New trademark for Putian-made footwear
Chinese media have reported that Putian Footwear Association has successfully registered a collective trademark for locally made shoes with state administrators.
It is hoped that the new trademark, “Putian shoes”, will support the transformation of Putian’s image from one associated with “made in China” to “created in China”, thought to imply an air of higher value and original design.
The mark will be solely operated by a newly founded, state-owned company, Famous Brand Management, which will only authorise its use by firms who meet certain minimum quality and materials standards, as well as price positioning.
Official social accounts and flagship stores on JD.com and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok, which has more of an e-commerce emphasis than its international counterpart), for example, have already been opened for the trademark-cum-brand, with a storefront on Alibaba’s Tmall platform also set to follow later this month.
There are currently over 4,200 footwear companies registered in Putian, which provide roughly 500,000 locals with employment. The “Putian shoes” trademark was officially registered on February 28 and is valid for a period of 10 years. Approved products include sports shoes for both adults and children, plus casual footwear.
At present, 16 shoe firms have obtained authorisation to use the trademark, local media said. On JD.com, the price of Putian-trademarked footwear ranges from roughly $15 (¥99) to $95 (¥599).
Local administrators reportedly now seek to build up a regional brand around Putian, similar to fellow Fujian city Jinjiang. The latter is home to the nation’s top activewear brand, Anta, for instance, and well-known for surpassing the rest of the country in its production of sports footwear.
Image credit: Christian Chen (via Unsplash)
