A traditional 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe is seen at the Neiliansheng shoemaker's workshop in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A traditional 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe is seen at the Neiliansheng shoemaker's workshop in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A handmade 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe and tools are seen at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
Cobbler Cai Wenke inspects a pair of 'thousand-layer' cloth shoes at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
Cobbler Cai Wenke works on a 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
Cobbler Cai Wenke works on a '"thousand-layer" cloth shoe at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China, August 7, 2018. Neiliansheng has made shoes with traditional "thousand-layer" soles and hand-stitched fabric uppers since the Qing dynasty in a process that has hardly changed since the business first started in 1853. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
A traditional 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe is seen at the Neiliansheng shoemaker's workshop in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A handmade 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe is seen at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A traditional 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe is seen at the Neiliansheng shoemaker's workshop in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
Cobbler Cai Wenke works on a "thousand-layer" cloth shoe at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China, August 7, 2018. Neiliansheng has made shoes with traditional "thousand-layer" soles and hand-stitched fabric uppers since the Qing dynasty in a process that has hardly changed since the business first started in 1853.
Cobbler Cai Wenke works on a 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
Nails and tools used in the production of 'thousand-layer' cloth shoes lie on a bench at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A customer tries on a handmade 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe at the showroom of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
Cobbler Cai Wenke works on a "thousand-layer" cloth shoe at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China, August 7, 2018. Neiliansheng has made shoes with traditional "thousand-layer" soles and hand-stitched fabric uppers since the Qing dynasty in a process that has hardly changed since the business first started in 1853.
A traditional 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe is seen at the Neiliansheng shoemaker's workshop in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A customer tries on a handmade 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe at the showroom of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
Cobbler Cai Wenke works on a 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
Cobbler Cai Wenke works on a "thousand-layer" cloth shoe at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China, August 7, 2018. Neiliansheng has made shoes with traditional "thousand-layer" soles and hand-stitched fabric uppers since the Qing dynasty in a process that has hardly changed since the business first started in 1853.
Cobbler Cai Wenke puts the finishing touches to a 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe at the demonstration workshop of the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A combination of pictures shows designs of the traditional 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe at the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
People walk past the Neiliansheng shoemaker in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A traditional 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe is seen at the Neiliansheng shoemaker's workshop in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A traditional 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe is seen at the Neiliansheng shoemaker's workshop in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A traditional 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe is seen at the Neiliansheng shoemaker's workshop in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
A traditional 'thousand-layer' cloth shoe is seen at the Neiliansheng shoemaker's workshop in Beijing, China August 7, 2018.
Made in China: Shoemaker taps into the future
Beijing cobbler Cai Wenke painstakingly makes shoes, with traditional 'thousand-layer' soles and hand-stitched fabric uppers, by hand in a process that has hardly changed since the business first started in 1853.
