A small and little-known city in eastern China's Fujian province makes three claims to fame: it boasts the country's earliest seafaring vessels, a large Islamic temple – and an odd cluster of sneaker companies.
At least 10 firms in Quanzhou city make athletic shoes, and four have listed on overseas stock markets. Known collectively as the “Fujian Tigers”, these brands started out stitching together shoes for the likes of Nike and Adidas, then found success under their own names by selling into lower-tier cities.
Their sudden emergence sets a crucial piece of received wisdom on its ear: it is no longer true that reliable retail sales of branded products can be generated only in China's top cities.
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