French sneaker label heads East for inspiration

Bearing a Euro trademark, an east-west heritage, and a vintage aesthetic, they remind me of those stylish, beautiful Eurasian kids with their je ne sais quoi. You can’t place where they’re from, of what parentage they are, but they’re always at ease — and get noticed — wherever in the world they go. That’s what I was thinking when I met Feiyue — not a person, but a shoe, in fact a small sneaker line launched here last week. Born in China and designed in France, its global hybrid persona, along with the tag saying “Designed in Paris,” just makes it, well, much more interesting than the ubiquitous brands everyone is wearing.

Part of the allure was the mystery. The name is pronounced “Fei-yu-e,” its original Chinese name, which means “flying forward,” and the French co-founder Nicolas Seguy assured us that it really doesn’t matter where you put the accent, since the French say it differently from the Chinese anyway, or Filipinos, for that matter. The brand aims to be “an inspired citizen of the world,” a fitting tribute to its history.

If the shoe fits: Inspired by urban art, music and travel, Feiyue’s fall-winter 2011 collection is available at Shoe Salon, Rockwell.

Feiyue was propelled into the fashion scene in 2006 when two French men discovered it in Shanghai and took over the martial arts brand, implementing changes in quality and design. Its retro appeal made it popular in Europe and captured the young trendy market. Now sold in more than 20 coun-tries, the brand is conquering new markets in Australia, South Africa, and now the Philippines, says Feiyue’s French-Filipino managing director Alex Pluquet. 

I like the original Feiyue LO model, a white canvas rubber sole with the trademark blue and red stripe — it does have that look, like it is worn by the majority of the Chinese population, which makes it somehow cooler. I was also attracted to the sleek caramel leather sneaker, which would be perfect for a fashionable male (or female). In fact, all their designs are done in slim widths only, making every shoe a unisex style. At the launch in Opus, artist Olivia D’Aboville, who was schooled in Paris, told me that they’re indeed up there in France among the big sneaker brands.

Freedom is a strong value for the young team behind Feiyue, and collaborations with artists and creative communities are a core component of its identity. Past designs were done with French fashion house Celine, to artist Steph Cop, Hong Kong’s NSBQ, and most recently André Saraiva for an extremely limited set of 350 pairs which were sold at Colette. This month, its winter styles are launching in a Paris gallery with announcements of their collabs with Casio and Agnès b.

Desert storm: Inspired by the style of military desert boots, the Feiyue Velt combines a bi-material canvas and grained leather upper with a brogue construction technique and a detachable collar belt.

The best thing about it is that the shoes are affordable, with the Feiyue LO priced below P3,000. The line features mostly classic designs that are very wearable, created for the lifestyle market. I do love traipsing around in sneakers especially when traveling and running errands. It’s great to see a stylish new option in this genre. Watch for their upcoming collaborations with local artists for an exciting limited edition design.

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E-mail me at joannafran@gmail.com.