Rebirth of cool

Square in shape, the new logos have been printed on the chest of hoodies or expanded to cover the entire back section. Reflective ripstop fabrics shine in silver and light up the darkness of black. Long red puffer jackets are swathed in transparent plastic to help keep out the wind and the cold. Work clothes with multiple pockets offer additional storage while buckles come in unique shapes.

Shoe designer Zhou Shijie says that creativity should follow industry developments and innovation at the same time.

With Chinese letters on the upper, ran ("burn" in English) sneakers are chunky and oversized and offer the option of non-matching shoes.

While Essence sock shoes provide comfort with knitted textiles and a toe-line in contrasting colors to the uppers, the Essence Ace shoes mix quilted suede, knits and polished leather to create a patchwork of textures, combined with a "Designed in Beijing" or a "Made in China" logo printed on the flank.

Li-Ning's iconic Butterfly trainers for 2018 carry on with the color-block motifs first seen in the early 1990s and applied to their Butterfly shoes in 2000. The new collection has attracted a lot of attention with its wider choice of color schemes. The Mix 2 shoe comprises four separate sections that can be taken apart and reassembled, revealing the brand's innovative approach to mix-and-match sportswear.

And to back up its global outlook, Li-Ning seem to have taken a fresh look at their pricing, offering T-shirts for 299 yuan ($47), Essence sock shoes for 699 yuan and sports pants for 599 yuan.