CHINA RUNNING TECH: I went CNY shopping for new running shoes yesterday because my Saucony Kinvara 12 was begging to be retired after serving me for over 2,000km. In the process, I was stunned to discover how good Chinese running shoes were.
I first window-shopped for familiar brands like Saucony and Asics, and I despaired at the high prices for ultralight models (around 200gm per shoe). But I was intrigued to learn from a store promoter about newfangled “plated shoes” that had a carbon-fibre plate under a thick foam sole. According to Gemini: “By sandwiching a stiff plate between highly responsive foam, these shoes maximize energy return with each step, creating a “rocker” or propulsion effect that allows runners to maintain faster paces with less metabolic effort.”
Obviously, I’ve been running so long with traditional foam soles that I did not know about “plated shoes” (also known as Super Shoes). Unfortunately, these high-end shoes cost over $300 SGD, way out of my sub-$200 budget.
“The Chinese must have an answer to this,” I thought.
I then headed for the new Anta outlet near my place. “Where’s your lightest running shoe?” I asked the store promoter, and he pointed me to the C202 7.0 plated shoes ($199), and told me that after the CNY discount, each pair would be about $145. Wow! Half the price of the other brands, what a no brainer. The steep “rocker” of the Anta C202 sole felt very wobbly and odd, but the price was low enough to try something new.
This morning, I went for my first 6km run to break it in. During the first warm-up kilometre, I was already going 7% faster with my usual effort. I experimented with different amounts of effort and found that the shoes really wanted to be pounded so it could return the energy and propel me forward. I completed the run and studied the running data from my Garmin watch:
🔵 Anta first 6km (16 Feb 2026)
🔵 Average pace 5:58 min, Average heart rate 132bpm, Steps 6194
🔴 Saucony best 6km (23 Jan 2026)
🔴 Average pace 6:18 min, Average heart rate 129bpm, Steps 6585
In plain English, I ran the same distance using 6% less steps (ie. greater propulsion) and was 6% faster. While I don’t run competitively, it’s great to own running technology that actually works (compared to all the gimmicky “air soles” of the past).
The caveat is that the Anta C202 is not meant for normal walking or gym work – it’ll feel wobbly and a little nauseating. It’s meant for actual jogging or running where there’s heavy pressure placed on the soles.
For all the fellow joggers out there, we don’t have to go with the same old brands. Try something new, and surprise yourself. I also found out that Anta is the world’s third largest sportswear company by revenue… that’s how much I don’t know!
Gong Xi Fa Cai!