We are all talking about them mainly because they are cheap for what you get not because they are necessarily better if ignoring the price.
I have the Li-Ning Challenger 5 which is probably comparable to a 4 year old supershoe (Saucony Pro 3?) but only cost £70. I don’t think it would sell for £130 as people would just by an Adidas or ASICS because they know the brand but miss out on a great shoe.
Is that why some of these shoes are cheaper than some Western shoes? They're using old technology?
I think the comparison is coincidental and definitely not an indication that the technology is out of date or undesirable. The most noticeable advancements in technology typically concerns the foam. The Challenger 5 is PEBA, which for some brands is their top foam, whereas some have moved on to TPU and TPEE.
Light shoes with a forgiving/complimentary plate and energetic foam have been around for a while. The big brands charging at least twice as much as the Chinese brands for comparable shoes is not a reflection of the technology being used.
For what it's worth the Challenger 5 is marketed as a tempo trainer/slower people racer, not an "elite racing shoe." So it isn't really cutting edge. The top models generally have new tech, some even have stuff that's not in western shoes - the new elastic pod (not sure what else to call it) in the Challenger 6 series for example.
Also funny how many of us runners actually prefer the "old technology" feel of the early versions of shoes like the Endorphin Pro/Speed.
The original Speed felt groundbreaking at the time (much like the Superblast since for different reasons). Like a lot of others, I preferred the Speed to the Pro, as the Nylon plate was less harsh. I find the Speed 1 and Challenger 5 similar in some ways, the plates are not aggressive and you feel like you’re balancing on top of the foam a little.
I bought the red hares for $30, challenger 5s for $45, and the dynafish for $100 all on Mulebuy with links posted on the NSA strava group. I felt like I was getting a great deal but shipping to the US was $80, which really cuts into the value.
I bought the red hares for $30, challenger 5s for $45, and the dynafish for $100 all on Mulebuy with links posted on the NSA strava group. I felt like I was getting a great deal but shipping to the US was $80, which really cuts into the value.
I've heard from a few american buyers that shipping fees are a big turnoff for them, probably due to tariffs.
For me in the UK I generally pay £20-£30 per shoe, my largest order of 4 shoes cost £50 but I was then refunded £20, as you pay an estimated shipping price and the difference from the actual price is is refunded back to you.
I now have £25 in refunds available so enough for free shipping on my next purchase.
This post was edited 15 seconds after it was posted.
Buy on Ebay or from discount places. I don't have super discount places near me or have the time to go to Nike Clearance stores but Ebay will do. Let sellers make their little profit off of you. You still get a great deal. Purchased a Vaporfly 3 for a friend for $40 on Ebay. I couldn't believe it. Not a fake. It was from Ross stores.
Ya in the US I can't find the Dynafish for any cheaper than a lot of western shoes. I may dip my feet in first with the Red Hare 8 Pro for an easy & long run shoe. They're only $65 on aliexpress with free shipping.
Which is softer? Red Hare or Xiaonian? I like softer shoes for winter, running well below freezing weather most days.
What's the boom foam in the Red Hare 8 pro? EVA, TPU, TPEE, Peba, supercritical?
Ya in the US I can't find the Dynafish for any cheaper than a lot of western shoes. I may dip my feet in first with the Red Hare 8 Pro for an easy & long run shoe. They're only $65 on aliexpress with free shipping.
Which is softer? Red Hare or Xiaonian? I like softer shoes for winter, running well below freezing weather most days.
What's the boom foam in the Red Hare 8 pro? EVA, TPU, TPEE, Peba, supercritical?
The red hare 8 pro uses a beaded peba. Feels more compressive and energetic than in the endorphin speed 4 that I've used. Haven't tried the xiaonian, but that one's supposed to have a softer foam. I've heard a bit softer than the evo sl.
Aliexpress has some version of the Feidian 5 for like $25 right now with no shipping cost. At least that's what it looks like to me. Is this the right version? Seems too good to be true if the shoe really does mimic an endorphin speed.
My first pair of Chinese shoes was the Red Hare 8 pro. My first impression wasn't great as I'm so used to max cusion shoes but after using them for 100km+ I find myself reaching for them more than any other shoe, including more than my Megablasts.
They're responsive but bouncy, the remind me a lot of the speed 2s.
I've just received a pair of Xiaonian's and I find my ankles are struggling a bit, I think I need a bit more support personally. The do feel nice and light but I'm a little underwhelmed.
I've got a pair of Challenger 5s on the way.
My favorite shoe of all time is the SB2 for reference, I just can't justify that cost anymore.
nope. this is fake. if you compare pictures for the feisport 5e and the feidian 5 elite (on li ning's storefront), you'll see the foam looks different too, and the upper isnt quite the same. and the little icon on the side should say feidian, not feisport. this is a deliberate clone, and possibly a scam. tread carefully with it.
1. Qiaodan TG1 - Similar to the Novablast, but better in every way - including being 1/3rd of the price (Go true to size with Qiaodan).
2. Xtep Qingyun - Nothing special, but very comfortable and my go to safe shoe.
3. Li-Ning Yueying 5 - Lightweight and comfortable enough, but lacks cushioning in the forefoot.
4. Qiaodan LH Max - Heavy and firm underfoot, but still reliable enough.
Race day/speed shoes:
1. Do-Win PB Pro - ridiculously lightweight (150g in EU42) and responsive. I'm gonna race in them this weekend. Only issues are rocks getting stuck in the bottoms and really bad lace bit. I had to stick some felt padding on the tongue of the left shoe (which added all of 3 grams to it's weight).
2. Do-Win PB3 - The cheapest super shoe on the market (less than a quarter of what you'd pay for a Vaporfly). It feels similar to the Vaporfly 2, but has a slightly lower drop.
3. Dynafish Danian 1 - Another ridiculously lightweight shoe (157g in a US9), but not as responsive as the PB Pro. Very comfortable though.
4. Li-Ning Feidian Challenger 5 - I don't know what all the hype is about. It's not a bad shoe, but also nothing to write home about. To me it lacks cushioning in the forefoot, and feels a bit wobbly in the heel.
It's worth knowing that I am a forefoot/midfoot striker with a fairly narrow foot, so make of it what you will.
Apart from the Qiaodans, I went a half size down in everything else e.g. I would usually be a 42.5 or 42 2/3 in Euro sizing, but went a EU 42 in every other brand.
The Chinese manufacturers could break into the market in a big way and undercut Nike, et all with much cheaper super shoes. They just need them on the feet of a major or Valencia winner. That is where it starts. Not with having old man Bekele show up to sign some autographs and dnf.
I believe they’re doing that with Barega (Olympic 10000m gold in Tokyo). I don’t feel that he’s too far off from a WMM win at the moment.
For what it's worth the Challenger 5 is marketed as a tempo trainer/slower people racer, not an "elite racing shoe." So it isn't really cutting edge. The top models generally have new tech, some even have stuff that's not in western shoes - the new elastic pod (not sure what else to call it) in the Challenger 6 series for example.
Also funny how many of us runners actually prefer the "old technology" feel of the early versions of shoes like the Endorphin Pro/Speed.
Definitely. I feel like Saucony perfected the Speed on the first iteration and the best version of the Vaporflys was the 4% Flyknit. Both Nike and Saucony messed with perfection
I bought the red hares for $30, challenger 5s for $45, and the dynafish for $100 all on Mulebuy with links posted on the NSA strava group. I felt like I was getting a great deal but shipping to the US was $80, which really cuts into the value.
FWIW: I ended up getting refunded $28 in credits on the quoted $80 shipping cost.
I've put 300+ miles on a few pairs and they hold up the same as Adidas, Nike, saucony. The foam loses some of its bounce (so do the others) but the rubber (on Xtep 2000km and Li-Ning Red Hare 8 pro) is hardly worn. The only rubber I've used that is comparable in terms of durability is Adidas continental.
+1 for the Red Hare 8 Pro, I got it off amazon a few months ago, ran 2hrs in a downpour + puddles this weekend and I was fearing insole slippage, but it stayed and place and held up really well
I've been eyeballing some of these Chinese shoes but in the US I can buy from amazon at prices that are not that appealing compared to scoping out sales on well known brands. Red Hare Pro is still $100 on amazon with the non-pro version at $67 right now. If one orders from aliexpress isn't there going to be a duty/tariff due on delivery?
I do see the Anta PG7 around $60 which looks good but I can still find Pegasus 39-41 or Adizero SL2 and a few other 'name' shoes out there for those prices.
What's the secret? Do US buyers get jacked (or not) on added duties on goods from China at this time?
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Modifying the Chinese Shoes Approach to Lower Prices
The Red Hare 8 Pro is in my shopping cart and it's $70 total before coupons. My understanding of tariffs is that the tariff is technically paid by the retailer because they are importing the good, but indirectly passed onto the consumer, and cost of the tariff is shared by both parties. Aliexpress would lose a lot of sales if they increased prices because they would no longer be competitive with western brands, so it makes more financial sense for them to keep prices the same and absorb the tariffs. If prices were much higher no westerners would buy from them. The general economic principle is that whoever's supply/demand is more inelastic shares the greatest burden. Demand is very elastic because if they increased prices $20 almost no Americans would buy them, and supply is pretty inelastic because the Americans market for Chinese shoes is pretty negligible compared to the domestic market, and producing the, maybe 1000 or so shoes that Americans would buy doesn't cost that much. Not sure about Taobao. Also not sure why you think tarrifs would be different between Amazon and Aliexpress. They both ship from China.
Has anyone tried buying the Dynafish Xiaonian through Aliexpress? Looks like if you do an image search rather than a name search several sellers are selling it under a different name. I wasn't sure if that was legit. Otherwise are there any not so complicated options for US buyers?
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