual sales of the brand reach more than HK $4 million per 40 square meters of a single store, and the sales of the company in Hong Kong in 2015 were HK $150 million, which can be described as a household name in Hong Kong.

The company broke through the Red Sea situation in the footwear industry and created a blue ocean strategy for footwear sales: children, women, and the elderly wearing the brand can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys of Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, today’s Dr. Kong products include children’s shoes, women’s shoes, men’s shoes, elderly shoes, foot protection accessories, spine protection schoolbags, etc. Dr. Kong’s health shoes go deep into the hearts of the people with the “check & fit” foot inspection and pad service.

Dr. Kong’s “experience feet before buying shoes” has influenced the public’s shoe culture and has been recognized by the industry. Since its opening, the number of members has increased by about 30% every year, and 67% of the business volume comes from old customers.

Traditional Chinese Shoes: Nei Lian Sheng (内联升)

Website: http://www.nls1853.com/ppgs

For men/women

The head office of Beijing Nei Lian Sheng (内联升) Shoes Co., Ltd. is located at No. 34, Dashilan commercial street, Qianmen. It is famous at home and abroad for producing thousand-layer soled cloth shoes.

It is the largest manufacturer of handmade cloth shoes in China. The sales form is retail and wholesale. The nature of the enterprise is a joint-stock enterprise. The registered trademark “Nei Lian Sheng” is Guo Moruo’s handwriting.

“Nei Lian Sheng” is not only a brand name but also a brand. Think deeply about the reason why the products of “internal upgrading” have not declined for a hundred years, which depends on the quality of products and good service. In the early years, it was the earliest “customer relationship management file” in China and has been incorporated into the MBA course case library of Guanghua School of Management of Peking University.

Nowadays, the service object has become ordinary people, but the business philosophy of “treating each other with sincerity, children and old people without deception” has remained so far.

Traditional Chinese Shoes: Tong Sheng He (同升和)

Website: http://www.tongshenghe.com.cn/

For men/women

Tong Sheng He (同升和)  shoe store was founded in 1902 and is famous for producing shoes and hats. The glass plate now hanging in the store was inscribed by Du Baozhen, a celebrity at that time.

In order to congratulate Tongshenghe on his opening, tie Liang personally inscribed “Tongxin makes great achievements and harmony together, and Shenggong is crowned with many financial resources”, skillfully integrating the three characters of Tong Sheng He into the couplet.

The cloth shoes produced by Tong Sheng He continuously innovate on the basis of traditional technology to meet the needs of all levels. Due to the exquisite materials, excellent workmanship, and novel style, the business is growing. The popularity is getting higher and higher. Tong Sheng He has opened five stores in Beijing and Tianjin. Tong Sheng He shoe store in Wangfujing opened in 1932.

At that time, the shopkeeper Li Xitao decided to produce leather shoes and introduced production equipment, which attracted many famous shoemakers. The products were made of high-quality leather with fine workmanship.

The products were mainly used by celebrities and foreigners in China at that time. At that time, the reason why Tong Sheng He shoe store could win in the fierce competition in the same industry and its reputation continued to develop was inseparable from its business form of self-production and self-sale in front of the store and behind the factory.

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