The right or wrong shoes seem to be
a source of amusement in newly rich cities such as Shenzhen.
I recommend closed toe pumps for women
- yes, even in sweltering heat, as it is better to follow the local standards - especially for business people.
Even men at lower social levels seem
to be wearing recently shined shoes, and there are shoeshine stalls all over the urban streets.
When I returned to China from Taiwan,
my beautiful new leather slides - expensive shoes that would never because of their price, their leather uppers, and hard-soles
- were complimented when I wore them in the house, and laughed at when I wore them on the streets in sweltering August heat!
A university adminstrator discussing
the possible firing of a few teachers complained to me about the way these men dressed - sandals, shorts, and hairy beards
and moustaches. A more serious reason was that the men flirted with under-aged Chinese girl students.
Excessive body hair in Chinese culture
within the land of China is not considered a sign of positive manliness, and it may even be viewed quite negatively.