The kung fu shoe, also known as a "

Tai Chi Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. ...

shoe" or as a " martial arts slipper", is a type and style of cloth slip-on shoe that is traditionally made in China, and was originally worn while practicing

kung fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...

and other martial arts, and also while performing

. Unlike other sports and exercise programs, the martial arts train the whole person—body, spirit, and mind. Martial arts are different because they are designed for self-defense and self-development. Variants of this shoe are now mass-produced for general-purpose wear, and there are several slightly different styles. These shoes are inexpensive and are available worldwide. One common kind is cheaply produced and is typically black, with minimal lining; it has a low-sided cloth upper, and a pale brown hard plastic sole. One variant is made as a lace-up shoe rather than a slip-on shoe. A version of the shoe for girls and women has a buckle strap and resembles the Mary Jane shoe. Some varieties of the kung fu shoe have reinforced cotton soles instead of plastic ones, and some have rubber soles.

Military use

Kung fu shoes were used by the low-ranking troops of the National Revolutionary Army during the

Northern Expedition The Northern Expedition was a military campaign launched by the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Kuomintang (KMT), also known as the "Chinese Nationalist Party", against the Beiyang government and other regional warlords in 1926. The ...

and Encirclement Campaigns. Following the resumed alliance of the

KMT The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...

and the

Chinese communists The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Ci ...

, the Kung fu shoes was widely worn by the troops from autonomous Communist formations (such as the

New Fourth Army The New Fourth Army () was a unit of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China established in 1937. In contrast to most of the National Revolutionary Army, it was controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and not by the ruling Ku ...

and the Eighth Route Army) of NRA. While straw slippers were issued as a stop-gap especially for new recruits, troops from German-trained NRA Divisions rather used leather shoes while their officers used leather boots.

References

Chinese footwear Shoes Sports footwear {{martialart-stub

Military use

See also

References