ICYMI: 7/3-7/7
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ICYMI: 7/3-7/7
Sneaker stories of the century of the week 7/3-7/7
Monday, 3rd June 2023:
I'm sure a bunch of us have seen that lil TikTok that went viral a few weeks (months?) ago telling the story of how Crocs ended up in the 2006 movie Idiocracy. This information was revealed during a Joe Rogan x Mike Judge discussion Rogans podcast, where Mike Judge told a story about how the costume designer didn't have a big budget so she had to go with a small upstart company that had cheap, ugly futuristic shoes which happened to be crocs...
I saw Idiocracy was available on Hulu the other day, so I gave it another spin...and...opinions on the movie aside (I LOVE this movie), I noticed within the first few minutes of the movie - the OTHER pair of shoes a bunch of people (walking around the streets) are wearing is the Damian Dada x Chris Webber shoe...the Blue/Silver pair.
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Yesterday, I went to one of those kid’s basketball tournaments and was kinda surprised at how many kids were shooting around in Crocs...obviously not *in-game*, but casually playing...kinda cool. I dunno where I'm going with this post other than to say...the futuristic look of that Dada shoe came and went in a single year, yet the simplified plastic clog is one of the most popular shoes in the world 20+ years later. Wild how certain things just take off while others just don't...no matter the intention.
Top Comment: nicekicksvault ITS GOT ELECTROLYTES!
Tuesday, 4th July 2023:
Assuming it wasn't a thousand degrees today as it seems to be in much of the country, which of these two articles of clothing would you prefer to wear today, in public, if you had to wear one?
At one point or another, I was briefly into the whole 'dress up like an American flag' motif, mostly opting for some Ralph...but yeah...it doesn't look so cute on me anymore. But it is kinda comforting to know that these articles of clothing are still being bought and sold on the internet (Supreme BOGO around $1k, Dada's around $700)...
But asking myself this question...there is no easy answer.
I always preferred shoes because they were a bit more subtle than any top, but these shoes are far from subtle...and the problem with Dada's was that they were made of this plastic composite that creased horribly and had paint chipping from normal wear.
The top is just hideous, tho.
The Dadas really wouldn't be that bad if they were made with smarter materials...like painted leather or something.
For my money, tho, I think I'd prefer to HAVE to rock the shoes over the hoodie. Tough choice, tho.
Top Comment: hoodironysonarclips Personally I don’t really think the Supreme hoodie is tacky because they did their own unique twist on it.
Wednesday, 5th July 2023:
Not sure if a real release or just a troll job, those @crocs x @mschf big yellow croc-boots look like they’re *at least* well-ventilated. So that means we won’t be subject to video after video of people having trouble trying to pull them off…
When I googled them for this post...I saw that mime dude’s name… Tommy Cash… I remembered he was the dude who had Adidas build those 5 foot-long Kevin Durant-looking shoes. And then I looked him up on Spotify to see he has 21m monthly users…and then I listened to his top two songs and immediately turned them off.
I guess the coolest thing I’ve found about social media is that if you have your own following on social media, it really doesn’t matter who ‘gives’ you exposure as you’re really the one who, at the end of the day, can create and develop your own exposure plan…so…when I come across these guys like @tommycash and see what they’ve managed to build for themselves, I’m always a bit shocked with the initial thought of ‘HOW?!?!?!’ but then I’m like ‘Oh yeah, this is the COOL thing about social media.’
Digging a bit deeper into him with a semi-open mind…it made me think…if they hadn’t, MSCHF should have been using this guy ALL along. Having only recently discovered Crocs (like a year ago), I think these might be a more comfortable shoe than those big red ones lol
Top Comment: pappy_power_hour don’t know this person or care about them. That doesn’t mean I don’t like them but it’s just not for me. The actuality is that I feel this way about most influencers. That’s awesome that they found something that appeals to people and I hope it brings them whatever they’re looking for.
I’d love to be able to offer the world something that would impact people in some way…a positive way.
Thursday, 6th July 2023:
I had never heard of Chris Printup before his untimely passing a couple of weeks ago, but the death of a father with young kids always turns my stomach. Add the fact that he was both born in 1980 makes it doubly hard to stomach.
The death of Kobe, for me, was a rough one. And it wasn’t because I liked him (I didn’t), it was because I felt like I knew him (having grown up alongside his media persona). The day following his death, I presented a half-baked lesson on Kobe to my geometry class(es) and held back tears. And even if my students didn’t understand the lesson, they understood the loss.
When Virgil died, I was definitely surprised. And saddened. But…I really didn't know all that much about him beyond the obvious.
It’s interesting to see what sneakerheads do when people of influence (in the world of sneakers) pass away unexpectedly, as it seems like no one really knows what to do. Anything related and moderately priced sells out instantaneously, remaining prices spike, and these no-face corporate marketplaces love to show how ‘virtuous’ they are by announcing whatever they can. And sometimes regular people on social media take the opportunity to call each other out and point the finger at who has tact and who doesn’t. And it’s…just…so weird.
There are a handful of *popular* accounts out there who post themselves doing good (sneaker) deeds and they have no problem chastising others for doing whatever it is they do in the sneaker space. And…it’s just so transparent. It’s so disingenuous and it really just speaks to this idea that everyone seems to thrive with a performative sense of morality. And, anyone with half a brain can see…it’s absurd.
To me…actual morality in this space is (at best) an afterthought. . And whatever it is that these 'moral' police are trying to prevent is exactly what they accelerating. It’s the basis of economics: supply decreases, prices increase. Calling for everyone to DE-LIST supply is DOING THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU ARE HOPING WILL HAPPEN…isn't it obvious?
I don’t know. What are y’all thoughts on how the sneaker world reacts to the death of sneakers (influencers)?
Top Comment: jeawhiz2 Nothing moral about buying and selling. At best, it's amoral; at worst it's immoral. When someone dies, there is basic human sympathy and sometimes empathy. When a celebrity or icon of brand dies, there's an additional reckoning of what do we do with our consumerist brand identification. That's a personal choice and may involve morality. But buying and selling ... does not need to be regulated.
Friday, 7th July 2023:
Saw these at the thrift the other day and was flooded with memories of college. Yea, I’m that old.
I’m currently reading this book about hoarding, and in one of the first case studies, they talk about how this lady uses possessions to make connections to people and the world at large. I felt that.
These shoes connect me to a time, place, and a group of people: 2000, UC Santa Cruz, a younger me, and my roommates.
Top Comment: eastbay.archiveJV tennis players had these in a choke hold in 2000
Enjoy the rest of your week!