WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the story "Masks" from DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration #1 by Ram V, Audrey Mok, Jordie Bellaire, and Tom Napolitano, on sale now.
Since she debuted in last year's Catwoman #25, Shoes has become an increasingly important figure in the world of Catwoman. As one of the Alleytown Kids who more or less lives on the streets of Gotham's East End, Shoes (along with her friends Leo and Skidmark) have been taken under Catwoman's wing. Shoes has so far been hinted to be a particularly gifted grifter herself, with plenty of physical skills.
As the DC Festival of Heroes story "Masks" and the issue's backmatter reveal, Shoes isn't an entirely new character; she's Lian Harper, the daughter of veteran Teen Titan Roy Harper. Although she's spoken about having few memories of her actual childhood, she still seems to recall being protected from ruthless warriors by a mysterious woman, the villainous assassin Jade Nguyen, otherwise known as her mother. Cheshire. And in this story, she takes after Catwoman and her mother as the young vigilante Cheshire Cat.
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To protect her, Chesire took the young girl to a local church in Gotham and left her there to be taken in, referring to the then-sleeping girl as Lotus before departing back into the night. Using the training that Selina Kyle imparted on her, Cheshire Cat quickly tackles a group of drug-runners as a new vigilante in the city, receiving some back-up from her current mentor when the fight takes a turn for the worse. The two later speak about the importance of masks, and how they can mean something important as someone grows up and becomes the person they want to be. However, the mystery surrounding Shoes carries potentially massive ramifications.
Cheshire is a famously ruthless villain, with few genuine connections to others. In the Post-Crisis DC Universe though, her most prominent romance -- with Roy Harper, aka Green Arrow's former sidekick and founding Teen Titan, Arsenal -- resulting in the birth of a young girl named Lian. Lian was one of the few things that tied the villain to the rest of the world. However, Lian was famously killed during the events of Justice League: Cry for Justice, caught in the crosshairs of Prometheus' attack on Star City and crushed by a collapsing building in a story that sent her father down a dark path. In the Post-Flashpoint DC Universe, Lian never appeared -- suggesting that in the restructured timeline, she was never born. However, following the rewriting of the multiverse after the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal, things have changed.
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Infinite Frontier Secret Files #2 by Stephanie Phillips and Inaki Miranda introduced a deeper backstory for the revived Arsenal -- including the birth of his daughter, Lian. Still the daughter of Roy and Jade, Lian was only seen briefly before being seemingly killed off-panel by the Electrocutioner.
Given Cheshire's desire to protect Lian, it seems like the child's demise was faked, and that Lian was hidden away to keep her safe. This would explain why the usually ruthless villain would be willing to protect a child with her life. The affectionate tone of calling her "Lotus" suggests a deeper bond between the two than just a chance meeting, and this familiar connection would give plenty of reason as to why Shoes is so naturally skilled in combat and stealth.
Being the daughter of two notable members of the superhero/supervillain community would also go a long way towards explaining the talents Shoes has displayed as Catwoman's protégée and makes her eventual transformation to Future State's Cheshire all the more meaningful. With Arsenal back alive as well, this could set up an eventual reunion between the father and daughter that could possibly bring Cheshire back to the forefront of the DCU as well.
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