Neiliansheng Shoes

Entering a new era

Cheng said it is the company's market strategy that has kept it alive today. For example, the company created several new patterns of cloth shoes to match modern fashion tastes in the two years that he has run the company.

By successfully combining new designs with traditional techniques, Neiliansheng has maintained its popularity among Chinese people.

"Now people care more about the health and comfort of their feet than the shoes' appearance when choosing shoes," said one salesman in Neiliansheng who sells cloth shoes to taxi drivers and professionals who wear them to relax.

Life-long Neiliansheng wearers like 70-year-old Yu Shouzhong of Beijing cringe when they think of binding their feet in lace-ups or stuffing them in tight stiff leather shoes.

"Neiliansheng's shoes are nice and cool in the summer and they don't pinch my feet," said Yu. "In the winter, I wear thicker ones with fleece inside, they are even warmer than leather boots."

Cheng is now looking at expanding his shoes to a new shore.

"We're thinking about targeting the Chinatowns in the United States and Europe. There are a lot of people who stock up on the shoes when they visit China," he said.