The conflict produced a fragmented trademark map rather than a clean victory for either side. Da Fu retained Feiyue trademark rights in China, while the U.S.-based Feiyue International, later acquired by Boca Raton footwear company BBC International in 2014, controlled rights in much of the international market, including France, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. Da Fu challenged Feiyue International in France but lost, leaving the American company with recognized claims over the name, trade dress, and related commercial identifiers in those jurisdictions. The result was an unusually confusing situation in which both companies could present their products as authentic within different territories: the Chinese version remained tied to the shoe’s Shanghai manufacturing history, while the French-American version controlled much of its global fashion branding. Even the physical details became markers of disputed legitimacy—the Chinese shoe traditionally used a green triangle on the sole and a thinner, more flexible construction, while the international version used a red-circle sole mark, thicker padding, and heavier canvas.
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AI concept artworkArchive Record · 2010s
The Courtroom Geography of Feiyue: One Name, Two ‘Original’ Shoes
Feiyue International LLC, BBC International, and Shanghai Da Fu Rubber Co. / 2010s
The conflict produced a fragmented trademark map rather than a clean victory for either side. Da Fu retained Feiyue trademark rights in China, while the U.S.-based Feiyue International, later acquired by Boca Raton footwear company BBC International in 2014, controlled rights in much of the international market, including France, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. Da Fu challenged Feiyue International in France but lost, leaving the American company with recognized claims over the name, trade dress, and related commercial identifiers in those jurisdictions. The result was an unusually confusing situation in which both companies could present their products as authentic within different territories: the Chinese version remained tied to the shoe’s Shanghai manufacturing history, while the French-American version controlled much of its global fashion branding. Even the physical details became markers of disputed legitimacy—the Chinese shoe traditionally used a green triangle on the sole and a thinner, more flexible construction, while the international version used a red-circle sole mark, thicker padding, and heavier canvas.
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