Liberation Shoes

Liberation Shoes, 解放鞋 in Chinese, are green cloth shoes with rubber sole. Such shoes used to be the standard equipment for the Liberation Army, but many civilians also like to wear the shoes. On May 1, 2003, the army adopted new training shoes. The era of the Liberation Shoes is gone. The official name of such shoes is "cloth shoes with rubber sole". There are many guesses about its popular name. One says that the shoes were first made in the Liberation War before 1949 ; another simply says they were worn by the Liberation Army. For whatever reason, Liberation Shoes won great popularity among soldiers and civilians in the past half of the 20th century. At times when the nation suffered natural disasters, political turbulences and economic setbacks, there were few other choices than the green military shoes. Even though such shoes look humble, the sole is rather thin and the ventilation is so poor that many suffer from beriberi, a skin disease, such minor problems have not reduced people's attachment to the shoes. In the mushrooming outdoor equipment shops, many young customers choose these shoes, not because of its price or practical function, but more for its political color -just the same as the portrait of Cuban revolutionist Che Guevara. When no more Liberation Shoes are produced by State-owned factories, wearing such shoes display a nostalgia for the old times.