Grab a pair of Original Feiyue in China@legendary Feiyue 585 Store

By 阿杜.Steward
Shanghai

Feiyue 585 Store
Now let's take a trip to the legendary Feiyue 585 store at Shanghai. It's reported to be the only existing Feiyue shoes store that has a direct root with its original factory. (see Lifeweek's article)

1. How to get there

View Larger Map

Above's a snapshot from Google map, you can use it get yourself familiar its location.
- you can click the blue balloon to see its actual site on the map

- the blue line helps you find a way from the subway Exit to the shop (Total distance:473.831 m )

- if you're taking a cab,it's located on No.585, Changning Distric, Shanghai :)

- Be careful, it's easy to miss.Anyway as more and more people coming from all over to buy original Feiyue, they're now hanging a red paper to help you find them a bit easier "飞跃专卖店 585" (Feiyue 585 store).

2.What's in there ?
Small, the shop is very small that's the first impression when I stepped in, probably much smaller than you ever imagine(only about 5m x 6m) and according to saleswoman Ms.Zhao, it's always crowded with people especially during weekends, coming to buy feiyue shoes and other classical Chinese sneakers like Warriors (another classical sneaker brand rooted in Shanghai), Double starts Sneaker etc.

Shoes were everywhere,lots of shoes,hung on the walls, displayed disorderly in the counters or plies up on the floor. And many brands too, Feiyue, warriors are not quite eye-catching as scattered with other shoes like Converse and Levi's even many other nitch brands (yes,you can get very cheap Converse and Levi's here as well, since the factory of feiyue also do OEM for the C and L brand).

3.Additional info about the visit

Saleswomen were extremely nice. I was curious about what did they think of the successful re-branding of Feiyue in France and is it making any impact on the shop now and in the future. They think branding is important, and they want to understand what a brand is. But they don't have any experience. If you haven't grown up with brands it's hard to understand them. There's a lack of experience in what a brand is and what it takes to build a brand. As to the manufacturer of feiyue (and all these sneakers), TopOne(大博文) is putting much of its capacity in OEM for overseas. Its organizational structure, its human capital and many many others factors causing the change less likely to happen (as least in near future).

Ayi is helping me packing the shoes like wrapping up a Chinese Zongzi,and you don't even get decent box for you shoes. You're probably thinking they're lacking good package design, well that reflects a growing concern over branding among Chinese enterprises.

Chinese brands that are at a disadvantage in the world and to avoid losing control of domestic brands when cooperating with overseas investors.Currently in China, only three in every 10,000 enterprises own intellectual property rights (IPRs) and unique techniques. And more than 60 percent of enterprises do not have trademarks. An enterprise without a trademark is unable to become a famous brand.

Most of "Made-in-China" products are made for overseas firms, thus bearing those firms" trademarks. As a result, the majority of profits, made by taking advantage of a large amount of land and mine resources, as well as cheap labor force and even at the price of environment pollution, do not go to the OEMs (original equipment manufacturer) in China, but their foreign counterparts.If you don't have the skills of marketing, the only way you can differentiate is on price....

Some Chinese brands are gradually edged out of the market and finally disappear in mergers and acquisitions between Chinese and overseas businesses.

As a college student and fans of classical I sincerely want to contribute whatever I can for the revival of Chinese classical brands. Branding is all about intellectual and more importantly emotional connection with people. When people begin to support the image, like from the more brand savvy cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, other second-tier cities will move up in good speed to catch up with the trends. All right, it's time for me to take some initiative, looks cool right? I mean the shoes!!