Neiliansheng

Neiliansheng was founded in 1853, in the late Qing, by Zhao Ting, who made court boots for officials. "Nei" refers to the imperial court, while "liansheng" wishes the wearer steady promotion through the ranks.

Neiliansheng is famous for handmade cloth shoes, above all the qianceng di or "thousand-layer sole." Once the maker of officials' court boots, it is today a byword for traditional Beijing footwear.

The thousand-layer sole is built from many layers of cotton cloth pasted together and stitched entirely by hand — a single sole takes thousands of fine, even stitches. The result breathes, fits, and lasts, the whole laborious process resting on manual skill.

A China Time-Honored Brand, Neiliansheng's thousand-layer-sole technique is inscribed as national intangible cultural heritage — a living continuation of Beijing handcraft.