'Capital of plastic shoes' embraces innovation, deepens R&D

Plastic shoe manufacturers in Wuchuan, Guangdong province, are wasting no time in carrying out technological innovation and expanding investment in research and development while gearing up to expand production.

The move aims to meet the growing demand in both domestic and overseas markets for quality plastic shoes after local diver Quan Hongchan, 17, won gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and was seen wearing local footwear products, popularizing them, said local shoe manufacturers.

Technological innovation is key to companies' development and product competitiveness, said shoe manufacturers in Wuchuan, known as "the capital of plastic shoes".

Wuchuan, which has more than 400 registered plastic shoe manufacturers, now produces more than 2.5 billion pairs of plastic shoes annually.

Ou Yadi, general manager of Wuchuan Zhongtai Shoes Co, said Wuchuan slippers have become fashionable among young people, prompting local shoe manufacturers to invest more in technological innovation and R&D to develop more new products to meet demand.

Ou said a slipper company now has to develop as many as 20 to 30 new products every year and classify different categories such as outdoor, indoor and fashion to meet the lifestyle needs of different groups of people.

"What ordinary people see is just a pair of slippers, but it takes multiple processes from raw materials entering the factory to the final product, and therefore, expanding investment in R&D is a must for companies to expand at home and abroad in the future," he said.

Wuchuan people, who are serious about making plastic slippers, have to rely much on innovation to further improve their product quality and develop more fashionable products if they wish to increase their presence in both domestic and overseas markets in the coming months, he said.

Yang Jiewei, general manager of Quanxing Shoes Group (Guangdong) Co, said the company established the Zhanjiang EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer) slippers green manufacturing technology research center last year, injecting innovative power into the materials and design of Wuchuan plastic shoes.

The company also introduced fully automated machinery with advanced production technology, complete detection means, strong technical force and strict management, he said.

"While improving production technology, the company has strengthened the investment in product design and R&D and now develops more than 1,000 new types of plastic slippers every year."

Yang said his team always pays attention to hot topics and understands what young people like, then incorporates popular elements into the designs of plastic shoes. He cited the instance of the clown fish plastic slippers that diving champion Quan wore in Paris, which sparked a spike in demand for them. The slippers Quan wore are made of EVA materials, he said.

Yang's company, which employs about 2,000 people, produced more than 50 million pairs of plastic shoes valued at more than 300 million yuan ($42.2 million) last year.

Xiao Yanfeng, general manager of Guangdong Guangfusan Footwear Co, said the company would continuously develop new products, reduce costs and improve quality through technology innovation, to meet an expected surge in demand in the coming months.

Guangdong Guangfusan Footwear now produces about 20 million pairs of plastic shoes worth more than 80 million yuan annually. Shoes worth as much as 70.5 million yuan are exported.

Li Yongsi contributed to this story.