The kung fu shoe, also known as a "
Tai Chi shoe" or as a "
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
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 and other martial arts, and also while performing
Tai Chi. 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
The National Revolutionary Army (NRA; ), sometimes shortened to Revolutionary Army () before 1928, and as National Army () after 1928, was the military arm of the Kuomintang (KMT, or the Chinese Nationalist Party) from 1925 until 1947 in China ...
during the
Northern Expedition and
Encirclement Campaigns
Encirclement campaigns (), officially called in Chinese Communist historiography as the Agrarian Revolutionary War were the campaigns launched by forces of the Chinese Nationalist Government against forces of the Chinese Communist Party during the ...
. Following the
resumed alliance of the
KMT and the
Chinese communists, the Kung fu shoes was widely worn by the troops from autonomous Communist formations (such as the
New Fourth Army and the
Eighth Route Army
The Eighth Route Army (), officially known as the 18th Group Army of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China, was a group army under the command of the Chinese Communist Party, nominally within the structure of the Chinese ...
) 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.
See also
*
Espadrille, a similar kind of shoe originating from the
Pyrenees.
* Japanese
tabi
are traditional Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear such as zori, dating back to the 15th century.
History
Japanese are usually understood today to be a kind of split-toed sock that is not meant to be worn alone outdoors, much like regu ...
, one variety of which is
soft cloth shoes.
*
Jutti, North Indian shoes.
References
Chinese footwear
Shoes
Sports footwear
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