MORONS? OR IDIOTS?

We link; you decide.

Comments

[Kafaleni]

Yes and yes.

I wouldn't pay that much for Nikes that I COULD wear.

[U.O]

Key quote: They express your personality. They speak up for you, without words. They say you're hip, that you're not a follower.

Oh?

Not a follower?

Coulda fooled me ... just sayin' ...

[Annie Where-but-here]

It's like Macy's the day after Christmas, only in the hood. I owned a pair of Air Jordans(women's!) - best b'ball shoes I've ever had by far. But as collectibles? What if you're a size 12 and they give you size 8? Do you ask for a bigger size and, like on Seinfeld, a mean dude swipes them out of your hands and yells, "NO SHOES FOR YOU!" Oh, wait, Seinfeld was with soup.
And I woulda been first, except I sacrifice speed for quality...plus, I was eating.

[insomniac]

so you just carry them with you in a box? or carry pictures of them in your wallet? by spending a week in line buying shoes you won't wear I guess you show you have time and money to burn!

[Annie Where-but-here]

U.O - even if they do speak up for you, how is anyone gonna hear them if you keep 'em in a box?

[Annie Where-but-here]

insom - with that kinda time to burn, I'm guessing they're unemployed, so maybe we're payin' their way.

[PirateBoy]

Key quote: "These shoes tell you who you are", said Christina Chow, a junior at Thurgood Marshall High School in San Francisco, who was wearing wristband 34.

She needs to spend $295 to be called stupid? I'd call her that for less than a dollar!

Was Imelda Marcos spotted anywhere in line?

[KOW]

"Wearing them would be stupid,'' said Eddie Williams, 18, of Oakland, who had been waiting in line since last Saturday.

This is my favourite sentence in the whole article. So so ironic...

[Dux]

Hmm, I don't think the title of "moron" or "idiot" really do justice these people. They are unequivocally "nutjobs"

[U.O]

"Stupid is, as stupid does." (Forrest Gump)

[Bumble]

That is one ugly shoe. But I guess that doesn't matter since they won't wear them.

I've bought one pair of Nikes in my lifetime. I was going to take up walking regularly as good exercise, and mom thought I needed good walking shoes. The first time I wore them, the sole on one started to tear off of the upper. I returned them, and have since relied on Reeboks, Easy Spirit and (mostly) cheap K-mart/Wal-mart brands.

[Ford79]

"Erick Gonzales of Union City, at the end of the line, said a good basketball shoe was like a good woman."

(The main difference being he has a shot at getting the shoes.)

[Eleanor]

LOL, Ford!!!

[homeybeef]

I'm gonna go with morons

[Stupendous Man]

Key quote:

"...Anthony Peña..."

Was a relative of the performer formerly known as Prince and now known as ? in the line? Or has my 'puter thrown a font rod?

[Kilmeny]

When I was 17, if I had bought a $300 pair of shoes and then refused to wear them my mother would have made sure that everyone knew how hip I was, by planting one shoe in my skull and the other one where the sun don't shine.

[WestchesterPO]

Yet another key quote… "If you wear them, the value goes down really fast. They get creases in them.”

What value? Are we talking “resale” value here? Are these people buying these shoes as some sort of investment? Is there a black market for these things I’ve never known of?

Maybe I’m just getting old. I’m going with “morons.”

[Stupendous Man]

Has cretins been taken yet?

[Bumble]

According to a scientist's study of "new" immigrants that we learned about in U.S. History, the dummy scale is as follows: idiots at the bottom, so bad they're incapable of functioning in normal society. Then there are three levels of imbecile, and at the top are the morons; dumb, but capable of doing menial labor. Make your own judgments on these guys.

This has been your useless burst of education for the day.

[Punkin Poo]

Moronidots.

[PirateBoy]

Earwig Alert Walking in Memphis

Put on my Nike shoes
Found they all feel the same.
Bought down in the land of the aging hippie
By the players of the advertising game.
Hey P.T. Barnum, - won't you recognize me?
I spent $300 dollars for these shoes
Cause I'm dumb as broccolli.

And I'm walking in Frisco
Walking with my new Nike Moron shoes
Walking in Frisco
But can I really look as dumb as I do?

Saw the ghost of Barnum
At a circus near Union Square
Showed him my $300 dollar Nike shoes
But you know he just didn't care.
And security guards, they laughed at me
As I tried to find a cop.
Paying $300 dollars for those shoes?
I deserved to be chased down the block.

[Chorus]

They've got gold boxes on the table
They've got ganja in the air
And Niketown will be glad to sell to you...
When you're just too dumb to care.

And boy they're dumb in Frisco....

Now mom asked what I brought her
As I snuck home up the stairs
And she called me in to see her
But you know I did't dare - Tell her what they cost me
And she stared at me with fright
And she said - Tell me son, are you a stupid child?
And I said Mom, I am tonight...

[cebasham]

They're right; as soon as you wear them the value goes down. So far down, in fact, that my sons can afford them.

We buy all our Jordans at the thrift store, for thirty cents a pair. Either that, or we get them from a neighbor for free (his feet are slightly larger than my oldest son's feet). We don't have to stand in line in the street. Then my sons wear them to shreds.

At that point, we throw them in the trash.

This is how normal people buy shoes. We are not hip, but we are not complete crazy idiot morons with more money than sense. I am so very glad, right now, that I couldn't afford those shoes if I wanted to. Good God.

[Brad]

OMG Dave. OK, I have to confess something. I help run a monthly sneaker show. It's called the dunkxchange and my friend started it last May in Orange County, CA. He brought me on to turn it into a business, and, to that end, we're adding a franchised monthly Las Vegas show starting February 18. We'll also be incorporating shortly, paying salaries, and doing things that businesses do.

When my friend Gary told me about his show, he stressed that the kids (18-30 is a strong demo for this thing) come with their shoes and trade with each other. So like, they are trading shoes that they've already worn. To me, that was and still is freaking weird. But I have definitely been bitten by the sneaker bug. Yesterday, at our show, I bought two pairs of new shoes (we have several vendors who bring brand new product). One was $240. They are "dope" as the kids say. I have to say, the kids involved in this sneaker game tend to be really good, really fun people, who really get into buying, selling, and trading. These are the budding entrepreneurs of tomorrow. I can count on one hand the number of people we've had who snuck into the show without paying, or stole something, or acted like thugs -- in almost a year of doing the show. You hear about gangs and colors and racial tension among our youths, and then you come to a dunkxchange show and see a very diverse crowd mixing it up and having fun and it's all good.

Really Dave, if you would like to see first hand how this works, and maybe get enough material for five new books, you should come out for our Vegas or Orange County shows in February. It's a great time. We'll hook you up with some great sneaks to match any one of your blue shirts (matching shirts and sneakers is a must) and we'll even let you on our bar tab for the show.

P.S. If you want to drop $1000 on a pair of shoes, I can hook you up with some Nikes that were custom made for Lebron James. Also, we are totally looking to set up a franchise in Miami, are talking to someone, and you might just see the show happen there in the coming months!

P.P.S. What size shoe do you wear? What size does Walter wear?

-Brad
dunkxchange bizniss guy
(and occasional impersonator on Dave's blog)

[Stupendous Man]

P'Boy! Excellent!

[Jessica]

I do the same thing every time Payless Shoe Source releases a new shoe under the "Starr Jones" line.

It is my secret.

[Psycho Joe]

More like TOTAL RETARDS!

'Nuff said.

8>

[Jessica R.]

Brad,
How many pairs do they bring along? Aren't shoes kind of a bulky thing to trade? They are not exactly as easy to handle as baseball cards or Star Trek memorabilia. Then there is the size problem. Do you set up different areas for different shoe sizes? Also, where do kids this age get this kind of cash? I used to get $10/ week. Out of that I had to buy my lunch and buy reeds for my saxophone which didn't leave much for pocket cash! Also, are there no schools or jobs in CA? Any 17 year-old who cuts school for this around here would be turned in pretty fast and his/her parents too!

Idiots = 6 years (mental age)
Morons= 12 years (mental age)
Is that right Bumble?

[Jessica R.]

*waves* Hi "other Jessica" welcome to Dave's Blog.

[Jessica R.]

*waves* Hi "other Jessica" welcome to Dave's Blog.

[Jessica R.]

oops...I stuttered. pardon me.

[Brad]

Jessica,

OK, when I say "kids", I mean typically 18-30. There is one guy who comes to our shows and is now a regular vendor who I figured was 25, but he's just 17! He pays us $100 to have a table where he sells a bunch of rare shoes he brings with him. And he makes money doing this. Isn't it a good thing that he's doing this with shoes and not home-made pharmaceuticals?

As for how many they bring with them... We have two classes of participants. Vendors pay for pre-assigned table space, and they can bring all the shoes they want. We have one guy who comes down from San Francisco for each show with a truckload of shoes. No kidding. Guests are allowed to bring up to 3 pairs of shoes with them for their $5 admission. We let them set up their "shops" on the pool tables in the bar. Many of our paying vendors got their start by bringing shoes and trading. We actually have to clamp down on the number of shoes guests can bring in at a time because some groups of 4 or 5 would bring in a store full of shoes to set up on a pool table!

A couple years ago, I was helping my friend Gary (who founded the dunkxchange) move, and he had a loft in his old apartment. I went up there and he had a 10x10 room with shoes stacked floor to ceiling all around. I cannot exaggerate the scene enough! But there's a real business in this. The kids have more disposable income and more sophisticated tastes than a decade ago when I was that age.

So anyway, yeah, the sneaker scene is pretty freakin hilarious when you look at it from the outside. That article is pretty funny. I can see how you'd think it is beyond ridiculous. Heck, I still would not buy a used pair of shoes! I wouldn't even sell my own used pairs, even though a couple could get 2x - 3x what I paid for them new earlier this year. But it's a real phenonemon and, parents, this is how your kids will be spending their college savings. Get used to it! Haha.

[Alfred]

When I was living in Lukachukai. I was at the bazar nearby. Some guy with lots of shoes to sell. None our sizes. But he said they where. All the shoes. Any shoe was our size.
He was usually right next to the pirated movies guy.
And it was far more odd thinking about people to the south of us. In Scottsdale. Who wore shoes that cost several hundered dollars.
How bizar.

[Jessicakes]

Hiya Jessica R., and thanks. I am new so I will go by Jessicakes as to prevent confusion.

[Mr. Completely]

Sometimes I thank God I wear a hard-to-find size of shoe (I wear a size 17). I usually wear Nikes, 'cause they make 'em in my size. I get my shoes at the Nike outlet store, where they've been sitting on the back shelf for three years, or on eBay. I pay anywhere from $5 to $25 per pair. I refuse to pay any more than that for a pair of sneaks (I won't call them "basketball shoes" 'cause I hate sports). These fools who can afford to spend a week and $300 are indeed idiotic morons.

[U.O]

Hi, Jessicakes ...

Have fun!

[U.O]

... um ... I wuz gonna offer the thot that Mr. C is on the wrong thread ... and that he mebbe would be more comfortable on the Seattle thread, whut with all the Bigfoots hangin' around there ... and stuff ... but I decided not to ... 'cuz I don't wanna be pickin' a #17 outa from between my ... just sayin' ...

[Blogchik]

The only way these kids are not morons if they are doing what Brad is talking about and SELLING them. Didn't the article mention shoes fetching 500-700 on ebay? So if you can make a profit on it, yeah...

Yes, people are crazy to be buying shoes this expensive, but I think the same thing of the women wearing spike-heeled-impossible-to-walk-in Jimmy Choo's.

I'd rather collect stamps.

[Blogchik]

Bumble, I'm with you on the Nikes. I won't buy them anymore because they start falling apart in the first week. This is not what I'm looking for in a shoe-- particularly a sneaker.

[WriterDude]

PirateBoy, I think you've just vaulted yourself up into the "insomniac" level of song parodies. I dare say that Mark Cohn would be proud, and if it ever crosses his radar, I'd be willing to bet that it might actually aid in his recovery... laughter is the best medicine and all that...

[AlanBoss]

Now, I confess that I am a collector type, myself. I have countless boxes of comic books collected from my younger days and, at the age of 46, can still be found at KB Toys rummaging through the action figures looking for that Batman Begins action figure that was packaged on the right side instead of the left.

That said... Yes, these people are morons and idiots. (But, evidently, hip morons and idiots.)

[Mr. Completely]

U.O - Good choice.

[queensbee]

bozos. a$$hats. people with too much money, and not enough brains. fa cryin out loud - people are worried about paying their heating bills. can i go over there and smack em?

[U.O]

Mr. C ... I thot so ... and, you got the message, even tho the ... um ... whut is this ... carrier? ... actually "ate" some of the words ... --

Let's see if it does again, when I put gluteus maximi in there ...

Only one way to know ... preview ...

No, apparently not ... OK ... posting

[Sondra]

I think Jamie Lee Curtis said it best, in "A Fish Called Wanda":

To call you Stupid would be an insult to Stupid people.

[sct72]

"These shoes tell you who you are''

Evidently. Not in a good way, however.

Also, "that you're not a follower", even though you're waiting in line for a week.

"They express your personality. They speak up for you, without words." Even though they aren't worn but stay stored away in a box.

And last, why bother with wristbands if you're just going to make people wait in line & make "checks every few hours and no-shows would lose their right to buy the shoes. "

[Muffles]

"These shoes tell you who you are,'' said Christina Chow, a junior at Thurgood Marshall High School in San Francisco, who was wearing wristband 34. "They express your personality. They speak up for you, without words. They say you're hip, that you're not a follower.''

"That's right,'' said her pal Anthony Peña of San Francisco, who was wearing wristband 27."

ok, gigantic **SNORK** to Christina and her pal. Oh wait, they were serious.....

[jones in ohio]

...you people obviously unappreciate the Antique's Road Show

[jones in ohio]

...you people obviously underappreciate the Antiques Road Show

[Jean]

Ever read the book "Jennifer Government"? I thought it was just too far out to ever happen, but OMG it's happening...

[James Trofe]

This type of stuff makes me wish I was rich. Then I'd wait first in that line with my dog, get my shoes, then walk in front of all the losers in that line and give the shoes to my dog to eat, or I'd throw the shoes into traffic and see who runs after them.

[Rapunzel]

Oh my lord...
I will never make fun of female shoe lust again. At least girls actually WEAR them.

[U.O]

Yeah, once, mebbe ...

[Rapunzel]

It counts! :)

[susie]

too hard to choose between just one of those words. you never said we couldn't use a combination of the two words, and create a new word for people that stupid. hows about idions.