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(l=embroidered shoes), also known as Chinese shoes, Chinese-style embroidered shoes, and Chinese slippers, are a well-known sub-type of traditional Chinese cloth shoes (); the are deeply rooted in Chinese culture and are characterized by its use of elaborate and colourful Chinese embroideries to create pattern on the shoes (including the shoe cover from heal to toe, the sole of the shoes, and even the shoe padding). The traditional handicraft of making is fully indigenous to China, having been created by Chinese people since the ancient times, and combines Chinese shoe culture and the art of Chinese embroidery. This craft is believed to have originated during the Spring and Autumn period about 2600 years ago in Shanxi; the traditional craft was then handed down from generation to generation by Chinese women. Nowadays, the continue to be used as a type of footwear item in , and are also used as traditional Chinese wedding shoes. Ethnic minorities in China also have their own styles of and their own traditional customs around these shoes.
Chinese embroideries have reflected and expressed the subtle changes in aesthetic concepts, cultural traditions, ethics and morals of the Chinese people throughout the millennia. Similarly, the also reflect Chinese aesthetics through the use of beautiful embroidery patterns in the shoe cover. Basic embroideries patterns tend to be flowers, birds, animals, scenery, and figures from Chinese opera; it can also be decorated with more auspicious patterns such , which symbolizes the birth of a child, pomegranate which symbolized multiple offspring, and the , which is a symbol of marital bliss.
In the past, Han Chinese brides' sewing skills were best reflected in the making of shoes. (2025). 9789812296429, Asiapac Books. ISBN 9789812296429 For example, in Jinghong, Chinese brides used to sew and embroider shoes, known as , prior to their wedding; these shoes would later be sent to the home of the groom one day before the wedding ceremony; the bride's mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and neighbours would then comment on the skills of the bride almost acting as judges.
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