I was talking to one of my Chinese suppliers (hammock...

I was talking to one of my Chinese suppliers (hammock manufacturer) and I asked her if she knows of XPD football boots and whether football is more popular in China in recent years.

"There are many football fans" - ok, didn't answer the question and not so useful, but it's something.

"I know this brand. Do you like it?" - She recognises it. She's from Ningbo (tier 2 city). So the brand exists and must be reasonably famous/popular.

"But it’s not popular in China" - Well...I guess she's comparing to some larger brands. In Thailand at least, Nike and Adidas are the obvious leaders, with some cheaper brands for people who don't want to pay so much.

She thinks Nike and Adidas are top, with Li-Ning the top local brand.

She learned about XPD through Taobao. Not sure whether that is good or not. Maybe there are no XPD boots in stores near her or she simply wasn't out looking for sports equipment.