Qiao Dan Fei Ying PB Q-Kungfu Pro Review

Pros	Cons
Soft & Bouncy Midsole that feels especially amazing on the track One of the lightest plated shoes One of the cheapest plated shoes Breathable Decently Durable	Stock insole is not glued in properly Takes longer to put on properly due to poor tongue design Laces don’t lock down shoe well Slippery when wet

 

Background

The brand ‘Qiao Dan’ translates to ‘Jordan’. The logo is heavily inspired by Michael Jordan, which led to the brand’s multiple lawsuit involvement . The Qiao Dan Fei Ying (Fei Ying for short) is  inspired by the Nike Vaporfly Next%, as seen in the translucent upper that resembles Vaporweave and a midsole geometry akin to the Next%. How does a shoe from a company that blatantly references Nike’s designs stack up against the market’s best?

 

Upper

The upper is made up from a synthetic mesh that bears a close resemblance to that of Nike’s Vaporweave upper used in the first version of the Nike Vaporfly Next%. This synthetic material claims to provide breathability and water resistance while remaining lightweight.

I found the upper to feel plastic-like to the touch. It does feel almost the same to the Nike Vaporfly Next%. While running in hot conditions, the upper did a decent job at keeping my foot well-ventilated. I took the Fei Ying for a couple of runs post-downpour. While the upper was not fully waterproof, it did a good job in keeping most of the water out. Even if the water went in the shoe, the upper did not retain the water which prevented the shoe from getting heavier.

I was not particularly fond of the creasing of the upper when the upper bends while running. The upper is not as flexible or stretchy like normal mesh, which was better for lockdown but suffered in the comfort department.

The Fei Ying definitely runs true-to-size. I have a relatively wide and voluminous foot for reference. The forefoot section does fit slightly snug.

The heel collar is surprisingly structured (akin to the Saucony Endorphin Speed) and prevents any heel slippage.

I had 2 major dislikes about the upper: The laces and the tongue. The laces have a strange texture and loosens gradually. I could not get a good lockdown of the shoe till I swapped out the laces for something flatter.

Moving on to the tongue. It feels really thin so tying the shoes too tightly would lead to some pressure at the top of the foot. The tongue also keeps folding up each time I put on the shoe. It takes a couple of difficult adjustments for the tongue to sit completely flat near my toes. This problem exists only while wearing the shoe; the tongue remains flat on the run.

Midsole & Ride

Here comes the exciting part. Qiao Dan uses a TPE/EVA midsole blend called ‘Q-Kungfu Pro’. This midsole is very soft and only second to the New Balance FuelCell foam in terms of softness. Yes, this shoe is softer than the Nike Vaporfly Next%!

The thing about TPE/EVA or TPU/EVA midsole foams is that they tend to have a more gradual compression and rebound as compared to PEBA foams (ZoomX, PWRRUN PB) which are more eager to spring back. This TPE/EVA blend feels more forgiving on foot, especially at slower paces.

A full-length carbon plate is sandwiched in the foam. This plate geometry is considerably aggressive with a distinct rocker feel but remains decently flexible, unlike those used in the Asics Meta Speed Sky and Nike Vaporfly Next%.

The ride of this shoe is really impressive. This shoe has the best ride of all the Chinese-brand carbon plated shoes (Xtep, Li-Ning, Bmai) in my opinion. Foot transitions are really smooth and protective. Where the shoe shines the most is on the track. 400m repeats at 1:13-15min paces felt effortless and buttery smooth. The Fei Ying is currently my favourite shoe for trackwork.

Do note that the midfoot and heel are pretty narrow. Forefoot and midfoot strikers would utilize the shoes more efficiently without worrying about stability issues as compared to heel strikers.

Outsole & Durability

The outsole is made of a CPU material that covers the entire forefoot and two strips of the heel. Heel strikers may wear out the exposed midsole in the heel. There seems to be a trend of CPU outsole usage in Chinese shoe companies. For example, The Li-Ning Fei-Dian, Jueying, Anta C202 GT and the Xtep 160x use CPU outsoles too.

CPU outsoles, while durable, generally have poor grip in wet conditions, and this is no different for the Fei Ying. I slipped a couple of times running on wet concrete. The grip on dry surfaces, on the other hand, is decent. I have about 150km in my pair and there is minimal wear on the outsole.

 

Areas for Improvement

·       Improved upper design

·       Flat laces

·       Slightly wider midfoot and heel platform

 

Comparisons

Nike Vaporfly Next%

The Fei Ying copied a couple of features from the Next%. However, the Next% has a better lockdown despite having a less structured ankle collar. The Q-Kungfu Pro in the Fei Ying has a more gradual bounce to it while the ZoomX in the Vaporfly is more eager to spring back. The major differentiating factor is that the Fei Ying is half the price of the Vaporfly while still offering a similar ride. I’d still go for the Vaporfly for races, but the more forgiving ride of the Qiao Dan feels much better for training.

New Balance FuelCell RC Elite 2 (Review Soon)

FuelCell is a TPU/EVA blend while Q-Kungfu Pro is a TPE/EVA blend. New Balance’s FuelCell foam is softer. The RC Elite 2 on the road feels like the Fei Ying on the track. The RC Elite 2 is simply too soft on the track for my liking, but performs extremely well on the road. Both shoes have really poor grip in wet conditions. In terms of upper fit, the RC Elite 2 is more accommodating to a wider range of people.

Asics MetaSpeed Sky (Review Here)

The FF Blast Turbo midsole that Asics uses is very similar to Nike’s ZoomX, so the difference in midsole feel is the same as that of the comparison with the Vaporfly. The MetaSpeed is noticeably more stable and VERY much more grippy in all conditions. The upper is also more accommodating along with superior lockdown. Despite all of this advantages, I still do prefer to use the Fei Ying for intervals on the track. For training on roads or races, I would opt for the MetaSpeed.

Final Thoughts

The Qiao Dan Q-Kungfu Pro Fei Ying PB, while originating from a controversial company, has one of the best rides in the carbon-plated market while staying considerably affordable. If Qiao Dan were to adjust the upper on the Fei Ying, this shoe might very well be on par with the likes of the Nike Vaporfly Next% and its close competitors.