Severe torrential rains brought by the outer circulation of Typhoon Saudel have caused widespread flooding across southern coastal Zhejiang, inundating factories and warehouses in Ruian's Xianjiangzhen—a prominent footwear manufacturing hub in Wenzhou.
Surging waters swept vast stockpiles of inventory out into flooded roads, creating scenes of floating shoe boxes across submerged streets and drawing local residents into the waters to salvage them.
Between September 1 and 2, multiple thoroughfares across Ruian were submerged under deep water littered with blue shoeboxes and various types of footwear from multiple small and medium-sized factories.
Eyewitnesses reported that the rapid inundation washed out boxed, finished inventory from several facilities, leaving streets in disarray.
A local factory owner confirmed that many of the shoes circulating in viral videos came from his warehouse.
The owner noted that this marked the second flooding incident at the facility within a month, with water levels reaching around 50 centimeters—significantly higher than previous flooding.
Despite efforts to elevate inventory on pallets ahead of the storm, the surging water overwhelmed the warehouse.
A preliminary tally indicated that over 8,000 pairs of shoes were either damaged or washed away, resulting in estimated financial losses exceeding 100,000 yuan.
According to the factory operator, the shoes originally retailed for around 20 yuan per pair.
However, because the floodwaters carried heavy silt and yellow mud, the submerged shoes suffered severe water damage, reducing their salvage value to just a few yuan each.
The business owner added that none of the retrieved shoes had been returned by residents, while cleanup crews continued working to clear mud, silt, and standing water from the warehouse.
Footage of residents wading through floodwaters to collect floating shoes sparked widespread debate on social media platforms, with some observers criticizing the scavenging as taking unfair advantage of a disaster.
Legal experts warned that flood-scattered goods remain the legal property of the business owners rather than abandoned property.
They cautioned that individuals who take and refuse to return such items could face civil liability for unjust enrichment or potential criminal charges for unlawful possession if the amounts involved are significant.
