Beijing: heart and sole

(CRIENGLISH.com)
Updated: 2008-07-28 14:32

Cloth-sole shoes are traditional Chinese shoes worn by officials, women and peasants, spanning many dynasties. Here our reporters recently visited Neiliansheng, a cloth shoe shop with 150 years of history, located in the 'Dazhalan' hutong of Qianmen, Beijing.

Neiliansheng was established by an official at the time called Zhao Ting. 'Nei' refers to the Grand Imperial Court and 'Liansheng' implies that officials wearing Neiliansheng shoes will find more chances to boost their careers. Neiliansheng shoes were therefore viewed as luxury items and can, these days, even be considered as a form of artwork.

Cloth-sole shoes in Neiliansheng are handmade and built using natural fibers. They are light in weight, incorporating soft padding to provide ample cushioning. The sole is made up of multiple layers of cloth, sown together from up to 4000 stitches of thread. The handiwork is so intricate it can take as many as 4 days to complete a single pair. Many former Chinese leaders including Chairman Mao and Deng Xiaoping, have been seen wearing these shoes and so they have become very popular with the general public.

There are roughly five main stages needed to make the sole. Firstly, you cut out the shape of the sole from the cloth; secondly, you wrap the sole edges with a layer of cloth for protection; thirdly, you stitch the shoe soles together using thread; fourthly, you cover the sole base in bed sheets; and lastly you hammer the sole to tighten and strengthen.

In preparation for the Olympic Games, Neiliansheng provides customizable tailoring services for unavailable sizes. The largest male size is 50 (30cm in length) and female is 42 (26cm). The tailoring process can take up to one month and cost in excess of 400RMB.