Middle age and brand loyalty to trainers

Oh… and anyone who has ever had a pair of crocs on their feet should be immediately disqualified from commenting on this thread. Your opinion is about as valid as a vegan commenting on how to cook the perfect steak, or who makes the best sausages

I’ll give you that, 1001%

but anything more than 1 pair of smart shoes, 1 pair of trainers, 1 pair of walking boots and a pair of 5-10’s/SPDs for the bike makes you an Imelda Marcos wannabe 😉

I’d possibly by Vans… because they’re not Converse.

MrSmith – Member

I don’t understand the adult male fascination with exercise pumps made out of cheap materials in sweatshops?

No matter who you are, what ever label you attach to yourself, there is no excuse for bad footwear.

A man who pays no heed to his shoes is not to be trusted.
It’s hardwired into our consciousness.
We are judged by our hooves.

*Northern whimsy
Brought up to polish, repair and generally look after shoes.

Shoes made a statement:
Docs from Harpurhey market or rare Diadora nicked on a European Cup match raid by someone’s older brother.

*Northern whimsy

Quality counts though, got to be a functional item.
Nothing ugly or useless. 😀

Like everything, you can see the fun and accept the contradictions.
I knew that it was all marketing led bollocks by the last year of junior school.

Try not to partake in marketing bullshit, but a little now and again does you no harm. 🙂

I still fancy another pair of green Los Angeles. 😀

Do you by any chance work in sales or marketing?

Not so much these days. Our minds are so amusing, so compliant. Yet it feels somehow wrong/sociopathic to take advantage and tweak the minds of others (unless in good-natured jest of course). After a while you risk becoming awfully disillusioned and cynical. Marketing (especially fashion) is arguably pure, winker-grade distilled cynicism selling ‘lifestyle choices’. Truth is most of us are so very easily manipulated – all the while convinced that by purchasing mass-produced and aggressively marketed cheap things at inflated prices we are nonetheless making a net positive individual ‘statement’. What we wear is become more important than what we do, or indeed what we stand for.

It’s a con, yet we are largely either unknowing or else willing dupes.

Some of us are market savvy and even aware of the process, even to the point of knowing our own demographic – yet we continue regardless. Brand loyalty is a powerful thing, whether simple beans or mass-produced pumps. Labels became a Very Big Thing. We are taught that we can ‘look down’ from them, can ‘look up’ to them, we discover that we can even look through them. But we have to have them. It’s the feelgood ‘magic’ that seems unfathomably deeper than 2mm of PU or nylon mesh produced in sweatshops. Complicity of sorts.

Sometimes TJ should be allowed special dispensation to return for just the odd thread.

Malvern Rider – Member
High profile branded training shoes tell us about someone’s core identity, their person – their achievements and aspirations – not to mention their social status/peer identity and peer group acceptance level. They may also denote the ‘playfulness’ or ‘seriousness’ of the wearer.

Yep, spot on.
And your other post too.

Susceptibility to external influence is hardly a radical concept.
But everyone believes it applies to a greater extent in others than it does in themselves.
Which is the perfect set up for men to take the piss out of each other about their shoes.

At 42 I don’t like to admit to owning trainers for anything other than sports but I’ve had at least one pair of Vans (usually old schools) since I was 14.

Currently own a pair of these

which are my “go-to” casual “pumps”

a pair of these which come out once in a blue moon as they’re rare and getting old

but that’s about it that gets seen out other than a pair of these which are “smart pumps” if there’s such a thing

Other than that, I’ve got a pair of these classics that I can’t bare to part with. The just get used as general duty around the house shoes for pootling in and out of the garage/garden/whatever but I love them.

They’re the strongest, most hard wearing and most comfortable shoes I’ve ever had and when the soles eventually wear out I expect I’ll be getting some 5:10 Stealth glued on.

Everything else I own that could be called trainers is made by 5:10 for throwing yourself down mountains attached to a bicycle.

Which is the perfect set up for men to take the piss out of each other about their shoes.

Bingo. If you realize it’s a shallow con/begin to lose your loyalty/begin to get sweaty around the neck etc…then just shame someone else for not dressing like your lofty fashionable self. Instant soothing balm, and for free! All you had to do was make someone feel shitty about themself for their lack of ‘style’. Result: Self-worth boosted x100. Nikidas thanks you. Kerching.

Malvern Rider – Member

Bingo. If you realize it’s a shallow con/begin to lose your loyalty/begin to get sweaty around the neck etc…then just shame someone else for not dressing like your lofty fashionable self.

Eh?
What if you knew it was a con in the first place?
Like football, or musical tribalism?

Maybe we can all laugh at the joke?

Cheap shoes are a way of deluding myself I can channel my susceptibility to consumerism. 😀

Instant soothing balm, and for free! All you had to do was make someone feel shitty about themself for their lack of ‘style’. Result: Self-worth boosted x100. Nikidas thanks you. Kerching.

Not everyone’s like that.
Unpleasant people have the same interests as pleasant ones.

Rusty +1

There’s a point where something is overthought.

Liking Malvern Rider’s posts here. Pretty much need their own thread though. Especially on here where projected self-image seems often to be at the forefront of members’ minds.

(not suggesting I’m immune)

last 2 pairs I bought were these – originally bought for biking but they’re ded comfy so I just use them all the time

Oops, sorry for threadjacking – too much beer, sun, internet access and task avoidance 8)

🙂

I don’t understand the adult male fascination with exercise pumps made out of cheap materials in sweatshops?

If got adidas superstars made out of Leather, Suede, corduroy, and 4 pairs made out of various tweeds.
Hardly cheap materials.

I’ve got 4 pairs that are 20+ years old and still going strong.
They fit perfectly, I can wear them all day and walk miles and miles in them without any problems at all.
I can buy the same perfect fitting shoe, in thousands of different colours and materials, and even have them made to my exact specification if I want.
The design has barely changed in 45 years, it’s a classic.
They are relatively cheap, they are well made and last for years.

That’s why I like them.

Fair enough if you partake in exercise and need some jogging shoes but buying gaudy plimsoles to wear to the pub just looks like you wish you were still 13 and kicking a football around the park.

I’d rather that than sound like a moaning old duffer.

“gaudy plimsoles”
“exercise pumps”

I really hope you are 85 years old.

Middleclassworld is in full effect again here, I see. To try and understand: When some of us grew up In some parts of the country which you would probably deem absolutely frightful, and somewhere you certainly wouldn’t entertain going after dusk, things don’t get measured, as you pull up in the car park and check out the relative spec on each other’s German automobiles. But the theory is the same, so try and compare it to the searing envy you felt about his Blaupunkt system, or higher specced alloys.

Never leaves you unfortunately. But it’s a bit more of an innocent effectuation than being Gareth cheeseman

Just online now looking at a nice pair of Trimm Trab. Not treated myself to some new traineeeez in a while 🙂

Never leaves you unfortunately.

Like Catholisism and the smell of two stroke oil.
🙂

Seriously, do as I do.

Delude yourself that in all other aspects of life, you are the one in charge of the rabbit in your head driving the controls.

Just not when it comes to trainers.

Confession time- I got mocked/bullied at school for my parents not to be able to afford labels – had ‘fake’ (sic) snorkel jacket, ‘fake’ Pods etc, most often knockoff stuff that dad got from work colleague. Never really forgot it, changed the way I looked at individuals who put so much stock in what are (lets face it) just stuff on your feet/back to keep you warm and protected Still puts my back up, still disinclines me to buy shit to show off/show I can afford it. Not bitter but always jaded at ‘fashion judges’

Similiar… But I tested the face-kicking capacity of a pair of cica basketball boots to the limit and people found they matched up really well to the cool brands so it died down a bit after that.

Malvern Rider – Member

Confession time- I got mocked/bullied at school for my parents not to be able to afford labels – had ‘fake’ (sic) snorkel jacket, ‘fake’ Pods etc, most often knockoff stuff that dad got from work colleague.

Nasty people will be nasty toward those they feel they can, for whatever reason.

It’s not the fault of the shoes.

Oh, and seeing as no one’s mentioned it:
Harry.
Blue suede Samba?

A bit outré sweety.

Gazelle are blue suede.
Samba are black.
Stan Smith are white.

Hth.

changed the way I looked at individuals who put so much stock in what are (lets face it) just stuff on your feet/back to keep you warm and protected Still puts my back up, still disinclines me to buy shit to show off/show I can afford it.

As I said earlier, the 4 pairs of 20 year old trainers I bought (for maybe £35 a pair) are still going strong, still comfy, still look good, and look the same as the ones you could buy new now.

I buy decent stuff because I don’t have loads of money, and don’t like throwing money away on cheap crap that falls apart.

It’s not a show of wealth to buy good quality stuff so it lasts, and gives good value for money over time.

Nasty people will be nasty toward those they feel they can, for whatever reason.
It’s not the fault of the shoes.

Obviously shoes are faultless – it’s the perceived social status/peer acceptance imparted by labels arguably at fault. No-one attacked me for my personality, or the colour of my skin, just the fact that my shoes (and by extension me and my family) apparently sucked as were ‘low income’/untrendy. As someone suggested, maybe I missed being ‘in on the joke’ – but I suspect that’s more likely a copout.

I buy decent stuff because I don’t have loads of money, and don’t like throwing money away on cheap crap that falls apart.

Snap! Careful though, you might get judged as ‘middle class’ even without sharp elbows 😉

You’re on holiday?

Tell me you don’t have access to gin?
🙂

Betty Stog dont mind G&T dont mind if I do old boy. Drinking it from me Crocs innit !

Vans for me TNT’s, half cabs, old school.

DC went bad quality wise way back in 2000 they’re back up to scratch these days and make some very nice shoes but they’re not a brand I have any loyalty to.

Nike SBs last forever even when skated in. Yep that’s right I actually skate and wear skate shoes…

Not so much these days. Our minds are so amusing, so compliant. Yet it feels somehow wrong/sociopathic to take advantage and tweak the minds of others (unless in good-natured jest of course). After a while you risk becoming awfully disillusioned and cynical. Marketing (especially fashion) is arguably pure, winker-grade distilled cynicism selling ‘lifestyle choices’. Truth is most of us are so very easily manipulated – all the while convinced that by purchasing mass-produced and aggressively marketed cheap things at inflated prices we are nonetheless making a net positive individual ‘statement’. What we wear is become more important than what we do, or indeed what we stand for.

What joy there is in liberating oneself from this pattern of thought. Eighteen years ago, starting secondary school, I would have identified 100%. A decade ago, sure, in a more “sophisticated” (haha) way. As I grow older possessions seem less important.

But I’m sure when I eventually buy a house and a car I’ll start all over again with obscure Danish homeware designers, hand-forged cutlery and Audi spec packs.

p.s. To prove what a massive hypocrite I am, I’m surprised no-one’s mentioned these yet. The classic skate shoe (another actual (ex) skater here). Such a shame eS have been on a ‘creative hiatus’ – that’s some cynical marketing bs right there – since 2012.

I haven’t really strayed from Adidas since I got my first pair of Busenitz a few years ago. They just make the comfiest shoes. I’ve been ordering mine online for years, better prices and I hate shopping. I also have the oddpair of Vans and Etnies but jnothing is as comfy as the adidas.

Ah the accel. A classic. Although hasn’t aged that well.

Adidas skate shoes are very good quality. Wish my feet were narrow enough.

Snap! Careful though, you might get judged as ‘middle class’ even without sharp elbows

So far on this thread, my choice of footwear has had me labelled as a Chav, a Ned, a 13 Year old, and now apparently middle class.

It’s a weird world eh.

Ah the accel. A classic. Although hasn’t aged that well.

How about the Sal 23? Love that shoe as well.

A narrow-tongued version of the Accel would be nice if eS do ever reappear.

Trainers are for teenagers I’m afraid. You can argue all you like, but as I’m the only real Arbiter of taste on this forum, you’d be wasting your time. 8)

For the record, I used to love my adidas football boots and trainers around the early 70’s and wouldn’t wear anything else.

I had a pair of modern sals about 2 years ago. They were fairly awful. Looked nice though. Cream with gum sole. Modern skate shoes are better than old ones even vans pro have decent insoles and reinforced tough rubber ollie patches etc…