(), also known as Chinese shoes, Chinese-style embroidered shoes, and Chinese slippers, are a well-known sub-type of traditional ''Chinese cloth shoes'' (); the are deeply rooted in

Chinese culture Chinese culture () is one of the world's oldest cultures, originating thousands of years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia and is extremely diverse and varying, with customs and traditions varying grea ...

and are characterized by its use of elaborate and colourful Chinese embroideries to create pattern on the shoes (including the shoe cover from heal to toe, the sole of the shoes, and even the shoe padding). The traditional handicraft of making is fully indigenous to China, having been created by

Chinese people The Chinese people or simply Chinese, are people or ethnic groups identified with China, usually through ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, or other affiliation. Chinese people are known as Zhongguoren () or as Huaren () by speakers of s ...

since the ancient times, and combines Chinese shoe culture and the art of Chinese embroidery. This craft is believed to have originated during the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...

about 2600 years ago in Shanxi province; the traditional craft was then handed down from generation to generation by Chinese women. Nowadays, the continue to be used as a type of

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serves the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the manner of shoes therefore primarily serves th ...

item in , and are also used as traditional Chinese wedding shoes.

Ethnic minorities in China Ethnic minorities in China are the non-Han Chinese, Han population in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The PRC officially recognizes 55 minority group, ethnic minority groups within China in addition to the Han majority. As of 2010, th ...

also have their own styles of and their own traditional customs around these shoes.

Cultural significance and tradition

The traditional social division of labour in ancient China has been based on the concept of (); a concept which existed since matrilineal society of ancient China was replaced by a patrilineal one. ''Chinese cloth shoes'' has a history of more than 3000 years; and, although cloth shoes are rare in urban areas of China nowadays, this form of shoes remain an important irreplaceable aspect of Chinese along with

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

and

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

. Chinese embroideries have reflected and expressed the subtle changes in aesthetic concepts, cultural traditions, ethics and morals of the Chinese people throughout the millennia. Similarly, the also reflect Chinese aesthetics through the use of beautiful embroidery patterns in the shoe cover. Basic embroideries patterns tend to be flowers, birds, animals, scenery, and figures from

traditional Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...

; it can also be decorated with more auspicious patterns such

lotus seed A lotus seed or lotus nut is the seed of plants in the genus ''Nelumbo'', particularly the species ''Nelumbo nucifera''. The seeds are used in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine. Mostly sold in dried, shelled form, the seeds contain rich con ...

s, which symbolizes the birth of a child, pomegranate which symbolized multiple offspring, and the (), which is a symbol of marital bliss.

Tradition

According to the popular Chinese tale, 《》, literally , Jin Xiangong expanded his territory by merging ten vassal states in 606 BC; and to immortalize his cultural and military achievements in the mind of the general population, he ordered that all women's shoes had to depict ten fruits or flower patterns; this patterns could include pomegranate blossoms, peach blossoms,

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

s, etc; he also ordered that all civilian women had to wear the () at their weddings, a tradition which had to be followed by the succeeding generations such that the future generations never forget his legacy. The worn by women was thus also known at this period. In the past,

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...

brides' sewing skills were best reflected in the making of shoes. For example, in Jinzhong county, Chinese brides used to sew and embroider shoes, known as (), prior to their wedding; these shoes would later be sent to the home of the groom one day before the wedding ceremony; the bride's mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and neighbours would then comment on the skills of the bride almost acting as judges.

United States

In the early 20th century, the manufactured in China were imported to the United States where they were sold in American stores to American women as boudoir shoes; none of this imported were sold to Chinese people. Chinese shoes firms in the United States, on the other hand, would mainly sell the to Chinese people who were living in the United States. A tariff system was implemented in the United States in order to curb the sales of Chinese shoes in the United States; customs appraisers at that time would place a tariff of 60 per cent on these shoes as they were classified as articles of silk embroidery; this tariff was so large that it prevented the general sales of the in the United States.

Related items

* Tiger-head shoes * Lotus shoes *

Manchu platform shoes Manchu platform shoes refers to the traditional high Platform shoe, platform shoes worn by Manchu people, Manchu women which appeared in the early Qing dynasty and continued to be worn even in the late Qing dynasty. It is a type of (), Manchu sho ...

References

External links