DOUBTS QUASHED
Not all runners, however, have been willing to dip their feet into Chinese products. There are those in SRC who have stuck to the household names, primarily due to the belief that they have a more established track record.
“There is a minor group of runners in our club loyal to Western brands, it’s a small percentage (who) feel that these brands are tried and tested,” said Mr Beh.
Other runners, like competitive marathoner Giebert Foo, also admitted to an initial perception of Chinese shoes as being of lower quality and durability.
But the 34-year-old public servant’s curiosity was whetted about three years ago when several friends started to don Chinese super shoes.
Light research showed that some of these shoes could be obtained at about S$150 to S$200, and with his friends insisting they were comparable to Nike and Adidas offerings, he was compelled to give it a go.
Super shoes from more established brands typically retail between S$300 and S$400.
Mr Foo found Chinese super shoes to be more “aggressive” – runner parlance for a shoe propelling them forward with more force with every step.
He said that around 90 per cent of his friends own Chinese super shoes now, up from half of them back in 2022.
Some of Singapore’s top runners have also had their racing performances boosted by Chinese brands.
This reason alone made the switch from Nike super shoes to Qiaodan ones about three years ago a “no-brainer” for Mr Darren Southcott, who holds the fastest marathon timing by a Singapore resident so far this year.
He said about 60 per cent of runners from his club, Singapore Shufflers, have at least one pair of Chinese running shoes. At the start of the decade, almost no one was wearing them.
The 33-year-old added that the high prices set by more established brands were unjustified, given that the shoes are likely also made in China or surrounding regions.
“A lot of Western brands have their shoes produced in Asia as well … These big brands could sell shoes a bit cheaper, but they know people will buy them at a more expensive price,” he said.
“It’s purely marketing, putting a fancy branding on it.”
