FUGA x Qiu Yang FUGA EX PRO. Credit: Kailas FUGA
GUANGZHOU, China, Aug. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kailas FUGA has announced a collaboration with renowned photographer Qiu Yang exploring the tough reality of trail running by focusing on the tales of battle-worn shoes. Told through the powerful post-race imagery of muddy FUGA EX PRO shoes, 'Kailas FUGA x Qiu Yang FUGA EX PRO Photo Series' follows three elite athletes and their struggles to achieve podium victory.
Talking about his inspiration for the shoot, award-winning photographer Qiu Yang explained his approach to storytelling through the lens: "Images only become interesting when they have conflict within them and they're kind of unsettling." Deciding not to focus on static shoes, the images are brought alive with the sense of human activity and scars of use.
Cristian Minoggio's FUGA EX PRO. CCC at UTMB 2025. 61k/ 3400m 05:00:55hrs. Credit: Kailas FUGA
Climbing up rocks and steep high-altitude mountain terrain, with fast-changing, unpredictable weather, elite ultramarathon athletes fight everything to reach the podium. In Qiu Yang's FUGA EX PRO Photo Series, without seeing the athlete, the audience engages with how nature has pushed them to their limits. Pristine at the start of a journey, the splattered mud on the shoe silently tells the real story of endurance. Dried earth and scuff marks etched on the shoe represent the mental exhaustion and emotions.
Zhao Jiaju's FUGA EX PRO. UTMB 2025. 171k/10,000m. 21.19.47hrs. Credit: Kailas FUGA
Qiu Yang showcases the worn EX PRO shoes of three elite trail runners: Zhao Jiaju from China who won 10th place at UTMB Mont-Blanc 2025; Jiang Wenli who won the Panda Shudao Mountain 105K 2026 and Cristian Minoggio who won second place the OCC by UTMB 2025. The photography showcases the reality of ultramarathons with their shoes remaining dirty, unwashed to deliberately convey a raw and real race experience.
Jiang Wenli's used FUGA EX PRO 105k/5771m. 13.18.15hrs. Credit: Kailas FUGA
Documenting the real journey of a shoe across some of the most technical extreme terrain in the world preserves the athletic achievements of these individuals. As the Daoist master Zhuang Zi wrote "When the shoe fits, the foot is forgotten" meaning a person has achieved a state of harmony. Qiu Yang's iconic style captures this higher emotional and physical achievement during ultramarathons.
Contact: Serina Zhong zhongmingyao@kailas.com.cn
Photos:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e501a01d-2c71-4498-ab94-0c7b4793a811
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