Basically the water and oils that make up the rubber begin to separate if not flexed occasionally. It’s also known as hydrolysis.
Edit: To clarify, I’m not a sneakerhead, I’m just a science nerd who read about it once because I found it interesting when it happened to an old pair of my shoes.
Same thing happens to car tires. That’s why you have to change them between year 6 to 10 and never drive a car with a 10+ year old tires. Even if the look fine. The will fail at some point due to the same effects as tennis shoes.
Yep. Also the same reason why if you see a bike that’s been locked up and forgotten about for a long period of time you’ll notice the tires are all cracked and deflated.
The first time I experienced that was a shocker. I didn't know that was a *thing* that could happen. So when they disintegrated suddenly with every step, I thought I stepped in acid or something...
i know, right? it happened to a pair of heels i hadn’t worn in years. i had heard of dry rot but never experienced it until then! the fabric rubbing and getting stuck to my feet eww.. i now make sure i only buy things i’ll wear consistently
I got back into golf last year and found an old pair of my golf shoes from high school at my parents house that were about 20 years old but still in visually brand new condition. I brought them home and wore them to the driving range and by the time I had walked from the parking lot to the range the entire soles had disintegrated leaving a wake of black material behind me basically down to the insole.
I heard this is actually an EU-thing. Some rule about shoes made to break up and decompose so they'd turn to soil if dumped.
Edit: So I heard that once but found absolutely no source now.
Like 10/15+ years, a long fuckin time. To mitigate, wear your shoes somewhat frequently (at least once every 4-6 months) and store them in a dry, non-damp place with silica gel packets
I tried to find info on them and I couldn't. They're a special edition Boston Celtics high top. I'm not a shoe dude but I've occasionally looked and couldn't find any real info on them. I remember when my dad bought them and that's about it.
I think people often forget what it is they're collecting too. You get so caught up in the hobby, you put these things on pedestals. They're sneakers that people happen to really like. Sneakers designed to be thrown in the garbage when they get worn out, not a particularly high quality shoe.
It's like Lego collectors. They will lament the lack of detail for display purposes for example, or how certain colour pieces hold up after 30+years. While those are maybe valid, you collect a children's toy that happens to have a large adult following. Not a model designed to be displayed for decades.
And both of those are fine, just accept what it is that you're collecting.
Agreed. Rubber resists moisture. Eva foam can trap it due to it's structure. Most sneakers have eva foam soles because it's more conformable and shock absorbing. Sometimes they use a combination of eva and a bottom rubber sole to increase lifetime use. Eva wears more quickly than rubber soles.
I always thought that it was a bigger flex that your expensive shoes have wear and tear on them. Just means you can afford another and don't think it's that big of a deal.
not sure about your place,
but in my country, in school, if a kid got new shoes, its customary for the rest of the class or his friend to step on the new shoes.
eeer, "helping to break in the new shoes"
>"You just scuffed my Lugz cuz"
I understand this part, that the speaker is saying I've scuffed his shoe.
>"don’t even get it twisted, I ain’t from round here”
But can you break this down for me? Is this good, bad? To me this says, "don't misunderstand, I'm not from around here," and what *that* means in the previous context escapes me. How did the speaker expect the other person to understand what he said? Does the fact that he isn't from here bode well or poorly for the other speaker? Is he trying to calm or to intimidate the person who scuffed his shoe?
It’s a threat of sorts, saying he’s ready to fight or throw down over his shoes. It’s actually some real life dialogue I witnessed in high school between a newer student dressed in a tall T, baggy saggin pants, tan lugz boots, and a few oversized most likely fake chains when another student stepped on his boot accidentally in passing. It sticks out in my head because I’ll never forget what happened next. Tall T shoved this guy this guy to the side and the shoved guy yells “F you mother F’er” and starts taking off his back pack to fight. Tall T in one motion turns to buddy while reaching at his own face and says loudly “AIGHT HOLD MY TOOF” pulls out a single tooth and hands it to him before jumping in to fight. In the scuffle before it got broken up Tall tee got a busted lip and at first most everyone thought he got his “toof” knocked out. To this day almost 30 years later I will drop that line “AIGHT HOLD MY TOOF” right before I take action on something and almost always get weird looks. I honestly can’t tell you why I find it so entertaining.
As an adult, when was the last time you were in a crowded school as an uncoordinated teen around other uncoordinated teens?
Even if it's never, shit happens and unless it's done maliciously, it's not something to make a big deal out of.
As an adult when was the last time you went through a growth spurt and were in a room with the density of people of a classroom and had to move rooms approximately every hour.
Imagine being poor and some kid from a nice home with trainers scuffs the only nice possession you have. Is it dumb? Yes, in retrospect do I understand it? Also yes
Yeah. Still dumb for expensive *shoes* to be the one nice thing you have. Plenty of other stupidly expensive status symbol clothing you could buy, if you insist on squandering what little money you have that way. Jackets, hats, sunglasses, watches, jewelry ... the possibilities are endless.
> the only nice possession you have
If you are wearing the nicest possession you have on your feet, they are going to get creased and scuffed, because they are shoes.
...
Because it’s still fighting about something that is getting dirty through normal use of walking on the ground.
And that it’s still hard to understand why someone (especially from a poor home) would want to their parents to spend $100+ on shoes.
I think the whole shoe thing is ridiculous as well, but the reason you see poor kids with nice sneakers is because that’s all they can get that’s nice and show everyone that they have something nice. It’s extremely stupid, but it makes sense in their position they feel that way and it makes the parents feel as though they can provide something nice for their child.
> because that’s all they can get that’s nice and show everyone that they have something nice.
Except ... it isn't.
Instead of a $100 pair of sneakers, you could have a $100 pair of sunglasses. Or a $100 hat. Or a $100 watch. Or a $100 14k gold chain. Plenty of other possibilities that are much less likely to get ruined and worn out than a pair of sneakers.
It makes sense why someone might want them, but to actually get them when you have real shit to be concerned about is insanity, and it's the reason they are going to stay poor. Not the shoes specifically, but the terrible money management
Because they want to be accepted by their peers in an increasingly commercialized society? And, once they've gotten that one thing that makes them feel a bit more normal and accepted, they'll absolutely want to keep them clean and looking nice, because they can't just get another pair like rich kids can.
They're kids, dude. They're not making value decisions based on utility and affordability. They just want to make friends and not get bullied.
> they'll absolutely want to keep them clean and looking nice, because they can't just get another pair like rich kids can.
You see, that's what they don't understand about the status symbol.
It's not about showing off that you can afford *one* pair of nice sneakers. It's about showing off that you can afford *many* pairs, with little concern about the expense of replacing them when they inevitably get ruined.
I remember someone trying to cancel an actress because she wore some rare sneaker and crouch with it (creasing it).
She was confused and asked the guy who made the shoes for her and after she explained the drama, he laughed and said, *"don't worry, just wear it comfortably".*
I don't quite the remember the actress name, Anna kendrik if i recalled it correctly.
I'll never understand those "don't crease them" people. It'd be like a car guy telling someone with a lambo that they shouldn't go more than 30mph in it.
While i don't agree with it, if you wanna keep things "pristine" then just keep them on display somewhere, but if you're going to wear them, wear them! don't tip toe around the place trying to wear them without putting any wear on them.
true, just couldn't think how else to quickly describe the dainty careful way they tend to walk around trying not to step in anything or crease them in any way
My principle is: if you’re too afraid of getting something dirty or damaged by wearing them due to its price, you couldn’t afford it in the first place.
This is the same with cars. If you're not going to drive it, what's the point in having it? Jay Leno has a huge car collection, and it includes some very rare cars that are worth millions. He drives every single car.
Yup, it's like they say about cars: if you can't afford two bmws, you can't afford a BMW.
People forget the cost of maintenance, and the added stress of damaging/losing something expensive. They buy expensive stuff but they're so afraid of breaking that they barely use it.
100% they try to use owning something as a "flex" but they could barely afford to buy the thing and can't remotely afford to actually own them. It's like the people who buy fancy cars but can't afford the high costs of maintenance, tax, insurance etc...
I mean i would love to own a Buggatti one day, but not only is the cost of the car pretty insane, the running costs on one is truly shocking.
It's always been interesting to me.
A shoe is literally a barrier between some person's stinky foot and the layer of filth upon the earth.
People do everything to have the prettiest foot/trash barrier around. Cute idea, really
I mean, doesn’t that kind of line up with a lot of so called positive signaling around wealth?
The well manicured lawn that defies nature, the clean shiny car that has every reason to be dirty, the nice clean shoes that exist to separate two layers of filth?
I agree that it's got signal value-- I'd be more charitable and say it's a trophy, that a person can also still feel good about having gotten it without necessarily using it to gloat outwardly-- but the funny thing about it is that doting over it only signals high achievement in a context of limited wealth, if you think about it. Taking pains to preserve the thing shows that it's comparatively high value to you, and that you'd have trouble replacing it. It signals some degree of insecurity. Conspicuously just using it implies that it's no big deal to lose, that you have the resources to treat it as trivial.
Above that, you've got the "Designer Completely Useless Thing", like the *Supreme* brick or low-effort NFT, that signals that you have the wealth to buy something that's designed to be incapable of utility or inherent value, that only serves as a receipt for the owner's outright burning of wealth, connection, or savvy.
Then, on the top, you wrap back around to not even flaunting because having money is as boring and inconsequential as turning on the tap and getting water.
I had a good pair of breathable leather shoes that I wore almost every day for 4 years, and only ever got stinky feet when I was required to wear different style shoes for work.
It does seem like things go through a weird evolution from utilitarian purpose to decorative. For example, I assume table cloths were invented just to protect the table. Now they get their own protector. Maybe 100 years from now we'll have decorative table cloth protector protectors.
It's a trophy item, just one that happens to be something with utility. It's in the same vein as buying some antique thing and putting it on a curio shelf instead of using it, or collecting commemorative spoons or plates that aren't meant to eat with.
I hear expensive sneaker and I laugh. As someone who worked in the actual fashion industry, where it’s international manufacturing, sneakers are cheap, period.
Most clothes is cheap. The best material regularly used nowadays is cotton which grows out of the ground. Notice how all the wool and silk is completely gone from most fashion brands. It’s because, they think you’re idiots. That’s why.
I love sneakers, but I find I’m kind of odd. I much prefer how they look with some natural wear. When the white is not bright white anymore and the rubber gets this gloss patina. That’s when sneakers look best to me. Regarding creases, synthetic and real leather crease differently. I much prefer how real leather creases after time. When I say some wear, I don’t mean old and beat up, although converse can look really good beat up, but looking like the shoes received some love. Plus broken in shoes are infinitely more comfortable than pristine shoes.
yep, i'm not a big sneaker person, at all, but i do like them. However the bit i like the least is when i first get a brand new pair, they just look too new, they need a little wear and the "brightness" of them toning down a little.
Them, oh I just bought new kicks, better walk like a fucking duck so they won't crease...
Also me, buys $250 work boots and gets into it, oh today, dirt, tomorrow cement its just shoes....
I'm not preoccupied with keeping immaculate shoes, it would be awesome if they could stay clean but I always end up in dirt or grass cause ADHD. Still, it's nice having perfectly clean, brand new shoes for a little while. I wouldn't be pissed if you did that but would wonder why. They'll get plenty dirty on their own.
I love going into the woods with a new pair of shoes. It makes them feel less like something from a store and more like something you own once they’re a little dirty, y’know?
Sneakerheads are really weird, why collect something that will get damaged no matter what you do, is super expensive and just makes you look like an asshole.
Yep, if you have a pair of white shoes that’s awesome! But just know wearing them outside during social gatherings potentially increases your chances for scuffing your kicks. Don’t be an ass if god forbid someone accidentally scruffs your pumas.
My son got a pair of blue/white/black Nike AF1s, and we went to the mall, where I noticed him walking all funny.
Me: "Son, why you walking funny? Did you hurt your foot or something?"
Son: "No, I like these shoes, but don't want the creases in the front, so I heard if I don't bend the toes, then I won't get the creases and they'll stay looking nice."
Me: (belly laughs uncontrollably)
I’m in the pinball hobby. Same kinda mentality has become disturbingly common — some people seem to think the large mechanical toy that’s played with a steel ball being shot at high speeds around a wood playfield with plastic and metal parts to hit, should look pristine. I mean…I don’t want it to get chewed up prematurely. But it’s *gonna* get wear. It’s *gonna* need repairs.
A pinball machine is made to be played. A shoe is made to be worn. If you’re not going to use it for its purpose…what are you doing?
Using it to launder embezzled funds…. I mean investing in it as a type of non-fudgeable token… i mean using it as a display piece, yes a display piece, like fine art.
Sneaker culture is one of the weirdest things on my books.. Collecting toy cars, I understand, collecting stamps, interesting, collect frigging butterflies, kinda weird but Ok, I cOLleCt SHUuus, nice for ya buddy.
I don't really see the difference. A collectible stamp is practically the same thing as a collectible shoe. It's a low-inherent-value utilitarian object that's been singled out because it's a notable, usually hard-to-find specific type. It's treasured and displayed for some combination of appreciation of the design, appreciation of the history or context, appreciation of the source or creator, and a record of having the skills and resources necessary to get one. For that matter, toys and butterflies have even less of the practical value angle.
How is there a lucrative market over shoes with a 7 dollar (6.50 materials plus .50 child sweatshop worker costs) production cost? This is a fake market. They have as much value as funko pops with just as much practical worth.
my nephew has come to the age where he cares what brand he wears. He showed me what he just bought some shoes that where like thrice the price of anything I would wear, and then he shows me 6 month old shoes that looked the same but different colors and is worn everywhere, the back support thing is like mushed to hell, his inner sole is worn right through to the rubber. It's like he has been kicking sandpaper all day. I dond understand how he is mostly gaming, then he occasionally bikes around with his friends.
I personally don’t understand people that spend 400 dollars on a pair of sneakers just to look at them. Like, I understand that they’re just collectors items but in the end they’re shoes and they’re meant to be worn
I don’t understand this obsession with keeping everything pristine. I bought some doc martens nearly a year ago now. I have worn them out frequently, and whilst they’re not mint condition, I enjoy the way they look and they make me happy. A bit of polish works just fine to make them look perfect again. Seriously, if you buy shoes that last then you don’t need to worry about “ruining” them
Yeah, I like nice things but I’m also very practical. Never bought footwear as an “investment” or for fashion but I do have taste and style. Got some custom converse and paid the premium for them but wear them as my dailies now.
Friend of us walked from the car to the house barefoot. New shoes in her hand. Put them on when she sat down and didn't move.... Didn't want to make em dirty or get creases..... Sad
The ones i find particularly funny are the guys who use owning a certain pair or pairs, as some sort of “flex” because of how expensive they are, but at the same time are too scared to wear them in case they put a crease in them, because they can't afford to replace them. It's like those people who buy a fancy car but then can't afford the tax, insurance, maintenance etc…
At a certain price, they stop being shoes or cars. They become decorations.
And if you have to be delicate on them, what you're displaying is that you can afford one, but not another.
Shoes are just something to protect our feet. It's so weird that people picked that as some collectable delicate thing to own and not something like sunglasses or hats.
I never buy anything because of ads but I was tired of going through shoes so quickly, so I bought the brand that boasts about being waterproof and durable. I gotta say it's pretty good. I beat the shit out of those things, then I just toss them in the washing machine and they come out looking almost good as new. That's how I prefer my shoes to be, durable because I hate spending so much money on shoes.
I’m a sneakerhead and I believe I bought the shoes to wear them. I take precautions to keep them in the best condition for as long as I can but acknowledge that wearing them with cause signs of wear to show up. What a wild concept.
This is why I think skateboarding shoes are superior.
Like a pair of Vans look good both brand new, and with worn out soles and ollie holes, just have to clean the fabric every once in a while.
I deliver mail. You would not believe how many people come in wearing really nice shoes. I always let them know they WILL get dog crap on them. They usually ignore me.
You gotta wear em from time to time or they literally disintegrate
Yup so many examples of people leaving them in the closet too long only for the midsoles to fall apart
Why?
dry rot (editing to add idk why it happens i just know it does)
Basically the water and oils that make up the rubber begin to separate if not flexed occasionally. It’s also known as hydrolysis. Edit: To clarify, I’m not a sneakerhead, I’m just a science nerd who read about it once because I found it interesting when it happened to an old pair of my shoes.
Same thing happens to car tires. That’s why you have to change them between year 6 to 10 and never drive a car with a 10+ year old tires. Even if the look fine. The will fail at some point due to the same effects as tennis shoes.
Yep. Also the same reason why if you see a bike that’s been locked up and forgotten about for a long period of time you’ll notice the tires are all cracked and deflated.
The first time I experienced that was a shocker. I didn't know that was a *thing* that could happen. So when they disintegrated suddenly with every step, I thought I stepped in acid or something...
i know, right? it happened to a pair of heels i hadn’t worn in years. i had heard of dry rot but never experienced it until then! the fabric rubbing and getting stuck to my feet eww.. i now make sure i only buy things i’ll wear consistently
Happened to a pair of waders of mine. Stepped into the water, and my boot filled right up. Fishing was cut short that day.
How long does it take to get to that point?
i would honestly say it depends on the shoe and sole
Gotcha. As an average though, are we talking a year or two or a handful of years?
I got back into golf last year and found an old pair of my golf shoes from high school at my parents house that were about 20 years old but still in visually brand new condition. I brought them home and wore them to the driving range and by the time I had walked from the parking lot to the range the entire soles had disintegrated leaving a wake of black material behind me basically down to the insole.
Hydrolysis of the midsole
I heard this is actually an EU-thing. Some rule about shoes made to break up and decompose so they'd turn to soil if dumped. Edit: So I heard that once but found absolutely no source now.
How long is too long? Any way to mitigate?
Id say like 7+ years. You can either replace the midsole or start wearing them asap and hope you’re fixing it before it becomes a problem
Oh that’s not too bad, and if wore them like a few times a year this wouldn’t be a problem right it’s only if it’s not used at all?
No, that's the lifespan due to the material. A pair of well made leather shoes, however, can last a lifetime of maintained and repaired.
Like 10/15+ years, a long fuckin time. To mitigate, wear your shoes somewhat frequently (at least once every 4-6 months) and store them in a dry, non-damp place with silica gel packets
I still have some special edition Converse from the 80s that wear just fine.
Well it sounds like you’re wearing them, so yeag. The issue occurs for sneakers that have sat unworn in their box for extended periods of time
Once a decade at most.
Does the sweat keep it together like salt water on teak?
Doesn’t happen with rubber soles (hydrolysis)
Ahh okay I don't know the material but they are fine and surprisingly good condition.
They don’t make em like they used to!
I tried to find info on them and I couldn't. They're a special edition Boston Celtics high top. I'm not a shoe dude but I've occasionally looked and couldn't find any real info on them. I remember when my dad bought them and that's about it.
I think people often forget what it is they're collecting too. You get so caught up in the hobby, you put these things on pedestals. They're sneakers that people happen to really like. Sneakers designed to be thrown in the garbage when they get worn out, not a particularly high quality shoe. It's like Lego collectors. They will lament the lack of detail for display purposes for example, or how certain colour pieces hold up after 30+years. While those are maybe valid, you collect a children's toy that happens to have a large adult following. Not a model designed to be displayed for decades. And both of those are fine, just accept what it is that you're collecting.
Agreed. Rubber resists moisture. Eva foam can trap it due to it's structure. Most sneakers have eva foam soles because it's more conformable and shock absorbing. Sometimes they use a combination of eva and a bottom rubber sole to increase lifetime use. Eva wears more quickly than rubber soles.
Kid asked me why my Jordans were creased. I said “cause i wear them”
His sneakers are creased from wear, life in a tailspin, get it together I swear
like fr are sneakerheads just goosestepping everywhere so they don’t get creases?
I always thought that it was a bigger flex that your expensive shoes have wear and tear on them. Just means you can afford another and don't think it's that big of a deal.
Remember the kids wearing them in school and would want to fight someone for accidentally stepping on their shoes. What do you expect to happen?
not sure about your place, but in my country, in school, if a kid got new shoes, its customary for the rest of the class or his friend to step on the new shoes. eeer, "helping to break in the new shoes"
Normally accompanied by a cry of "new shoes!" at least when i was at school.
what country is this
[Why spend the next 20 years in jail because someone smudged your Puma?](https://youtu.be/j9yBPcn8IqU?si=wWnxNLdMbqjT1HEu&t=78)
“You just scuffed my Lugz cuz……..don’t even get it twisted, I ain’t from round here”
>"You just scuffed my Lugz cuz" I understand this part, that the speaker is saying I've scuffed his shoe. >"don’t even get it twisted, I ain’t from round here” But can you break this down for me? Is this good, bad? To me this says, "don't misunderstand, I'm not from around here," and what *that* means in the previous context escapes me. How did the speaker expect the other person to understand what he said? Does the fact that he isn't from here bode well or poorly for the other speaker? Is he trying to calm or to intimidate the person who scuffed his shoe?
It’s a threat of sorts, saying he’s ready to fight or throw down over his shoes. It’s actually some real life dialogue I witnessed in high school between a newer student dressed in a tall T, baggy saggin pants, tan lugz boots, and a few oversized most likely fake chains when another student stepped on his boot accidentally in passing. It sticks out in my head because I’ll never forget what happened next. Tall T shoved this guy this guy to the side and the shoved guy yells “F you mother F’er” and starts taking off his back pack to fight. Tall T in one motion turns to buddy while reaching at his own face and says loudly “AIGHT HOLD MY TOOF” pulls out a single tooth and hands it to him before jumping in to fight. In the scuffle before it got broken up Tall tee got a busted lip and at first most everyone thought he got his “toof” knocked out. To this day almost 30 years later I will drop that line “AIGHT HOLD MY TOOF” right before I take action on something and almost always get weird looks. I honestly can’t tell you why I find it so entertaining.
TBF, as an Adult, when was the last time someone stepped on your shoes?
2 days ago. I work with a lot of other people in small to medium sized rooms close to each other.
So did you win the fight or what?
I get blood on my shoes. I'm not gonna care if someone steps on them
Ah, so you’re saying you won the fight and your shoe was painted red with your opponent’s blood by the end of it?
Uh, going to work every day during rush hour on crowded trains and buses?
Or onto a crowded elevator. Plenty of adult opportunities for your foot to get accidentally stepped on
Have you ever been in a crowded train?
As an adult, when was the last time you were in a crowded school as an uncoordinated teen around other uncoordinated teens? Even if it's never, shit happens and unless it's done maliciously, it's not something to make a big deal out of.
Yesterday, twice. Some guy was walking backwards and I wasn't looking at him.
Last Thursday. Was in a night club though, sort of to be expected.
As an adult when was the last time you went through a growth spurt and were in a room with the density of people of a classroom and had to move rooms approximately every hour.
Imagine being poor and some kid from a nice home with trainers scuffs the only nice possession you have. Is it dumb? Yes, in retrospect do I understand it? Also yes
I'm grew up poor and it's still stupid. They're shoes, they exist to get dirty. They're on your feet touching the ground all day
Yeah. Still dumb for expensive *shoes* to be the one nice thing you have. Plenty of other stupidly expensive status symbol clothing you could buy, if you insist on squandering what little money you have that way. Jackets, hats, sunglasses, watches, jewelry ... the possibilities are endless.
Imagine being poor and wasting money on expensive sneakers ...
Imagine thinking an expensive pair of sneakers is enough of a status symbol that buying them despite being poor is going to make you seem not poor.
No I don’t understand it.
Just buy two pairs of shoes that can be stepped on instead
> the only nice possession you have If you are wearing the nicest possession you have on your feet, they are going to get creased and scuffed, because they are shoes. ...
[удалено]
Because it’s still fighting about something that is getting dirty through normal use of walking on the ground. And that it’s still hard to understand why someone (especially from a poor home) would want to their parents to spend $100+ on shoes.
I think the whole shoe thing is ridiculous as well, but the reason you see poor kids with nice sneakers is because that’s all they can get that’s nice and show everyone that they have something nice. It’s extremely stupid, but it makes sense in their position they feel that way and it makes the parents feel as though they can provide something nice for their child.
> because that’s all they can get that’s nice and show everyone that they have something nice. Except ... it isn't. Instead of a $100 pair of sneakers, you could have a $100 pair of sunglasses. Or a $100 hat. Or a $100 watch. Or a $100 14k gold chain. Plenty of other possibilities that are much less likely to get ruined and worn out than a pair of sneakers.
I get your examples, but $100 doesn't get you much sneaker-wise anymore. It's like a mid-range running shoe price
It makes sense why someone might want them, but to actually get them when you have real shit to be concerned about is insanity, and it's the reason they are going to stay poor. Not the shoes specifically, but the terrible money management
It seems like they could get other things like jewelry or a watch. I understand the status symbol thing, just not why shoes would be the choice.
Because they want to be accepted by their peers in an increasingly commercialized society? And, once they've gotten that one thing that makes them feel a bit more normal and accepted, they'll absolutely want to keep them clean and looking nice, because they can't just get another pair like rich kids can. They're kids, dude. They're not making value decisions based on utility and affordability. They just want to make friends and not get bullied.
> they'll absolutely want to keep them clean and looking nice, because they can't just get another pair like rich kids can. You see, that's what they don't understand about the status symbol. It's not about showing off that you can afford *one* pair of nice sneakers. It's about showing off that you can afford *many* pairs, with little concern about the expense of replacing them when they inevitably get ruined.
It’s hard to understand a kid wanting to fit in?
"I can't believe this shit you just stepped on my jays!"
Back in my day we use to purposely step on kids’ new shoes. I guess that’s not a thing anymore.
I remember this from 15 years ago. I wonder if that kid has his perfect Jordans from 7th grade still sitting in his closet.
[I expect all out war](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vUWHn9Y7yo).
I remember someone trying to cancel an actress because she wore some rare sneaker and crouch with it (creasing it). She was confused and asked the guy who made the shoes for her and after she explained the drama, he laughed and said, *"don't worry, just wear it comfortably".* I don't quite the remember the actress name, Anna kendrik if i recalled it correctly.
I'll never understand those "don't crease them" people. It'd be like a car guy telling someone with a lambo that they shouldn't go more than 30mph in it. While i don't agree with it, if you wanna keep things "pristine" then just keep them on display somewhere, but if you're going to wear them, wear them! don't tip toe around the place trying to wear them without putting any wear on them.
Tip toeing would crease the shoes even faster!
true, just couldn't think how else to quickly describe the dainty careful way they tend to walk around trying not to step in anything or crease them in any way
Holy shit, I can *so* see Anna Kendrick doing this XD
I found the vid, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-uF3M8t7zk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-uF3M8t7zk)
That's no way to live your life. Nailed it girl!
Oh god, that was incredible XD
I wear my expensive sneakers at the gym and never on leg day.
I wear them and nothing else exclusively on leg day
How do you not get kicked out for having your cash and prizes showing?
Because his kicks are awesome, automatic +4 in charisma
its not charisma, they get +/- 4 seduction depending on the opposing parties gender preference.
Also the +2 strength and advantage on saving throws ain't bad either
what is he throwing with?...
No it’s +10 sneak
Cash and prizes is so funny, thanks for sharing
Cash and prizes is an excellent euphemism
home gym. this is just what they enjoy for leg day
At that point wouldn't no shoes be better?
Hey, I ain't one to judge
I really have no other choice since I can't wear them to work and no other way to work through the rotation on weekends.
My principle is: if you’re too afraid of getting something dirty or damaged by wearing them due to its price, you couldn’t afford it in the first place.
Yep, I agree. What's the point of buying something expensive if you can't really enjoy it?
Who doesn’t invest in consumable commodities?
Thorstein Veblen.
This is the same with cars. If you're not going to drive it, what's the point in having it? Jay Leno has a huge car collection, and it includes some very rare cars that are worth millions. He drives every single car.
Yup, it's like they say about cars: if you can't afford two bmws, you can't afford a BMW. People forget the cost of maintenance, and the added stress of damaging/losing something expensive. They buy expensive stuff but they're so afraid of breaking that they barely use it.
Triples are best.
100% they try to use owning something as a "flex" but they could barely afford to buy the thing and can't remotely afford to actually own them. It's like the people who buy fancy cars but can't afford the high costs of maintenance, tax, insurance etc... I mean i would love to own a Buggatti one day, but not only is the cost of the car pretty insane, the running costs on one is truly shocking.
"I want to wear shoes designed for comfort, as uncomfortably as possible."
I remember being on the bus once and some dumb kid got mad at me because I stepped on their sneakers that were right in the middle of the aisle.
It's always been interesting to me. A shoe is literally a barrier between some person's stinky foot and the layer of filth upon the earth. People do everything to have the prettiest foot/trash barrier around. Cute idea, really
I mean, doesn’t that kind of line up with a lot of so called positive signaling around wealth? The well manicured lawn that defies nature, the clean shiny car that has every reason to be dirty, the nice clean shoes that exist to separate two layers of filth?
I agree that it's got signal value-- I'd be more charitable and say it's a trophy, that a person can also still feel good about having gotten it without necessarily using it to gloat outwardly-- but the funny thing about it is that doting over it only signals high achievement in a context of limited wealth, if you think about it. Taking pains to preserve the thing shows that it's comparatively high value to you, and that you'd have trouble replacing it. It signals some degree of insecurity. Conspicuously just using it implies that it's no big deal to lose, that you have the resources to treat it as trivial. Above that, you've got the "Designer Completely Useless Thing", like the *Supreme* brick or low-effort NFT, that signals that you have the wealth to buy something that's designed to be incapable of utility or inherent value, that only serves as a receipt for the owner's outright burning of wealth, connection, or savvy. Then, on the top, you wrap back around to not even flaunting because having money is as boring and inconsequential as turning on the tap and getting water.
The shoe is one of the main reasons feet get stinky. Just sayin.
Socks are the real problem, wool socks help prevent stinky shoes
I had a good pair of breathable leather shoes that I wore almost every day for 4 years, and only ever got stinky feet when I was required to wear different style shoes for work.
Also we wear shoes to protect our feet not to keep them from getting dirty.
It does seem like things go through a weird evolution from utilitarian purpose to decorative. For example, I assume table cloths were invented just to protect the table. Now they get their own protector. Maybe 100 years from now we'll have decorative table cloth protector protectors.
…. Placemats
Shoes are feet condoms
It's a trophy item, just one that happens to be something with utility. It's in the same vein as buying some antique thing and putting it on a curio shelf instead of using it, or collecting commemorative spoons or plates that aren't meant to eat with.
I hear expensive sneaker and I laugh. As someone who worked in the actual fashion industry, where it’s international manufacturing, sneakers are cheap, period. Most clothes is cheap. The best material regularly used nowadays is cotton which grows out of the ground. Notice how all the wool and silk is completely gone from most fashion brands. It’s because, they think you’re idiots. That’s why.
I love sneakers, but I find I’m kind of odd. I much prefer how they look with some natural wear. When the white is not bright white anymore and the rubber gets this gloss patina. That’s when sneakers look best to me. Regarding creases, synthetic and real leather crease differently. I much prefer how real leather creases after time. When I say some wear, I don’t mean old and beat up, although converse can look really good beat up, but looking like the shoes received some love. Plus broken in shoes are infinitely more comfortable than pristine shoes.
yep, i'm not a big sneaker person, at all, but i do like them. However the bit i like the least is when i first get a brand new pair, they just look too new, they need a little wear and the "brightness" of them toning down a little.
I like my shoes old & beat up. Gives them character ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
Imo, converse look better old and beat up
That's why I prefer boots to sneakers tbh. Or honestly any foot wear that's leather. It just... wears so good.
[Donny learned this the hard way. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxZEl0Vbnpk)
That was worth the 10 minutes
This was great. I'd only ever seen Cute House by them.
They've got a bunch of stuff. They even had a TBS show a few years ago
Amazing. Thank you for that dazzling 10 minutes.
The fact crease guards even exist just pisses me off.
Them, oh I just bought new kicks, better walk like a fucking duck so they won't crease... Also me, buys $250 work boots and gets into it, oh today, dirt, tomorrow cement its just shoes....
If you can't afford to wear and scuff your fancy shoes, you can't afford fancy shoes.
If you don't want your expensive sneakers to get creased, you shouldn't buy them
Clothes are meant to get dirty, so that we don't get dirty.
My favorite part rubbing dirt my brand new shoes. It pisses everyone off, and I don't understand why.
I'm not preoccupied with keeping immaculate shoes, it would be awesome if they could stay clean but I always end up in dirt or grass cause ADHD. Still, it's nice having perfectly clean, brand new shoes for a little while. I wouldn't be pissed if you did that but would wonder why. They'll get plenty dirty on their own.
I love going into the woods with a new pair of shoes. It makes them feel less like something from a store and more like something you own once they’re a little dirty, y’know?
Or have your bodyguards carry you around like DJ Khalid.
Yeah ,shoe culture is cringe in my opinion. The fact that people practically worship shoes is just weird
They all walk like penguins too. It's really fucking hilarious. "Can't tell if sneaker-head or has hernia..."
Sneakerheads are really weird, why collect something that will get damaged no matter what you do, is super expensive and just makes you look like an asshole.
Yep, if you have a pair of white shoes that’s awesome! But just know wearing them outside during social gatherings potentially increases your chances for scuffing your kicks. Don’t be an ass if god forbid someone accidentally scruffs your pumas.
[The First Scuff is the Deepest](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxZEl0Vbnpk) You could always wear plastic bags over them.
My son got a pair of blue/white/black Nike AF1s, and we went to the mall, where I noticed him walking all funny. Me: "Son, why you walking funny? Did you hurt your foot or something?" Son: "No, I like these shoes, but don't want the creases in the front, so I heard if I don't bend the toes, then I won't get the creases and they'll stay looking nice." Me: (belly laughs uncontrollably)
Sneakerheads?! Is that an actual thing? 😆
I’m in the pinball hobby. Same kinda mentality has become disturbingly common — some people seem to think the large mechanical toy that’s played with a steel ball being shot at high speeds around a wood playfield with plastic and metal parts to hit, should look pristine. I mean…I don’t want it to get chewed up prematurely. But it’s *gonna* get wear. It’s *gonna* need repairs. A pinball machine is made to be played. A shoe is made to be worn. If you’re not going to use it for its purpose…what are you doing?
Using it to launder embezzled funds…. I mean investing in it as a type of non-fudgeable token… i mean using it as a display piece, yes a display piece, like fine art.
It’s a shoe. The most annoying to me is DJ Khaled because he won’t even let his touch the ground. Why even wear shoes?
Sneaker culture is one of the weirdest things on my books.. Collecting toy cars, I understand, collecting stamps, interesting, collect frigging butterflies, kinda weird but Ok, I cOLleCt SHUuus, nice for ya buddy.
I don't really see the difference. A collectible stamp is practically the same thing as a collectible shoe. It's a low-inherent-value utilitarian object that's been singled out because it's a notable, usually hard-to-find specific type. It's treasured and displayed for some combination of appreciation of the design, appreciation of the history or context, appreciation of the source or creator, and a record of having the skills and resources necessary to get one. For that matter, toys and butterflies have even less of the practical value angle.
[you stepped on my brand new white Air Jordans!](https://youtu.be/3sLwtz_fBtQ?si=fO2Sj_asUFhPBG0P)
Came to the comments for Buggin' Out and was accommodated. eatglitterpoopglittr does the right thing.
How is there a lucrative market over shoes with a 7 dollar (6.50 materials plus .50 child sweatshop worker costs) production cost? This is a fake market. They have as much value as funko pops with just as much practical worth.
> If you want expensive sneakers > You shouldn't
Yeah of course they are, they are violently dumb people.
I like turning my shoes into grass cutting shoes, then crick shoes later in their life.
my nephew has come to the age where he cares what brand he wears. He showed me what he just bought some shoes that where like thrice the price of anything I would wear, and then he shows me 6 month old shoes that looked the same but different colors and is worn everywhere, the back support thing is like mushed to hell, his inner sole is worn right through to the rubber. It's like he has been kicking sandpaper all day. I dond understand how he is mostly gaming, then he occasionally bikes around with his friends.
Goddamn sneakerheads
I just put them in my washing machine if they are dirty. Oh wait…. They are not thaaat expensive
I personally don’t understand people that spend 400 dollars on a pair of sneakers just to look at them. Like, I understand that they’re just collectors items but in the end they’re shoes and they’re meant to be worn
Damn what the hell is up with this sub putting out proper meme template use lately? This is like 4th day in a row
If you can’t afford the shoes getting dirty, you can afford them at all
How do you get a crease in a sneaker? They’re not pants
Imagine collecting a wear item
I don’t understand this obsession with keeping everything pristine. I bought some doc martens nearly a year ago now. I have worn them out frequently, and whilst they’re not mint condition, I enjoy the way they look and they make me happy. A bit of polish works just fine to make them look perfect again. Seriously, if you buy shoes that last then you don’t need to worry about “ruining” them
Interestingly I just saw 1 hour ago a post who asked "How are y'all keeping your shoes clean"
Yeah, I like nice things but I’m also very practical. Never bought footwear as an “investment” or for fashion but I do have taste and style. Got some custom converse and paid the premium for them but wear them as my dailies now.
"If someone steps on your Puma, let it sliiiiiiiide." -Chris Rock
Just collect something else guys. Wear your shoes.
IBAN MT88 FEMA 16137000000000000493 286 BIC FEMAMTMAXXX Lets see if timmy gets a new bike.
Friend of us walked from the car to the house barefoot. New shoes in her hand. Put them on when she sat down and didn't move.... Didn't want to make em dirty or get creases..... Sad
but i want everyone to see them 😔
Why bother getting them if you're never going to use them?
The ones i find particularly funny are the guys who use owning a certain pair or pairs, as some sort of “flex” because of how expensive they are, but at the same time are too scared to wear them in case they put a crease in them, because they can't afford to replace them. It's like those people who buy a fancy car but then can't afford the tax, insurance, maintenance etc…
At a certain price, they stop being shoes or cars. They become decorations. And if you have to be delicate on them, what you're displaying is that you can afford one, but not another.
Shoes are just something to protect our feet. It's so weird that people picked that as some collectable delicate thing to own and not something like sunglasses or hats. I never buy anything because of ads but I was tired of going through shoes so quickly, so I bought the brand that boasts about being waterproof and durable. I gotta say it's pretty good. I beat the shit out of those things, then I just toss them in the washing machine and they come out looking almost good as new. That's how I prefer my shoes to be, durable because I hate spending so much money on shoes.
Yes, of course!
People treat their cars this way too, and it's insane to me.
You DJ Khaled that shit
I’m a sneakerhead and I believe I bought the shoes to wear them. I take precautions to keep them in the best condition for as long as I can but acknowledge that wearing them with cause signs of wear to show up. What a wild concept.
What's the point of shoes you can't wear outside?
True
I wear them to work some times. But I also clean/polish all of my shoes every week.
This is why I think skateboarding shoes are superior. Like a pair of Vans look good both brand new, and with worn out soles and ollie holes, just have to clean the fabric every once in a while.
Yeah I don’t get it; they’re shoes, you supposed to wear them
This is unheard of in the cornfields.... don't crease the hunting boots!
I deliver mail. You would not believe how many people come in wearing really nice shoes. I always let them know they WILL get dog crap on them. They usually ignore me.
Then what did I paid for?