In a story from the Han Feizi, a man of Zheng goes to buy shoes. He would rather trust the measurement of his foot that he took beforehand than try the shoes on his own feet. Zheng ren mai lü, the man of Zheng buys shoes, is used to mock people who follow the rule and ignore reality.
An tu suo ji, looking for a fine horse by its picture, has a related meaning. The Handian dictionary explains it as sticking to set methods when doing things.