UNOWChinese Traditional Cloth Kung Fu Shoes,Black

I only write reviews if I have a strong opinion in either direction.This pair of Kung Fu shoes is the best I've ever had, and I've tried many different brands over the years.I am a size 9, and I got the 9-9.5. These fit perfectly, even with my slightly wide feet. The soles are sturdy but bendy, which I love, and they're definitely grippy, not the hard plastic/rubber some brands have. These are a softer rubber.I am wearing these to work today, because I injured my ankle, and the shoes I would normally wear (sneaker) won't fit over my ankle brace.They are so comfortable, I might just start wearing these to work all the time.

Comfortable shoes that hold up well. I've had my pair for 6 months and they are holding up well. I usually do my tai chi in flat skateboard shoes or bare feet. One of my teachers made us by "Tai Chi Shoes" so I got a pair. They work well for just going out in the yard to get something, going camping, going to the beach, or going around town for an errand. I like that they just slip on. I purchased my regular shoe size, so these seem a little large and are not as stable on my feet as my sports shoes when I do martial arts. I would suggest a half size smaller if you are going to use them for practice without socks. Can't beat flat sole tie on shoes for real martial arts though. Next pair I buy will be slightly smaller. The rubber sole is nice and keeps the foot dry in wet grass. After three months of frequent wear I decided they needed a wash. They did well in the clothes washer and dryer and didn't fall apart. Nice shoes.

Am pleasantly surprised by how much I like these shoes. I needed something to wear indoors only - to wear after I've come inside the house and taken off my shoes or boots. And I was wary, since Chinese shoes of this kind (Tai Chi shoes, for instance) are often very uncomfortable, with horrid workmanship, and offer little support, which is why I stopped wearing them 25 years ago. But these are very nice, and give plenty of support, mainly due to the excellent, high-strength soles. One caveat is that I wear them with socks, and have noticed that they hurt my heels when I wear them with bare feet. And despite what many people have said, mine fit true to size. In fact, they are a bit roomy; I could have gone one size down, I think. They aren't exactly light weight, or not light weight compared to the typical Tai Chi shoes. But again, the soles are heavy-duty and provide a solid foundation. Definitely recommended!

Quite possibly the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn! I was a little concerned about buying shoes online, because, obviously, one can't try them on, but this worked out well. I wear an 8 in some shoes, 8.5 in others, depending on the manufacturer. These shoes where sized 8-8.5, so I decided that at this low price, I couldn't really go wrong. Good choice! These shoes are wonderful. They arrived in two days. They came in their own little carry bag, which was a nice touch. I bought them for my Tai Chi class, and I haven't had them long enough to report on things like the elastic or the stitching, but if these shoes last through the semester, I will buy another pair for daily wear. I love them.The soles appear to be quite thick, and sturdy, and the elastic they used for the side/top inserts is nice and wide. If you need arch support or have over-pronation or under-pronation, and are planning to wear these for an extended period of time, you might want to slip your favorite insoles into them. I'm still waiting to hear back from the seller concerning washing them--but I am ASSUMING that they are like typical canvas "boat shoes", and are washable, and can be dried either by stuffing them with wash cloths and air drying, or drying them in a dryer on the "cool" setting. I have in the past successfully washed canvas boat shoes that way. With any luck, the seller can provide confirmation they are washable.I am already planning to buy another pair or two, and a friend who tried them on is planning on buying them as well. At this price, you really can't go far wrong. If they last as long as typical Wal-Mart cheapo sneakers, then I'll get 6-8 months' wear out of them, and have happy feet the whole time.

I'd previously bought two other styles of "Kung Fu" shoes from two other vendors. One had a cotton sole. It was very quiet around the house, but the cotton sole was like a sponge, so I couldn't even step out on the porch to grab the mail on a rainy day. It also was very narrow, with a heel that angled in uncomfortably. A second pair had a red/brown plastic sole. Better, but the plastic was very hard and was slippery on tile/vinyl floors. After coming around a corner too fast and losing my footing, I abandoned that pair.This was my third attempt to find the kind of traditional Chinese slipper I used to wear back in college, many decades ago. Third time is a charm! This model has a black rubbery plastic sole. The material and pattern provide better traction than the red/brown sole, although still not quite as much traction as I'd like. I can step on a wet porch without the shoes absorbing the water. The width is comfortable (I normally wear a wide shoe), and the heel is not as tight as on some of the other models.I normally wear a men's size 8 shoe, but based on some other customers' reviews I sized up and bought the size 42, which corresponds to a men's size 9 shoe. I'm glad I did, since I used these "shoes" as house slippers, and the larger size provides a very comfortable for a slipper. If you plan to wear this as a shoe, and do more significant walking in it, or for vigorous workouts, you'll probably want to order your regular size to ensure a tighter fit that doesn't slip.

I wear a 10.5-11 shoe. These are terribly small and fit like a 10 shoe size.