I finally found the site I used for the post I wrote earlier! Chinese Shoes It had more then what I wrote....It's pretty interesting, it all started from leather and straw shoes to cloth and silk shoes. There is even etiquette for footwear with the many other rules that came along during the ancient chinese rule.

During Mao's rule over China many wore bu xie with the many other clothings like the blue botton-up Mao suits which have disappeared and the famous caps with red stars which are scarce too. Unlike the rest of the lost fad though, the bu xie endured. Why? We may never know, but it is said that the bu xie predated the revolution of China and is seen as a symbol. Bu xie cotton shoes can be traced back to at least the Qing Dynasty, which had come with traditional white cotton or red plastic soles. So nowadays, amidst those expensive Nike sneakers or those Italian leather shoes, you may be able to find young and old as well as business professionals sporting the ancient shoes... often while flipping open their cell phones. *g*

Source: Winter 2000 issue of Qi journal