Ok… let’s be honest here. When I first heard about Feiyue, it was some China shoe brand that Orlando Bloom was spotted wearing and suddenly it became the “it” shoe to have. In my mind, I was thinking ok this fad is just going to last a season. An over glorified canvas shoe. But, I’ve been recently educated that it’s no longer the cheapo $5 martial art canvas lace up shoe made in China with Made-in-China quality.

Originally produced in Shanghai since the 1920s, the Brand then released the rights to produce the shoes outside of China in 2006 by a French entrepreneur who then whipped the brand into shape and improved the quality of the shoes and re-positioned them for the International market. And wahey! Now introduced to the more fashion-conscious consumers, they are distributed in 20 countries.

Here is what I found on the internet for you sneaker freaks.

Both the original Chinese versions of the Feiyue shoes and re-designed French versions have a number of differences. The differences include:

1. Sole of the Shoe
The sole of the Chinese Feiyue shoe contains reduced padding on the bottom of the shoe, which is considered desirable for running and jumping. The sole of the French version has richer padding on the bottom and is designed for more general purpose use.

2. Canvas Material of the Shoe
The canvas material of Chinese Feiyue shoe is thin resulting in a large range of ankle flexibility. The martial arts application requires a wide range of foot motion. The canvas material of France version is much thicker.

3. Color of the Shoe
The Chinese Feiyues come in only two colors, black and white and also come in HI and LO version of each. And it is also lack of styles, only with simple stripes with some different colors. The French Feiyues come in many colors and sizes and are targeted towards a more fashion conscious audience.

The wonderful people from Feiyue Singapore and Goodstuph came to my office with a wine crate of French goodies. Loved loved LOVED the wine crate, it’s now in my room and I think I want to buy more. In the crate there were: Macarons, French marmalade, French soda, cookies, Feiyue buttons and a pair of hi-cut Feiyue shoes.

The shoe is under the Feiyue Street collection, a tribute to classics of street fashion, made in premium materials such as waxy leather, suede or wool felt.

This pair was a brown waxy leather with a grey wool felt. Looks a bit masculine for a girl, but still workable. I’d wear this with cropped pants or full length jeans.

Verdict on quality? Am pleasantly surprised. So… what have we learnt today kids? It’s all about branding, packaging and quality control + a little something called style.

Here’s a few silly photos from the launch event at Velvet Underground.

Website: www.feiyue-shoes.com

People always say you should have loud thumping music when you run, you know, keeps you pumpin and the adrenalin going. Sometimes it works, but it was only 2 years ago that I realised that talk radio was also a great running companion.

I used to listen to alot of Scott Mills podcasts. I’d listened to it at work, on my commute, at home, so much so I got Janice on it as well. I guess it’s great for running because you’re concentrating on what is being said that I tend to forget how painful or how long the run is.

adidas recently took this step a bit further. They have created “missions” for your run! I thought the concept was really cute! The adidas Colour Missions is a set of downloadable tracks that can be downloaded from www.adidascolourmisssions.com that can be uploaded onto your mp3 player. There are 4 missions to choose from:
Yellow – The Getaway
Green – The Mothership
Blue – The Rockstar
Red – Before Dawn

Each one has a different scenario using sounds effects and storytelling. The storytelling goes through the whole track. It’s kinda cool because you try to visualise the scenario.

For example
“You are the lead singer in an international rockband, tonight is the gig of your life and you’re late…”

It’s a novelty thing and a cute campaign for the new ClimaCool Rides and worth trying out for the fun of it. Check out the splash of colours in this season’s shoes!

Anyway, going for a run with Mission Yellow – The Getaway, the scenario when my heist has gone wrong and I need to escape!

New shoes have come my way and I’m really excited to blog about this pair. It’s ANOTHER PURPLE PAIR OF PUMPS! Adidas unveils this bright and energetic range for fall/winter 2010.

Funny how purple seems to be popping into my life a lot as of late. Or maybe it’s just a natural inclination. Laws of attraction. Not just any purple, but more towards the fuchsia colour palate.

Going to show you two shoes under the Adidas Fluid range, the one pictured in this post is the Adidas Fluid Trainer light.

First impressions
Design and Colours: The shoe comes in 8 colour combinations for the female version and 7 for the guy’s model. The one that really stood out for me was the purple one.

Material: I love the mesh material at the front and sides, it makes the shoe smaller and a lot cooler!

Function: sole with deep grooves means I get a better grip. And midsole flexibility makes it comfortable to walk with. And what I love most about the shoe is the multi-functionality. It may not be a half-marathon running shoe, but it’s good for the gym, dance and casual attire. Which means essentially I can just wear one shoe on gym days!

Price: The Fluid Trainer Light retails at S$119 which is pretty affordable for a dual purpose shoe.

Final verdict: I guess one word to sum it up is flexibility in terms of shoe design, technology as well as usage! To be honest, one side of the shoe was giving me heel blisters at first. But after the second time, it was okay. I think it needed to be worn in a bit. I especially think it’s a freakin fantastic shoe for travelling! I’m definitely taking this for my next holiday!

The collection is available at adidas Sport Performance stores, the adidas online store, leading e-retailers and selected sports retailers all around the world.

I like to pair it with my jeans rolled up 3/4, purple nail polish, and a purple top. Here are some en route shots to date.

By the way… Haven’t blog about it yet, but my hair is purple too! Muahahaha

Am reviewing the NEW Reebok ZigTech shoes which claims to reduce wear and tear in key leg muscles.

When I first picked up the shoes, first thoughts were “Wow, I’m loving the colour!”. I’m quite tired of the usual white runners with small highlights of colours. I was ready for something unusual. The second thought was, “Mel would love these purple shoes!”. True enough when I tweeted about it, Mel was the first few to @reply.

Reebok has been bubbling under other major sport shoe brands, and I sometimes wonder if it’s really because of the quality or just brand perception. I’m quite brand loyal, but it’s good to see what’s out there too.

The Shoe:

So these ZigTech shoes are Reebok’s most advance running and training show to date. It’s designed to “conserve and return energy back to the runner”. .

The unique zig-zag shaped sole absorbs the impact of heel strike. The technology results in up to 20% less wear and tear on key leg muscles, shins and hamstrings

I’m a perfect candidate for shoe tests and reviews, because I currently have 2 bad knees. With Chondromalacia patella and Tendonitis caused by either over-pronation of the feet and impact sports like running. So I’m always on the look out for shoes that support my arches or in this case reduces impact on the knees.

Verdict:

To be honest, I was unconvinced. Again, perception. If it’s not a adidas, Nike or Asics, it can’t be good for me right? Well…I’ve been wearing it to the gym lately and skeptical as I was at first, it seemed pretty good on my knees so far. The only thing that I would have liked is more support for my arches.

But it’s definitely got a 10/10 in the looks department. I like the combination of the faux leather and polkadots on the shoe. It’s a multi-purpose shoe for gym, court or track, so not just a running shoe.

Been loving the splashes of colours I’ve been adding to my wardrobe lately, and this shoe has been a great addition.

Regular retail price: S$149
Available at Stadium, Royal Sporting House stores, Sports Station and selected authorised dealers.

Did a little Googling to find some additional multimedia on the shoe.

ZigTech microsite <– microsite is pretty cool I must say. Wasn’t expecting it to be so interactive and fun! Try the game

It’s bad enough that crocs have invaded our lives and torn off the skin of kids feet, but it’s just plain ridiculous to see them worn with socks! Worse, by a man!?!

No no no no NO! Uncle…. cannot!

Check out my new cycling shoe from Adidas!! Talk about a pimped out shoe!

Limited edition Beijing Olympics 2008 cycling shoes.

It comes in two different editions i think – road or tri. This one is the tri ones.


It’s so white and clean, I’m afraid to wear it out to the trails! But seriously, that’s what its made for, to use and abuse! Not as a display in your shoe cupboard. Wish there was more information about the shoe online. I want to know what its made of, and the design elements of the shoe.

So Sexaaaayyyy