Industry | Shoes |
---|---|
Founded | 1927 |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | Asia |
Products | Basketball Shoes, Ping Pong Shoes, Clubmans, Canvas Shoes, Tennis Shoes, Badminton Shoes |
Parent | Shanghai Huayi (Group) Company |
Website | www |
Warrior (Chinese: 回力; pinyin: Huílì; lit. 'back force') is a brand of athletic shoe from China, founded in Shanghai in 1927.[1] From the 60s to the early 80s it became a nationwide shoemaker in China.[2]
Founded in 1927, back then it was the first rubber shoes brand in China.[1] The trademark Huili was created by Yuan Shusen and registered in 1934.[3]
By the times of the Republic of China, Warrior was regarded as a high-end firm with innovative marketing campaigns.[4] With a retail price of 10 yuan, at a time when urban workers made 30 yuan a month, it was a very fashionable brand in the early days of the People's Republic of China.[4]
In the mid 80s, foreign brands became more popular, and Warrior is often seen as a working class shoe, preferred by older people and with a price of 12 yuan at stallmarkets.[4] Nowadays, various companies have started importing them to the west, and they are sold along with Feiyue shoes in fashionable areas of Chinese cities.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
After that revival, a pair of Warrior shoes can go for about 100 yuan, as the company targets the product to customers who enjoy retro products.[4] Its revenue grew from 200 million yuan in 2010, to 600 million in 2013, reaching the 700 next year.[13]
Warrior is owned by Shanghai Huayi, a chemical company.[14] There are also Warrior brand tires, made in a joint venture with Michelin.[15]