Chinese Shoe Thread

I bought several toys on Aliexpress for my kids last month & there were no tariffs or additional costs that I could tell to ship to the US. Shipping was free & the timeframe was pretty good considering the holiday season & they had to go through customs. You'll get at least 5 emails per item on shipping updates, lol.

Crazy how much cheaper knock off Lego & American Girl doll clothing is on Aliexpress. Kids knew in advance they were knockoffs & they didn't care.

I'm in the US. I bought several pairs on AliExpress around the 11.11 sale. All of them very clearly stated the shipping cost and taxes (assume tariffs are included here). There were no surprise costs at all.

I finally got Taobao working in the middle of December. A few tips:

-When you sign up for Taobao, they automatically create an Alipay account for you. Do yourself a favor and create your own Alipay account and link that to Taobao instead. I got stuck in a trap of having a "mainland China" Alipay account that I couldn't verify and had to go through the arduous "appeal" process on Taobao for any card I wanted to use. I also started getting my payment declined after a few orders/cancellations. With my own Alipay account, I can verify my identity with my passport and add cards that just work with Taobao.

-For shipping, set up a Cainiao account linked to your Taobao account. You'll ship your Taobao purchases to the Cainiao warehouse, then order shipping to the US via Cainiao. Cainiao offers various shipping options, but the most important thing to point out is that they have shipping that includes all tariffs. I bought 5 pairs of size 45 shoes and a few other non-running items in December. I chose the express sea shipping (25-35 days) with fees (tariffs) included. The initial cost was 600 RMB ($86), but I chose to have all of the shipping materials (shoe boxes, etc.) removed and then have them repackage. I got refunded ~220 RMB, so the shipping came out to about $55 total. The shipping is by weight, but really it's "volumetric weight", which is a quirky measurement. I think 3+ pairs is probably the sweet spot to get the best shipping prices because the cost of each additional kg is substantially less than the first kg. One note - be prepared to wait. I ordered shipping from Cainiao on 12/28 and it didn't clear customs in China until 1/6. I expect to get them by the end of the month.

Taobao is dramatically cheaper than AliExpress, especially for the lesser-known brands. I'm intentionally avoiding Li-Ning, Anta, etc. because I think you pay a "marketing" surcharge, much like you would for Nike. To me, it looked like the new Li-Ning shoes (Feidian 6 Elite/Challenger, Red Hare 9 Pro) were actually priced about the same on AliExpress and Taobao. Do-Win, Dynafish, Qiaodan, and BMAI are the brands I've been looking at the most on Taobao. Do-Win and Dynafish don't have official stores on AliExpress, so all you're getting there are resellers selling old or marked up stock. You can get the Dynafish Danian and Xiaonian for about $130 combined on Taobao. Do-Win PB4.0 for $60, Speedster 3.0 for $90, etc. Qiaodan and BMAI have a bit higher baseline price, but Qiaodan I'm seeing on Taobao for about half the price of AliExpress.

I did my first run in the Li-Ning Feidian 5 Challenger yesterday and I can easily say these are my favourite shoes I've tried from Chiness brands so far.

They're actually the only fully carbon plated shoe I've run in, my usual race day shoe is the AP4's which I do also enjoy but the Challenger just felt more propulsive to me. Perhaps it the firmness and stiffness in the shoe, it didn't feel soft like the AP4's which I thought I preferred until trying these.

Outstanding value for money.

Anyone try the Do-win Hexagon 2?

I have nothing but great things to say about all the Chinese running shoes i've tried.
If you're into fun, soft non-plated daily trainers, I can recommend Qiaodan HighWind TR 3, and the Anta G21 V3.

I've bought way too many Chinese shoes, so I'll start with a question: Has anyone tried the 361 Miro Nude (Li Feng)? Jogoncrago had this as his favorite 5k shoe but at least the second version of it looks much closer to the $500 Adiclogs, even more so than the PB Pro.

Anyway, my favorites: Dynafish XiaoNian (best supertrainer ever), Challenger 5 and Dynafish 1.0 for workouts, BMAI Expeditionist 6.0 for recovery/walking, Xtep 160x 7.0 for longer races (HM+), PB Pro for shorter races.

I also very much like the BMAI Carbon 3.0 Turbo, which is super-light and less than a $100, which is ridiculous. Mostly use them on easy days but that's just because I usually prefer a light shoe over anything else -- they would also work well for workouts.

True busts so far: Do-Win Speedster 3, which feels like a sh1tty version of the Boston 12, and somehow incredibly hard on the feet despite adding a ton of foam. The Do-Win PB 3 isn't really working for me either, they definitely feel cheap and the upper/heel is abysmal.

Red Hare 8 Pro are fine (and great for the price) but I'd rather get another pair of the BMAIs at that price point. "Jordan" Plaid 1.5 are okay but do feel a bit heavy.

Currently waiting for the Li-Ning Chitu 9 Ultra, which... is a new version of the Red Hare but now called Ultra? I don't really get their naming conventions. Also considering the Elite 6 or Ultra 6. Challenger 6 sounds like a bit of a let-down in reviews.

69mpourhalf marathon Chinese runner herdown. own 6 pairs of alphafly3 and 10 pairs of qiaodan feiying plaid1.5.

both are one of the most protective of all shoes ever created, Because i run all of my mileage fast and don't wanna drive 30min to that golf court.

the alphafly3 is a bit more protective and a lot more comfortable than the plaid1.5. This is really important since i am stuck on the southernmost island of China and it is hot and humid year round. In summer, I have to pour ice water over my body during runs to cool down. And the alphaflys never give me any blisters or friction problems. However, af3 are also less stable and harder to control. The plaid1.5 is a very versatile shoe. I even use them for basketball from time to time cuz they're simply too stable. they are fsst too. faster than vaporflys, at least for me. their cpu rubber is crazily gripy and durable.

as for other shoes, they are garbage compared to these two, you folks can forget about them from now on.

Here to chime in with some thoughts of my own, bit of a long post ahead:

Li-Ning Red Hare 8 Pro - Honestly enjoy this one more than the Feidian Challenger 5 just because it's a bit more approachable and versatile IMO. Feels like a slightly less aggressive Endorphin Speed with more ground feel but still plenty capable of doing anything from easy pace up to threshold. I could take these for every run of my week and be more than covered. A true do it all trainer so long as you don't mind firm responsive rides.

Li-Ning Feidian Challenger 5 - Despite being marketed as a tempo trainer and not a full on racer, I can see this being a legit racing option for many people. To me it feels like a more explosive substantial feeling Deviate Nitro Elite 3.

Dynafish Xiaonian - Just finally got the chance to try this and yeah, it's the real deal. If I had to describe it one word... a lighter, smoother, softer Evo SL with an upper textile similar to that of the Boston 12 (not my favorite, but the laces are much better than any Adidas laces). The foam feels like a squishier version of Lightstrike Pro Classic, but not quite as soft as the newer formulation seen in the 2024-2025 lineup.

I actually tried the Danian as well (their racer) both on AliExpress at the same price and the foam feels exactly the same in the two shoes, with the only real difference being the amount of it. Despite being someone who has a personal preference for mid stack vs max stack shoes and liking ground feel, I do think this is one of those cases where more = better. The Xiaonian, despite being the trainer counterpart and heavier by a full ounce or more, the higher stack height lends itself to a more resilient, more energetic feel. For most people, there isn't really a reason to get both and the Xiaonian for all intents and purposes is flat out better.

Do-Win PB Pro: Need to try this one more but I fear I may have gotten a fake pair just from pressing the foam. It looks completely identical visually to the real pairs I've seen, but I bought it off of AliExpress rather than TaoBao. It does feel weightless in my hands, but the foam feels similar to a fake Evo Pro chinese knockoff I bought off eBay once. Hoping I'm wrong on this one though... only time will tell

I would you suggest to contact Kristian Ulriksen of Breaking Marathon Limits through Instagram. He seems well versed in the ins and outs of Chinese shoes.

I bought too many too.

For reference, I'd been running in a Nike rotation of Vomero Plus, Zoom Fly 6, and Vaporfly 4. Before that, Adidas Prima 2, Boston 12, Evo SL, and Adios Pro 3.

For easy runs: I've tried the Li-Ning Yueying 5 Pro, Qiaodan Leili 1.0, and Li-Ning Red Hare 8 Pro. The Yueying 5 Pro and Leili 1.0 are a nice contrast - Yueying 5 Pro is very stable and a little firm, while the Leili 1.0 is soft and comfy. I don't really need the stability of the Yueying 5 Pro, so I probably won't get another pair. I really don't care for the Red Hare 8 Pro. I think I got my expectations too high based on seeing other people's opinions. There's nothing exciting about them and the shank is pinging a nerve in my arch.

For speed runs: I've tried the Do-Win PB3.0 and Qiaodan Wind 3. I'm not really sure why I got the Wind 3 (nylon-plated, not premium foam), but it performs well for how cheap it is. No complaints with the PB3.0. I have a bad habit of wearing outsoles out very quickly on my speed shoes, and both are holding up very well.

On a boat in the Pacific I have: Dynafish Danian, Dynafish Xiaonian, Do-Win Speedster 3.0, Do-Win Critical 3.0, Qiaodan Plaid 2.0. Some of this was just impulse buying (Plaid 2.0). I haven't seen a single review of the Critical 3.0, so I'm half convinced it will be a dud - I just wanted to see if Do-Win made a quality daily trainer. I'm hoping to pit the Danian and Speedster against each other for racing this season, so hopefully the Speedster isn't just a worse version of the Boston 12 as mentioned above. Next up to try would be the BMAI Carbon Fly 2 (released yesterday) and then waiting for BMAI updates of the Expedition and Turbo, which I think would be due this quarter if following an annual release schedule.

Unfortunately, the Do-Win PB Pro is out of stock above EU size 43, so I haven't been able to try that.

Great info, thanks!

Out of curiosity, have you compared overall pricing of Cainiao/Taobao vs. Mulebuy/Taobao? I've browsed Mulebuy and it seems to be a viable option for US shoppers although it's kind of hard to tell how much you'll end up paying for shipping...I've used the estimator based on what I think 3 pairs of shoes should weigh, but I have no idea if that's going to be close to reality.

I'm interested in getting some Chinese shoes, specifically the Li-Ning Challenger 5. Can anyone comment on how wide they run? I've got really wide feet and typically have to buy 2E, or Altras.

I've compared product prices between Mulebuy and Taobao, but not shipping. I suspect Mulebuy would be similar or slightly higher than Cainiao for shipping.

Mulebuy absolutely charges a markup compared to Taobao. Most products I've seen on Taobao have sticker prices that are higher than the actual selling price - they just apply automatic and permanent coupons to the products. Examples of products from the flagship stores:

-BMAI Fly 2 was just released. 579 RMB sticker price on Taobao, discounted to 499 RMB. 599 RMB on Mulebuy.

-Dynafish Xiaonian: 699 RMB sticker price on Taobao, discounted to 499 RMB. 719 RMB on Mulebuy.

-Do-Win Speedster 3.0: 704 RMB sticker price on Taobao, discounted to 619 RMB. 724 RMB on Mulebuy.

-Qiaodan Plaid 2.0: 1198 RMB sticker price on Taobao, discounted to 899 RMB. 1232 RMB on Mulebuy.

I hadn't actually looked at it this closely before, but I think two things are happening: 1) Mulebuy does not give you credit for the coupons that you get on Taobao. Again, the coupons on Taobao are available automatically without you even needing to do anything, and they seem to be permanent discounts. Mulebuy probably pockets the difference. 2) Mulebuy charges an additional ~20 RMB on top of the Taobao sticker price. This is minor compared to the other point.

I don't know about their running shoes, but their weightlifting shoes are top notch (Luxiaojun).

Has anyone tried these bad bhoys?

I use it for my long runs on Sunday.

Had an initially break it period in the first run where it felt stiff, but now feels great doing my 15 mile runs.

Anyone tried the Red Hare 9 pro? Is it better than the 8?

Same with the Feidan Challenger 5 vs 6? Is the update worthwhile?

my first pair of china shoes gets here this week. Got the Xiaonian Dynafish

No men's sizes available for the RH9P yet... still waiting on that.

So I bought them before I saw this and they are here. They look exactly as pictured in the link I provided and are indeed a deliberate clone. That said, they look like a good shoe. Ended up being $40 in total. I’m tempted to just try them. I could still return them or worst case cancel the charge but idk they look good.