#vulcan gay people is a beautiful concept

[shigeoreum]

months later i come back with more string (stonn x t’pring)… ooo ur so interested in the butchfemme vulcan wives oooo

[kinetic-elaboration]

February 26: 2x08 I, Mudd

Finally getting to this week's episode of TOS.

I remembered I, Mudd being basically fun but not exactly my favorite, and that's still my feeling.

This is the angriest I've ever seen Spock. "Labels do not make arguments." And then how McCoy realizes as soon as he gives his impression of the android how badly he's fucked up but he just has to keep digging that hole.

McCoy commits a micro-aggression lol.

And when Spock talks about McCoy's "beads and rattles"--that voice is 100% the tone Vulcans used to use before they killed someone.

That android looks so familiar. I guess he's not actually a common ST actor but he looks a lot like the common ST background actors.

"Scotty, the intruder's in your area" while Scotty's already on the floor. He got the memo.

"Tell security we found the intruder." We know the situation isn't that serious because Kirk still has a sense of humor.

I like that Spock appreciates that the android doesn't refer to Spock as part of "humanity." And he's definitely interested in the android.

I feel like it shouldn't be this easy to get control of a Federation star ship. Like Mudd is NOT that smart.

I can't believe Spock's first instinct is to try to meld with the machine. Stop being such a slut, Spock.

"He appears to have turned himself off."

Right there on the bridge!! Where he just stands in front of the doorway for 4 days, the least convenient spot.

Kirk is so relaxed about this mission. The ship's been captured and is rigged to blow but oh well! "We're going on a trip." "A gracious invitation." It's like he can already sense this episode is going to be nonsense all the way down.

JAMIE. How dare??

The last time we saw Mudd, Kirk was volunteering to be a character witness for him. Oh where did it all go wrong?

Spock is "ill equipped to appreciate" the ladies. Makes him sound gay.

How much do I LOVE that the VULCANS caught Mudd? He tried to steal Vulcan IP and they didn't like that. I want to know everything about Vulcan society tbqh.

So gross how obvious it is that Mudd is fucking the androids.

The irony of Mudd's situation: a prisoner who can have whatever he wants, but still a prisoner.

Kirk is not amused by the sexist wife android.

This is basically What Are Little Girls Made Of? but like.. not as good.

Kirk doesn't like androids, clearly.

This whole bit about how Uhura could live forever in an android body... First, her interest in the pretty girl androids is very Gay. Second, interesting that this is appealing to her? Third, so this is Dollhouse but with androids. And finally... I feel like this is very not in keeping with the rest of the universe. Like nothing else they can do is on the level of making people immortal. It's such an outlier skill/offering.

Replacing the Enterprise crew with androids--Kirk doesn't like that.

Better than Leningrad...

I am intrigued by the concept that the androids both want to serve and want to study people. Like it does make sense, they can't serve if they don't understand, but it has just that little bit of subtle creepiness to it, which I appreciate.

Kirk cannot be bought. I love episodes where everyone else is, to some extent, tempted by something, like utopia or soft animals or android servants, and Kirk is just like "I'm already living my best life as Captain of the Enterprise so thanks but no thanks."

Spock stepping in to this conversation just reads to me like the smart kid in class waving his hand to answer a question. Like he was not involved in this but he hears a question and he must answer it. "I know what human unhappiness is!! I know!"

THE ENTERPRISE IS A BEAUTIFUL LADY AND WE LOVE HER.

There is nothing tougher to overcome than a sense of purpose. Love that line. Honestly, among other things, I think it describes Kirk and his heroism well. He has a sense of purpose!! And he cannot be swayed.

And now the androids are becoming more like the threatening robots you expect: humans are imperfect/flawed/lacking in logic, can't be trusted to roam free, but are easily pacified with baubles and shiny things, so the robots will make everything better by simply distracting them with whatever they might want, thus saving them, and the universe, from themselves. “You species needs our help…We shall take care of them  You will be happy and controlled.”

I wonder a little bit if this is what happened to the Makers. Like, I know their official cause of death was Exploding Sun/old age…but as my mom pointed out, if the robots DO have the ability to grant immortality in the form of robot bodies, why didn’t the Makers take it? Because the robots made life boring?

Kirk admits to no longer be amused. Uh, yeah, this USED to be hilarious, but is it still hilarious? No.

Pointy-eared thinking machine. YOUR pointy-eared thinking machine, specifically.

Kirk and Spock are operating like a hive mind.

Spock would NEVER sell false patents to Amanda, she is awesome.

And now we’re officially in “Kirk versus the machine and Kirk wins” territory. I do like this type of narrative, so this isn’t a complaint.

Finally, he’s fully enjoying himself too.

I love the fake out with Uhura “betraying” them.

…Okay this is just wacky lol. That’s my only commentary.

Can you imagine the Vulcans seeing this? Not only are the humans acting strangely but SPOCK is too. He’s playing along with the fun and games! How weird of him.

And the head of the androids bites the dust, done in by the old “liar lies” conundrum.

The satisfaction Kirk gets from saying "I am not programmed to respond in that area."

And now he gets to listen to the soothing sounds of Bones and Spock gently mocking each other.

Some of Mudd’s androids have the same dresses as the women in Mudd’s Women.

Not super keen on Mudd's eternal punishment being having to live with many versions of his irritating wife.

And that was the ep. I don’t have much else to say about it. I think What Are Little Girls Made Of? did the androids who’ve outlived the civilization that made them concept a lot better, and overall, as far as sci fi narratives go, this ep didn’t contribute much of anything that hasn’t been said or done before. Not that every story has to be ground breaking, but I just mean, as a sci fi story, it wasn’t fantastic, and as a humorous story, it was… decent, but maybe not as much my thing? I don’t know. Surreal.

It does bother me that we never find out how Norman got on the Enterprise in the first place lol. Like, does Starfleet not have security measures? Can anyone with a uniform just beam right on?

Next ep is Metamorphosis, which, while it does have some uh problematic gender stuff, is also all about LOVE and has my favorite Kirk speech in it so it’s one of my faves. 

[vokava]

BECAUSE  YOU  ARE  MY  FRIEND.  -  kirks  death  in  stid  in  spocks  pov. 

DO NOT REBLOG , COPY OR  REPOST  ! 

DISCLAIMER  : THIS  STARTED  OUT  HELLA  NEUTRAL  &  THEN  RIGHT  AT  THE  END  IT  GETS  REALLY  FUCKING  GAY  —  JUST  A  FAIR  WARNING . 

IT  STARTS  WITH  THE  FALL  &   ends  with  the  rise  . miracles  do  not  exist  , there is  a logical explanation to  their  current  success . “  THERE  ARE  NO  SUCH  THINGS “     &   a  voice  broadcasts  on  the  bridge. the  realization comes  like  a snap ,  an unsolvable  puzzle ,  (   IF  YOU  ELIMINATE  THE  IMPOSSIBLE  ,  WHATEVER  REMAINS  HOWEVER  IMPROBABLE  MUST  BE  TRUE  )       there  is   no   moment  he  can  recall in  his  entire  live  that  spock  wants  his conclusion  to  be desperately wrong .  

SPOCK  LEAPS  FROM  HIS  SEAT ,  racing  past  each &  every  crew member  ,  not  looking  behind  him .   maybe   he   can   get   there  in  time  .     YOU  BETTER   HURRY    there  could  still be  a chance .     its  his  destiny   not  jims   —-  its  not  his  sacrifice  to  make  ,   its  not  supposed  to  go  this  way .     he cannot  be  too late.  

STEPS  HEAVY  AS  HE  REACHES  engineering ,  he  can  feel  the  shift  in  the  atmosphere  even  before he  sees  the  face  of  mr. scott . &  if   that   wasn't  confirmation  enough   a nervous   glance    towards  the chamber  seals  the  fate .   —-  he  races  too  his  side  in  an instant ,  eyes  downcast  on  the  broken  form  of  james  t.  kirk  .  this   cannot   be  real .    “ OPEN  IT  “    he  turns  back towards  mr. scott  ,   a  look  of  desperation  on  his face   .   but  there   is  nothing  to  be  done  it  cannot  be  opened.       he   crouches  now  ,   hand   guided forward  a  split  second  to  try  &  reach  out  to  jim .  spock  quickly  remembers  there  is  glass  dividing  them  —  he  cannot  touch  jim   he cannot  save  him

EMOTIONS   THREATEN  TO  COMPROMISE  him .  but  for  the  first  time in  his  life  spock is  not  focusing  on  controlling  his emotions   ,  he  doesn't  care  .   it  is  difficult  for  him  to  remain   level  headed  when  jim  asks  about  the  ship  .   spock  does not express  his  CONFUSIONS  but  they  are  hidden  on  his  face  .    was   this   how   jim   felt  when  he   was  ready  to  sacrifice  himself  for  the  prime  directive  ?

IF  THIS  IS  WHAT it  is  like  to  be  human ,  spock  wants  no  part  of  this  hurt .   “ YOU  SAVED  THE  CREW “ just  as  a  captain  should  .    the   needs  of  the  many  out weight  the  needs  of  the  few  .    spock  has  never  loathed  anything  more  in  his  life .  this  wasn’t  right  ,   this  could  not  be  logical  by  any  sense  of  the  universe .  but  here  it  is  playing  out  before  his  eyes .   it  must  be  TRUE  vulcans   don’t  dream  ,   they  don’t  step  away  from   reality  not   like  this  .   “  IT  IS  WHAT  YOU  WOULD  HAVE  DONE  “ spock  tore  a  page  out  of  the  book  of  james  kirk  for his  final  attack  on  their  enemy .  there  is  no  regret  to  his  choice  ,  no  remorse  for   following  anything  other  then  logic .

IT  THREATENS  TO  TEAR  him  at  the  seams . “  AND  THIS , THIS  IS  WHAT  YOU  WOULD  HAVE  DONE “   the  dying  echo   of   jim  kirk  could  not  be  more   right  in  this  moment.  “  IT  WAS  ONLY  LOGICAL “   it  should  be  spock  behind  the  glass  &in  another  life  time  it  had  been.     —–    tears  well  in  his  eyes  now  when  jim  tells  him he  scared  .    fear  is  a concept  spock  is  very  familar  with  ,   it  is  something  he  has  done  his  best  to  hide  his  entire  life  .  feelings  only  bring  pain   & with  the  ability  to  feel  so  deeply  ,  it  was  a  curse  .  a  curse  of  suffering  no  matter  how  you  looked  at  it.   “  I DO NOT  KNOW.   RIGHT  NOW  I’M  FAILING  “

HE  IS COMPROMISED  COMPLETELY in  every  sense  of  the  word .  never  before  has  spock been  so  desperate  to  finally  shed  a  tear .  he  has  been  on  the  brink of  such  emotion  many  times   but  REAL  tears  have  never  been  spilled    he  only  comes  close .   & just  like   that  it  all  snaps  into  place  .    “  I  WANT  YOU  TO  KNOW  WHY  I  COULDN’T  LET  YOU  DIE  ,  WHY  I  WENT  BACK  FOR  YOU  “ spock  doesn’t  even  hesitate  now  ,   hes  at  the   mercy  of  his  emotions  ,  hes  given  himself  up  to  them .     “  BECAUSE   YOU   ARE   MY   FRIEND  “     and   a  tear  slips  down  his  cheek  .

JIMS  SHAKY  BREATH  can  be  heard   &  spock  knows  only  a  few  moments  now  remain .  it  all  becoming  more  real  when   jim   slams  his  hand  against  the  glass  in   what spock  gathers  is   desperation.   there  is   NO  HESITATION from  the  hybird  as  he  reaches  forward  hand  gentely  meeting  with jims  ,   a   wall   of  glass  between  them .

HE   JUST  STARES AT  their  connected   hands   &   for  a  moment   wonders   what  it  would  feel  like   to  have  jims  hand  in  his.   fingers   intertwined  nothing  between  them   just  skin  against  skin .     oh  what  a   BEAUTIFUL what  if .   another  struggling  breath  is  what  brings  spocks   attention  back  to  his  dying  captains  face .  in  all  their  time  spent  together  spock  has  never  truly   seen   james   t.   kirk   until  now .    &   now   that  hes  seen  it   —–   letting  go  is  proving  to  be  one  of  his  biggest  challenges  since  joining  the  fleet.

EYES  LOCK  &  SPOCK   offers  jim   his  version  of  a  sad  smile  ,  lip  trembling  as  hes  fighting  the  urge  to  let  more  tears  fall .     being   strong  on  the  outside  ,  putting  on   a front     —–   the  vulcan  is  good   at    that  .    so   why   is   this  so  hard   ?        he  can  do  nothing   now   but  watch  as   jim  chokes  on  his  own  breath   ,   POWERLESS  to  stop it  .  

HE  KNOWS   BEFORE  HIS  captains  eyes  go  blank  that  hes  dead .  jim  kirk   breaths   no  more  ,    &   spock  can  only  watch   the  hand  falling  from  his  own .    if  only  he  could  reach  out   to  grasp   it ,   stop   the  dying  light  from  going  on .      —–   anger   ,   fear   & confusion  pulse   through   his  veins   as  his  own BREATHING  becomes  short   & shallow.   jim   used    his    last   dying   breath  wanting  to   tell   spock   he   couldn’t  let  him  die.   mr.  scott   knew   jim   was   dying   &  he  could  have  called  anyone  —  humans  were sentimental  that  way .   it   should  have  been   leonard  mccoy  ,    but  instead  it  was  spock.

THIS   WAS   A   PLAN   from  the  beginning       all   elaborated    by  the  name  screaming  inside  his  head  .   another  game  a  way  to  break  him  .   hes   won  .    the  augment  doesn’t   have  his  people   but  he  has  spock   ,   the  game  is  over  .   body  shakes  violently  for   now   spock   can   finally   scream   at   his  true  offender  ,   the  only  one  who  managed  to   bend  him  to  his  knees  .     “  KHAN  “  the   scream  rips  through  the  entire  ship  .    it   is   time  for   the  reckoning  to   pass.

[vokava-a]

because  you  are  my  friend.

DO NOT REBLOG , COPY OR  REPOST

disclaimer  : this  started  out  hella  neutral  &  then  right  at  the  end  it  gets  really  fucking  gay  ---  just  a  fair  warning .

tagging  my wives   @boldlychasing  &  @spaceworn   cos  importance .

IT  STARTS  WITH  THE  FALL  &    ends  with  the  rise  . miracles  do  not  exist  , there is  a logical explanation to  their  current  success .  “  there  are  no  such  things “     &   a  voice  broadcasts  on  the  bridge. the  realization comes  like  a snap ,  an unsolvable  puzzle ,  (   if  you  eliminate  the  impossible  ,  whatever  remains  however  improbable  must  be  true   )       there  is   no   moment  he  can  recall in  his  entire  live  that  spock  wants  his conclusion  to  be desperately wrong .  

SPOCK  LEAPS  FROM  HIS  SEAT ,  racing  past  each  &  every  crew member  ,  not  looking  behind  him .   maybe   he   can   get   there  in  time  .     you  better   hurry    there  could  still be  a chance .     its  his  destiny   not  jims   ----  its  not  his  sacrifice  to  make  ,   its  not  supposed  to  go  this  way .     he cannot  be  too late.  

STEPS  HEAVY  AS  HE  REACHES  engineering ,  he  can  feel  the  shift  in  the  atmosphere  even  before he  sees  the  face  of  mr. scott .  &   if   that   wasn't  confirmation  enough   a nervous   glance    towards  the chamber  seals  the  fate .   ----  he  races  too  his  side  in  an instant ,  eyes  downcast  on  the  broken  form  of  james  t.  kirk  .  this   cannot   be  real .    “ open  it  “    he  turns  back towards  mr. scott  ,   a  look  of  desperation  on  his face   .   but  there   is  nothing  to  be  done  it  cannot  be  opened.       he   crouches  now  ,   hand   guided forward  a  split  second  to  try  &  reach  out  to  jim .  spock  quickly  remembers  there  is  glass  dividing  them  ---  he  cannot  touch  jim   he cannot  save  him 

EMOTIONS   THREATEN  TO  COMPROMISE  him .  but  for  the  first  time in  his  life  spock is  not  focusing  on  controlling  his emotions   ,  he  doesn't  care  .   it  is  difficult  for  him  to  remain   level  headed  when  jim  asks  about  the  ship  .   spock  does not express  his  confusions  but  they  are  hidden  on  his  face  .    was   this   how   jim   felt  when  he   was  ready  to  sacrifice  himself  for  the  prime  directive  ? 

IF  THIS  IS  WHAT  it  is  like  to  be  human ,  spock  wants  no  part  of  this  hurt .   “ you  saved  the  crew “   just  as  a  captain  should  .    the   needs  of  the  many  out weight  the  needs  of  the  few  .    spock  has  never  loathed  anything  more  in  his  life .  this  wasn’t  right  ,   this  could  not  be  logical  by  any  sense  of  the  universe .  but  here  it  is  playing  out  before  his  eyes .   it  must  be  true  vulcans   don’t  dream  ,   they  don’t  step  away  from   reality  not   like  this  .   “  it  is  what  you  would  have  done  “ spock  tore  a  page  out  of  the  book  of  james  kirk  for his  final  attack  on  their  enemy .  there  is  no  regret  to  his  choice  ,  no  remorse  for   following  anything  other  then  logic . 

IT  THREATENS  TO  TEAR  him  at  the  seams .   “  and  this , this  is  what  you  would  have  done “     the  dying  echo   of   jim  kirk  could  not  be  more   right  in  this  moment.  “  it  was  only  logical “   it  should  be  spock  behind  the  glass  & in  another  life  time  it  had  been.     -----    tears  well  in  his  eyes  now  when  jim  tells  him he  scared  .    fear  is  a concept  spock  is  very  familar  with  ,   it  is  something  he  has  done  his  best  to  hide  his  entire  life  .  feelings  only  bring  pain   & with  the  ability  to  feel  so  deeply  ,  it  was  a  curse  .  a  curse  of  suffering  no  matter  how  you  looked  at  it.   “  i do not  know.   right  now  i’m  failing  “ 

HE  IS COMPROMISED  COMPLETELY in  every  sense  of  the  word .  never  before  has  spock been  so  desperate  to  finally  shed  a  tear .  he  has  been  on  the  brink of  such  emotion  many  times   but  real  tears  have  never  been  spilled    he  only  comes  close .   & just  like   that  it  all  snaps  into  place  .    “  i  want  you  to  know  why  i  couldn’t  let  you  die  ,  why  i  went  back  for  you  “         spock  doesn’t  even  hesitate  now  ,   hes  at  the   mercy  of  his  emotions  ,  hes  given  himself  up  to  them .     “  because   you   are   my   friend  “     and   a  tear  slips  down  his  cheek  . 

JIMS  SHAKY  BREATH  can  be  heard   &  spock  knows only  a  few  moments  now  remain .  it  all  becoming  more  real  when   jim   slams  his  hand  against  the  glass  in   what spock  gathers  is   desperation.   there  is   no  hesitation  from  the  hybird  as  he  reaches  forward  hand  gentely  meeting  with jims  ,   a   wall   of  glass  between  them .

HE   JUST  STARES AT    their  connected   hands   &   for  a  moment   wonders   what  it  would  feel  like   to  have  jims  hand  in  his.   fingers   intertwined  nothing  between  them   just  skin  against  skin .     oh  what  a    beautiful  what  if .   another  struggling  breath  is  what  brings  spocks   attention  back  to  his  dying  captains  face .  in  all  their  time  spent  together  spock  has  never  truly   seen   james   t.   kirk   until  now .    &   now   that  hes  seen  it   —–   letting  go  is  proving  to  be  one  of  his  biggest  challenges  since  joining  the  fleet.

EYES  LOCK  &  SPOCK   offers  jim   his  version  of  a  sad  smile  ,  lip  trembling  as  hes  fighting  the  urge  to  let  more  tears  fall .     being   strong  on  the  outside  ,  putting  on   a front     —–   the  vulcan  is  good   at    that  .    so   why   is   this  so  hard   ?        he  can  do  nothing   now   but  watch  as   jim  chokes  on  his  own  breath   ,   powerless  to  stop it  .  

HE  KNOWS   BEFORE  HIS  captains  eyes  go  blank  that  hes  dead .  jim  kirk   breaths   no  more  ,    &   spock  can  only  watch   the  hand  falling  from  his  own .    if  only  he  could  reach  out   to  grasp   it ,   stop   the  dying  light  from  going  on .      —–   anger   ,   fear   & confusion  pulse   through   his  veins   as  his  own  breathing  becomes  short   &  shallow.   jim   used    his    last   dying   breath  wanting  to   tell   spock   he   couldn’t  let  him  die.   mr.  scott   knew   jim   was   dying   &  he  could  have  called  anyone  —  humans  were sentimental  that  way .   it   should  have  been   leonard  mccoy  ,    but  instead  it  was  spock.

THIS   WAS   A   PLAN   from  the  beginning       all   elaborated    by  the  name  screaming  inside  his  head  .   another  game  a  way  to  break  him  .   hes   won  .    the  augment  doesn’t   have  his  people   but  he  has  spock   ,   the  game  is  over  .   body  shakes  violently  for   now   spock   can   finally   scream   at   his  true  offender  ,   the  only  one  who  managed  to   bend  him  to  his  knees  .      “  KHAN  “    the   scream  rips  through  the  entire  ship  .    it   is   time  for   the  reckoning  to   pass.

[tristanvswriting-blog]

lit review draft #2

Lit Review

Introduction

From my research as to what is sneaker culture? I’ve come to find that sneaker are far more than shoes, so much is said and thought about sneakers that they carry with them an intrinsic value to the consumer. This value is provided by demand, Influence, and identity.

 Identity

Sneakers came from humble beginnings, sneakers where originally and indicator of a working-class individual, the rubber dipped soles of shoes provided better longevity and traction for laborers (Duc Nhat Huy 6 and Chrisman-Campbell). This has evolved to the point where almost everyone has at least one pair of sneakers. Now there are more sneakers than even imaginable, giving the consumer to option to buy shoes that speak to their character. Rob Dyrdek, professional skate boarder and CO-Owner of DC Shoes was quoted in the documentary Sneakerheadz saying, “There are a handful of things that can define who you are without saying a word; shoes, are one of those things (Friendly and Partridge)”. This is where ideas of race, gender, sexual orientation, and personality descriptors come into play. KIMBERLY CHRISMAN-CAMPBELL explains in her Atlantic article, “Sneakers Have Always Been Political Shoes”, as verity grew shoes took on different meaning, for example Vans and other canvas shoes became the staple shoes of youth rebellion (Chrisman-Campbell). In Michael Jordan, Inc. They talk about the ides of race and how by just being the greatest athlete ever black lives were brought into white-household conversation. Thus, provided a backing for the Jordan shoes be a signifier of black excellence as well as promote racial equality (Andrews 47). Other operations to promote the Identity include gender and sexuality. It can be noted that there has been a shift away from the “shrink it and pink it” mentality that used to summarize women in the sneaker industry, to a more natural and comprehensive relationship with women’s sneaker design including using celebrity influence similar to how they’ve marketed to men for years (Miller 42-49). There is also a Nike’s line of Pride shoes that incorporate rainbows in poplar shoe design to show gay pride and support. There have also been interesting movements such as Adidas has a Parley collaboration, Parley be a recycled textiles distributor, who work with Adidas to create popular adidas shoes out of recycled materials. This helped people who identify as social activist to wear a shoe that promote their ideals. Identity is prevalent in all pieces of clothing but from the information collected it seems as though sneakers in particular has had a strong role in helping current, past, and future consumers show the world who they are.

 Influence

Much of sneaker culture as we understand it today can be attributed to how people of status make us feel about sneakers. According to a thesis written by Rodney M. Miller, we can attribute the growth of the industry to three key components: physical activity, professional sport, and hip hop culture (Miller VII). Beginning with hip hop culture, Garrett Kalel Grant researched the brand associations attributed to Yeezy brand. Yeezy is a company collaboration between Adidas and Kanye West. According to Grants’ study, “The aggregation stage provided the researcher with eleven associations directly connected to Yeezy brand based on mention: Kanye, expensive, Adidas, overrated, trendy, athleisure, sneaker, Kardashian, fashion, shoes, popular.” Kanye, trendy, Kardashian, and popular; the significance of these is that when solely asked to name things associated with the brand Yeezy (Grant 49-50), the most common and immediate responses contained two celebrities names and multiple forms terms referring to reputation. This is an example of how a sneaker can generate influence beyond its designs as well as the influential impact celebrities have on branding, particularly in the hip hop industry. Next is physical activity. Physical activity has become a mainstream thing, where as in the past it was something only for athletes. This said, the necessity for exercise has influenced an increased demand for sneakers in order to participate in the socially expected (working out). This has influenced athletics companies to create a different shoe for every niche or activity, from walking shoes to lifting shoes; cross-trainer to lifestyle (Archer 56). Lastly, and likely most prominent in the sneaker industry, are athletes. Athletes are placed on a podium, a class of super humans that others aspire to be. That said it has become the status quo that if you are a star athlete you have a signature sneaker. Often people first think of Jordan for his revered line of shoes, but the first athlete with a signature sneaker actually dates back to 1917 when the galosh company Converse created their first signature sneaker; the Chuck Taylor All-Star; named after basketball player Charlie Taylor. From then one we as consumers have been buying signature shoes because we want to “be like mike” or whatever athlete you so choose. There is also an interesting concept of how shoe marketing has influenced males in particular that are presented in the art thesis of Justin Cloud. He ideates that the primal/ carnal impulse and obsession that is instilled in men by marketing has permeated its way into modern art, particularly sighting the sneaker industry and to pieces of his portfolio that are takes on the shoe of the future (Cloud 12-14).

 Value

Shoe prices have increased dramatically since the birth of sneakers. Much faster than the rate of inflation. In 1957 Chuck Taylors cost $3.95 (Bengtson), 40 years after they were released. Directly adjusted for inflation they should cost $25.91 today; but on converse.com they cost $55. Also, for essentially the same shoe, but a street wear designer take on the classic silhouette, the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Vulcanized Hi Off-White sells on StockX (a popular secondary shoe market) for roughly $1100. Shoes have taken on insane amounts of value because all the things they represent beyond just a devise to be worn on your foot. Often the value of sought-after sneaker will inflate to insane rates immediately following release do to a supply that is lower than the demand for the shoe. Alex Rakestraw says,

“a sneaker’s coolness is inversely related to how many people can potentially get their hands on it… if you’re the only one in your group with a specific shoe, the bragging rights are almost built-in. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but “1/100” is hard, fast, and objectively fresh” (Rakestraw).

He would later explain the conflict for valuable shoes by saying, “The thirst for inherent exclusivity creates an innately competitive culture where the goal is naturally adversarial” (Rakestraw). This has created new industry around shoes from reselling to cleaning like Mai Nhat Huy talks about in her bachelor thesis on Helsinki’s Sneaker Spa, the first provider of sport shoes and sneakers professional cleaning service. Often sneakers are treated like commodities, rather than shoes. This has created a movement of people who collect them like coins, as opposed to buying them to wearing them (Duc Nhat Huy 32). This has created a market similar to that of stock where any one particular shoe can increase of decrease in value at any given time based on external influence as well as demand.

       Works Cited

Andrews, David L. Michael Jordan, Inc.: Corporate Sport, Media Culture, and Late Modern America. State University of New York Press, 2001.

Michael Jordan Inc. Is a look into how media and capitalism influence sports culture. Being that Michael is highly regarded as being one of the greatest athletes to ever live, the author thought it best to use him as a focus for his book. The reading has themes of corruption and influenced both on behalf of athletes and consumers. Most often though, corporations making or incentivizing a certain behavior  to draw a rise from the consumer. “Nike has played a key role in promoting [certain] values and is thus is a major cultural force, a socializer and arbitrator of cultural and social values, as well as being a shoe company.” This quote directly ties into my research because we have to look into what sneaker culture is, and where it comes from. This implies that it may all be based on the influence of companies rather than the consumers who wear the shoes. This reading will also shed light on the influence of celebrities on the shoes we buy as well as how we value them.

Archer, Jean. “Anatomy of a Sneaker.” Network Journal, vol. 23, no. 2, 2016, p. 56.

Jean Archer, doctor of podiatrie medicine and foot surgery, is a podiatrist at Omnicare Multispecialty Center in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote this article to break down each individual component of a sneaker, and what that contributes to a shoe. He does so because as he puts it, “Most people lack the basic knowledge of what to look for in an athletic shoe.” Archer also talk about how many different sneakers there are for so many different activities. The reason I see this information to be important is a term like “sneaker” can be very ambiguous. For me to base a paper on it I think it best my audience and I be on the same page. Which is why I’d like to use this article from The Network journal, to help lay down some basic components that identify a sneaker, that way me and my reader can be on the same page.Cloud, Justin. “Ruin Runes.”

Bengtson, Russ. “50 Things You Didn't Know About Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars.” Complex, Complex, 20 Oct. 2016, www.complex.com/sneakers/2013/05/50-things-you-didnt-know-about-converse-chuck-taylor-all-stars/.

         Russ Bengtson is the former editor-and-chief of Slam magazine, also the ditor for complex sneakers. This article is trying to a paint a picture of the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star, keing in on interesting facts. This is pertinent to my research because the All-Star is the birth of the modern sneaker as we know it today. So to really understand sneakers you first have to understand Converse. To summarize what converse is Benington says, “ [Converse have] gone from the world's most prevalent basketball sneaker to a lifestyle staple. It remains beloved both for its history and its simplicity.” Converse have a staying power unlike any other shoe, dating back to their creation in 1917 they have been on constant production with no signs of stopping. Converse is doing something right, and without them it is possible that we wouldn’t have a sneaker culture at all.

Cloud, Justin. “Ruin Runes.” CUNY Academy Works, 21 May 2018, https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/299/.

Justin Cloud has a Master of Fine Arts form Hunter College, where he wrote his thesis about the correlation between male ideals and how its leaked into his art. In this thesis he aims to draw a connection between male ego and fetishization of things like cares, SHOES, and survivalist mentality; to his modern sculpture movement that involves and invasion of industrial materials. Making lucid the ideas that are pounded into to the heads of men by modern marketing. The idea he presents is that these ideals have become such a staple that they are becoming a fluid part of who Justin Cloud is and therefore cannot be removed from anything he does, in this case: art. I seek to use this thesis, to help support some of the ideas about how shoes have become more than just something you need to wear. Cloud puts it well when he says, “Sneakers culture has completely ascended beyond that of practical footwear.” He goes on to talk about how sneakers are a practical solution for anyone, and marketers know that. So however you identify yourself, there is a shoe marketed towards you. Clouds adds on by saying how this marketing ideology has created a culture –specifically in men—that uses shoes to reinforce who they want to be.

Chrisman-Campbell, Kimberly. “The Long Political History of the Sneaker.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 28 Dec. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/12/sneakers-have-always-been-political-shoes/511628/.

Campbell tell the origin of sneakers as well as the political weight with which they carry. She is an author of an upcoming book entitled: Worn on This Day: The Clothes That Made History. In this article, as well as in her book, she focusses on the choices of consumers and industry to say certain things with their clothing. The article starts off with talking about how New Balances support of Trump created outrage with their consumers. It forces people to adopt their brands for the wrong reason (a Neo Nazi group claim that New Balance is the official shoe of white people). This led to bad press, as well as loss of previously held consumers. Even warranted a rebuttal from Nike, whom themselves had faced scandal for supporting specific celebrities. Campbell quotes Elizabeth Semmelhack in her article. Semmelhack is the Acclaimed shoe historian Elizabeth Semmelhack is senior curator at the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto; also, the author of and curator of the book and exhibit Outside The Box. Semmelhack is quoted saying, “The cultural meaning behind sneakers is a constantly evolving dialogue between the people who produce the sneakers and the people who wear them.” Further contributing to the idea that sneakers have a voice, one that lends itself to self-expression or identity. The article contains themes of race, politics, and class; that push peoples interest in shoes beyond simple design.

Friendly, David T and Mick Partridge, directors. Sneakerheadz. Complex, 2015.

         This is a documentary produced by the famed pop culture outlet Complex, known for doing in-depth research and explanations on things important to the teens and young adults. The documentary uses almost exclusively interviews with some of the most famed contributors and creators of modern sneaker culture. They talk about things like, where did the culture come from, how has the culture changed, what did they do to contribute to the culture, their fondest memories involving shoes, their favorite shoes and more. Why? Well because as Rob Dyrdek puts it,” There are a handful of things that can define who you are without saying a word; shoes, are one of those things.” Similar to others this work talks on history, but the documentary takes a look into many different backgrounds, while talking about things like design, selling, reselling, and collecting.Giving both a well rounded and more global perspective on the sneaker industry.

Grant, Garrett Kalel, “A Case Study of Brand Associations for Yeezy Brand” (2018). LSU Master’s Theses. 4716.https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/4716

This is a thesis based on the clothing brand Yeezy, Kanye’s brand underneath the Adidas franchise. The goal was to see how and what consumers associate with the brand Yeezy. They then took this information and saw how it would affect things like brand involvement and brand awareness. While this is a market research report I think it is interesting to understand how consumers preserve brand within the sneaker market. This could inform the obsessive nature of the sneaker consumers or even help us understand why we view shoe companies the way we do. Being also that Yeezy is a co-branded company between Kanye and Adidas, this thesis will talk about the influence of celebrity endorsements on the clothing market. The author says, “The aggregation stage provided the researcher with eleven associations directly connected to Yeezy brand based on mention: Kanye, expensive, Adidas, overrated, trendy, athleisure, sneaker, Kardashian, fashion, shoes, popular. Only the first seven associations could be directly connected to map based on their link strength.” This goes to show us that there are more to brands than just the name and what they sell, we draw external connections and that is what creates influence. I believe these influence could be the creates a culture in the sneaker industry if it is not the brands themselves as is implied in Michael Jordan, Inc.

 Miller, Rodney M. Jr, “If the Shoe Fits: A Historical Exploration of Gender Bias in the U.S. Sneaker Industry” (2019). Senior Projects Spring 2019. 80. https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/senproj_s2019/80

Miller gives a history of how the sneaker industry began and has grown over the course of the last one hundred years or so. Citing three key components to growth in the industry; physical activity, professional sports, and Hip-Hop culture. Where Miller differs from other research is he focus on how the sneaker industry is polarizing particularly toward women. He explains how each of the three influences have brought with them their own set of biases towards women. Roughly summed up the author outs it this way: “n, women were discouraged from participating in physical activities because of misplaced fears that exercising was actually worse for women’s health. Additionally, competitive and professional sports show a historic bias against women because of beliefs that women were not anatomically structured to compete in sports. Lastly, Hip-Hop is a culture that has consistently placed constraints on women and ties their value based on their worth and their offerings to the men in their life.” This thesis could help to show who it is that comprise the sneaker culture. If it is found to be true that the culture really is a boy’s club it could warrant extra research as to why that is and the effect that has one women. This thesis also brings forth a interesting concept that is becoming fairly mainstream in modern culture. This being that boys are now the ones who collect and have ore shoes than they could wear, where in the past that had been ideal often associated with women. This thesis helps round out the history of how sneakers have gotten to where they are today.

Nhat Huy Mai. ”Helsinki’s Sneaker Spa Business Evaluation And Service Design.” Laurea University of Applied Sciences, October 2017, https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/154656/MaiDucNhatHuy_ThesisFinal.pdf?sequence=1

Duc Nhat Huy Mai is Degree Program in Restaurant Entrepreneurship, who wrote a bachelor thesis on Helsinki’s Sneaker Spa, the first provider of sport shoes and sneakers professional cleaning service, started by young entrepreneurs in 2017. While the goal of her these is to create a business plan for the Sneaker Spa, Mai does an amazing job of research to the growth of the sneaker industry and the how it is blossoming into new emerging markets such as shoe cleaning. My goal is to use her research to paint some of the back story of where sneakers come from; as well as, since her research is based in Finland, talk about the globalization of sneaker culture and some of the difference between areas. She says, “sneakers were invented in 18th century in US, when low class attached rubber to their sole to make the shoes more durable”. And I want know how we went from that to sneaker culture as we know it today.

Rakestraw, Alex. “Sneaker Culture Is a Reminder That We’re All Just Animals.” Highsnobiety, Highsnobiety, 5 Sept. 2017, www.highsnobiety.com/2017/09/04/sneaker-culture-competition-or-community/.

Rakestraw write this article to talk about how the search for rare shoes reverts the consumer to a primal state. This is one of the darker sides of the sneaker industry and sadly is often what outsider hear about sneaker culture. The want, or need in the mind a sneakerhead, can cause people to do some crazy things. We hear story of people being trampled robbed or even killed for their shoes. Rakestraw equates this to, “The thirst for inherent exclusivity creates an innately competitive culture where the goal is naturally adversarial: if your friend has a dope exclusive shoe, then your search for a more exclusive (and therefore more desirable) shoe is an ongoing challenge”. This poses interesting ideas as to whether the sneaker culture is a good thing or a bad thing. There are many sources that show he community and family oriented nature of the sneaker community, but what makes the main stream media of the outlandishly bad things the come from the sneaker community, as is the case with many news stories. This will help shape the image of what it looks like to be inside the sneaker culture. Painting the picture of what creates demand and how desire is influence by exclusivity.

[itsiotrecords-blog]

http://ift.tt/2sGhjJV

The television was a revolution in technology that changed practically everything about the world. News became more real as did entertainment. No longer were people forced to leave their home to be entertained by actors. What started with just a few channels and programs, quickly turned into many. Today, thousands of channels yield more programming that any individual could possibly digest. For better or for worse, television has become standard in virtually every home in the developed world. Over the years, some lines have been uttered on television that will never be forgotten. In many cases, those lines actually changed perceptions and sometimes realities. Some of these quotes were said by trusted news anchors, but others were lines said on sitcoms, dramas or other fictional programs. Even in the world of reality television programs that seem to dominate the airwaves today, some lines have been said that are just game changing. So often, it is who says the quote that makes all the difference in the world. Whether an actor, a journalist, a politician or perhaps just a regular citizen, with an audience of millions, important words can make all the difference. Television has provided an outlet for change time and time again. While not always a good change, the following quotes have definitely changed the world.

#1 The Walking Dead Among the most watched dramas in television history is AMC’s The Walking Dead. Fans of the show are loyal, committed and plentiful. One of the most talked about episodes was the episode titled “The Grove.” In this episode, Carol realizes that the little girl who’s name is Lizzie is a danger not only to herself, but to all those around her in the post-apocalyptic world of zombies and worse. When Carol takes Lizzie outside, she utters these famous words: “Just look at the flowers Lizzie.” No spoilers here, but the words associated had a direct impact upon fans for a very long time. It single-handedly helped those watching think carefully about how important community and the protection of that community is in a world like that. Indeed, this quote will forever be remembered by so many forever.

#2 Seinfeld Seinfeld gave us a great many quotes that have stood the test of time. In fact, this won’t be the only one on the list. But changing the world is a pretty tall order. On the Seinfeld episode titled “The Outing,” Jerry has to continuously defend his heterosexuality to a graduate student at NYU who is writing an article about him. She continues to believe that Jerry and George are homosexual lovers. Throughout the episode, they continue making statements about how they are not in fact homosexual, but always follow-up with “not that there’s anything wrong with that.” This was at a time when homosexuality wasn’t a major topic addressed on television. Seinfeld was able to take a controversial topic and add a comedic twist. The show essentially makes the statement that you are who you are, whether gay or straight. Thanks to the show, people found a very funny way to make an important social statement. Way to go Jerry… how could anyone not like him?

#3 Neil Armstrong NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong, is famous the world over as the first person to step onto the surface of the moon. On July 20, 1969, as he was coming out of the lunar module, Armstrong was famously watched by about a half a billion people on television. Every breath watching was in awe as Armstrong uttered words that changed the way we view outer space and exploration alike: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” NASA did have a few unmanned missions to the moon, participated in a multi-country effort to construct and staff the International Space Station, construct the Hubble Space Telescope and send probes to the furthest reaches of our solar system and beyond, all in an effort to take those next steps for all of mankind.

#4 Friends For ten years, Friends was one of the top sitcoms on television. As part of the famous Thursday night NBC lineup, millions of people settled-in to watch the group hang at Central Perk. Of all the great quotes, Joey’s line of: “How you doin’?” has most definitely stood the test of time. “How you doin’” has become the one thing you can say to someone you’re attracted to, when you have nothing else to say! In a sense, Joey has provided a bonding opportunity, pick-up line and conversation piece all in three little words. Of course, saying it as close to the way Joey would say it is also very necessary. The words sort of flow together with a hint of a New York accent included. I wonder how many people wound-up getting together as a result of this initial greeting?

#5 Star Trek In the entire Star Trek universe, encompassing virtually all the movies and spin-off series, one quote has surpassed all others: “Live long and prosper.” The origins of the phrase (and even the Vulcan hand gesture that accompanies the quote) are actually based upon an Orthodox Jewish blessing. Today, this phrase lives on and is known by fans, and those that wish they didn’t know what it means. Certainly not everyone enjoys Star Trek, but virtually everyone knows this quote and can connect it to the series. “Live long and prosper” is a simplistic and beautiful way to address another person. It is a wonderful sign of respect and perhaps the best way to wish people the very best. For Star Trek fans, there’s no better way to make an instant connection with someone than by sharing this quote.

#6 Walter Cronkite, CBS News Walter Cronkite is the king of all anchormen. He is a shining example of how journalism should be and is still seen as an influence to this day. But on February 27, 1968, he made a statement on the air that changed the world. The address was longer, but the final words capture his criticism of the war itself: “But it is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could.” Because Walter Cronkite was a beacon of trust in news reporting across the United States, hearing these words helped reshape public opinion on the Vietnam War. The war raged on after this, but more and more people began to voice their own concerns as well. Thanks to the bravery of Uncle Walter.

#7 Seinfeld’s Festivus Back on the list is more from the hit sitcom Seinfeld. Few shows can claim that they are responsible for an actual holiday! In the show “The Strike” George is forced to relive the horrors of his childhood in celebrating Festivus, a holiday invented by Frank Costanza that is celebrated on December 23rd. In reality, Seinfeld writer Dan O’Keefe was actually inspired to include this, as it was his father that originally invented the concept of the holiday. The phrase: “It’s a Festivus miracle!” has actually become a common utterance as a way to describe something that is perhaps unexpected or coincidental, but certainly not miraculous. Books describing the holiday and countless references to it during the Christmas season have been a result of the show.

#8 Sheldon On The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory has been a CBS smash hit since 2007. Early on in the series, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, portrayed by actor Jim Parsons establishes himself as the egotistical, quirky genius that doesn’t quite understand most social conventions. But quickly, one nonsensical word would make its way into the world, used by millions to indicate sarcasm: “Bazinga!” Cooper uses the word “Bazinga” to indicate that he is being sarcastic. Later in the show, the word is used more frequently because of its surge in popularity. Indeed, the word has become so incredibly popular that it is trademarked and has been put on apparel. The world has made its way into general vocabulary and is recognized just about anywhere you go nowadays.

#9 Rodney King In 1992, alleged police mistreatment of African Americans was a hot issue, much as it is today. When Rodney King was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers and the officers were acquitted in court, riots occurred in South Central Los Angeles over the course of six days. During this time, when questioned about the riots, Rodney King himself was quoted in the midst of the riots as saying: “Can we all get along?” This statement from a man that had been brutally beaten by police has been seen by many as a plea for equal justice and fair treatment. Over the years, the phrase has been used satirically, but at the time, it sent shockwaves. Those hearing these words sympathize with the desire for violence to come to an end in general. In fact, it seemed to be a plea for peace in general, even beyond the riots. Regardless of what exactly he meant, the phrase has lived on in infamy.

#10 Kennedy Assassination Millions of Americans remember exactly what they were doing when they heard the news that President John F. Kennedy had been shot and killed on November 22, 1963. It was a moment that shocked the entire world and is still remembered as a grave day in our nation’s history. Walter Cronkite’s famous quote sent chills across the country as he said: “We just have a report from our correspondent Dan Rather in Dallas that he has confirmed that President Kennedy is dead.” The assassination of Kennedy was mourned deeply by all Americans. It was a day that party politics was set aside and people of all walks of life came together to pay deep respect to the entire Kennedy family. These heavy words spoken by Cronkite sent our country into a new chapter of leadership in an instant.

#11 Bill Clinton Former President of the United States Bill Clinton, had a little problem that wouldn’t go away. The allegations that he had a sexual relationship with White House Intern Monica Lewinsky was dominating the news. On January 26, 1998, President Clinton told the nation emphatically: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.” This statement heard the world over led to even more investigation and even more trouble for Clinton. As a result of continued investigation, President Clinton found himself later confirming that he did actually have an inappropriate relationship with Lewinsky. He was subsequently impeached by the House of Representatives for lying under oath and even had to forfeit his Arkansas law license. All because of one giant lie heard over and over again on just about every television set in the world.

#12 Mr. Rogers Fred Rogers had his own children’s television program, Mister Rogers Neighborhood for over 30 years. In that time, he always taught children good manners and lessons in being a good friend and having self confidence. Over the years, Fred Rogers had a number of wonderful quotes both on and off of his television show. But one line that he uttered at the end of every show had a significant impact on generations of people: “You make each day a special day. You know how, by just your being you”. These beautiful words instilled self worth and confidence into children at an age where it was most needed. Thank you Mr. Rogers for being there for so many of us over the years. Even today and in your absence, the show continues to be there for many children.

#13 President Josiah Bartlet The television series The West Wing did a great deal to inspire Americans. It provided hope and a renewed patriotism for millions of people. The show took its role to uplift and inspire people very seriously. President Josiah Bartlet, played by actor Martin Sheen provided a large number of inspirational quotes during the run of the show. Perhaps the most inspirational came at a point when people needed to understand that our elected officials do not only represent members of their party, but of everyone. The quote: “I am the President of the United States. Not the President of the people who agree with me” resonated with so many people in our country. While the message doesn’t always seem to stick, this quote has continued to last and is a refresher of how the United States government is supposed to work.

#14 Kennedy’s Moon Speech On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech, aired on television that has famously become known as the ‘moon speech.’ In this speech, he commits the United States to the daunting task of sending a manned mission to the moon. These words shocked the world and resonated deeply, as there were currently no planned missions or training for such an event. His speech included the following: “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”

#15 Martin Luther King Jr. The 1963 March on Washington was a civil rights event in Washington D.C. During the event, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke, delivering the most famous speech of his life. His speech has become known as the “I have a dream” speech. These words were spoken multiple times through the speech and followed with the imagery of what an equal and unified country looks like from a social and racial perspective. This quote has been used to reference the civil rights movement and efforts to improve race relations in the United States for more than 50 years. This speech was in fact televised and watched by millions, along with those in attendance at the March on Washington. But the words live on now as one of the finest speeches in American history.

Source: TheRichest

[tristanvswriting-blog]

Lit Review Draft #2

Lit Review

Introduction

From my research as to what is sneaker culture? I’ve come to find that sneaker are far more than shoes, so much is said and thought about sneakers that they carry with them an intrinsic value to the consumer. This value is provided by demand, Influence, and identity.

 Identity

Sneakers came from humble beginnings, sneakers where originally and indicator of a working-class individual, the rubber dipped soles of shoes provided better longevity and traction for laborers (Duc Nhat Huy 6 and Chrisman-Campbell). This has evolved to the point where almost everyone has at least one pair of sneakers. Now there are more sneakers than even imaginable, giving the consumer to option to buy shoes that speak to their character. Rob Dyrdek, professional skate boarder and CO-Owner of DC Shoes was quoted in the documentary Sneakerheadz saying, “There are a handful of things that can define who you are without saying a word; shoes, are one of those things (Friendly and Partridge)”. This is where ideas of race, gender, sexual orientation, and personality descriptors come into play. KIMBERLY CHRISMAN-CAMPBELL explains in her Atlantic article, “Sneakers Have Always Been Political Shoes”, as verity grew shoes took on different meaning, for example Vans and other canvas shoes became the staple shoes of youth rebellion (Chrisman-Campbell). In Michael Jordan, Inc. They talk about the ides of race and how by just being the greatest athlete ever black lives were brought into white-household conversation. Thus, provided a backing for the Jordan shoes be a signifier of black excellence as well as promote racial equality (Andrews 47). Other operations to promote the Identity include gender and sexuality. It can be noted that there has been a shift away from the “shrink it and pink it” mentality that used to summarize women in the sneaker industry, to a more natural and comprehensive relationship with women’s sneaker design including using celebrity influence similar to how they’ve marketed to men for years (Miller 42-49). There is also a Nike’s line of Pride shoes that incorporate rainbows in poplar shoe design to show gay pride and support. There have also been interesting movements such as Adidas has a Parley collaboration, Parley be a recycled textiles distributor, who work with Adidas to create popular adidas shoes out of recycled materials. This helped people who identify as social activist to wear a shoe that promote their ideals. Identity is prevalent in all pieces of clothing but from the information collected it seems as though sneakers in particular has had a strong role in helping current, past, and future consumers show the world who they are.

 Influence

Much of sneaker culture as we understand it today can be attributed to how people of status make us feel about sneakers. According to a thesis written by Rodney M. Miller, we can attribute the growth of the industry to three key components: physical activity, professional sport, and hip hop culture (Miller VII). Beginning with hip hop culture, Garrett Kalel Grant researched the brand associations attributed to Yeezy brand. Yeezy is a company collaboration between Adidas and Kanye West. According to Grants’ study, “The aggregation stage provided the researcher with eleven associations directly connected to Yeezy brand based on mention: Kanye, expensive, Adidas, overrated, trendy, athleisure, sneaker, Kardashian, fashion, shoes, popular.” Kanye, trendy, Kardashian, and popular; the significance of these is that when solely asked to name things associated with the brand Yeezy (Grant 49-50), the most common and immediate responses contained two celebrities names and multiple forms terms referring to reputation. This is an example of how a sneaker can generate influence beyond its designs as well as the influential impact celebrities have on branding, particularly in the hip hop industry. Next is physical activity. Physical activity has become a mainstream thing, where as in the past it was something only for athletes. This said, the necessity for exercise has influenced an increased demand for sneakers in order to participate in the socially expected (working out). This has influenced athletics companies to create a different shoe for every niche or activity, from walking shoes to lifting shoes; cross-trainer to lifestyle (Archer 56). Lastly, and likely most prominent in the sneaker industry, are athletes. Athletes are placed on a podium, a class of super humans that others aspire to be. That said it has become the status quo that if you are a star athlete you have a signature sneaker. Often people first think of Jordan for his revered line of shoes, but the first athlete with a signature sneaker actually dates back to 1917 when the galosh company Converse created their first signature sneaker; the Chuck Taylor All-Star; named after basketball player Charlie Taylor. From then one we as consumers have been buying signature shoes because we want to “be like mike” or whatever athlete you so choose. There is also an interesting concept of how shoe marketing has influenced males in particular that are presented in the art thesis of Justin Cloud. He ideates that the primal/ carnal impulse and obsession that is instilled in men by marketing has permeated its way into modern art, particularly sighting the sneaker industry and to pieces of his portfolio that are takes on the shoe of the future (Cloud 12-14).

 Value

Shoe prices have increased dramatically since the birth of sneakers. Much faster than the rate of inflation. In 1957 Chuck Taylors cost $3.95 (Bengtson), 40 years after they were released. Directly adjusted for inflation they should cost $25.91 today; but on converse.com they cost $55. Also, for essentially the same shoe, but a street wear designer take on the classic silhouette, the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Vulcanized Hi Off-White sells on StockX (a popular secondary shoe market) for roughly $1100. Shoes have taken on insane amounts of value because all the things they represent beyond just a devise to be worn on your foot. Often the value of sought-after sneaker will inflate to insane rates immediately following release do to a supply that is lower than the demand for the shoe. Alex Rakestraw says,

“a sneaker’s coolness is inversely related to how many people can potentially get their hands on it… if you’re the only one in your group with a specific shoe, the bragging rights are almost built-in. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but “1/100” is hard, fast, and objectively fresh” (Rakestraw).

He would later explain the conflict for valuable shoes by saying, “The thirst for inherent exclusivity creates an innately competitive culture where the goal is naturally adversarial” (Rakestraw). This has created new industry around shoes from reselling to cleaning like Mai Nhat Huy talks about in her bachelor thesis on Helsinki’s Sneaker Spa, the first provider of sport shoes and sneakers professional cleaning service. Often sneakers are treated like commodities, rather than shoes. This has created a movement of people who collect them like coins, as opposed to buying them to wearing them (Duc Nhat Huy 32). This has created a market similar to that of stock where any one particular shoe can increase of decrease in value at any given time based on external influence as well as demand.

       Works Cited

Andrews, David L. Michael Jordan, Inc.: Corporate Sport, Media Culture, and Late Modern America. State University of New York Press, 2001.

Michael Jordan Inc. Is a look into how media and capitalism influence sports culture. Being that Michael is highly regarded as being one of the greatest athletes to ever live, the author thought it best to use him as a focus for his book. The reading has themes of corruption and influenced both on behalf of athletes and consumers. Most often though, corporations making or incentivizing a certain behavior  to draw a rise from the consumer. “Nike has played a key role in promoting [certain] values and is thus is a major cultural force, a socializer and arbitrator of cultural and social values, as well as being a shoe company.” This quote directly ties into my research because we have to look into what sneaker culture is, and where it comes from. This implies that it may all be based on the influence of companies rather than the consumers who wear the shoes. This reading will also shed light on the influence of celebrities on the shoes we buy as well as how we value them.

Archer, Jean. “Anatomy of a Sneaker.” Network Journal, vol. 23, no. 2, 2016, p. 56.

Jean Archer, doctor of podiatrie medicine and foot surgery, is a podiatrist at Omnicare Multispecialty Center in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote this article to break down each individual component of a sneaker, and what that contributes to a shoe. He does so because as he puts it, “Most people lack the basic knowledge of what to look for in an athletic shoe.” Archer also talk about how many different sneakers there are for so many different activities. The reason I see this information to be important is a term like “sneaker” can be very ambiguous. For me to base a paper on it I think it best my audience and I be on the same page. Which is why I’d like to use this article from The Network journal, to help lay down some basic components that identify a sneaker, that way me and my reader can be on the same page.Cloud, Justin. “Ruin Runes.”

Bengtson, Russ. “50 Things You Didn't Know About Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars.” Complex, Complex, 20 Oct. 2016, www.complex.com/sneakers/2013/05/50-things-you-didnt-know-about-converse-chuck-taylor-all-stars/.

         Russ Bengtson is the former editor-and-chief of Slam magazine, also the ditor for complex sneakers. This article is trying to a paint a picture of the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star, keing in on interesting facts. This is pertinent to my research because the All-Star is the birth of the modern sneaker as we know it today. So to really understand sneakers you first have to understand Converse. To summarize what converse is Benington says, “ [Converse have] gone from the world's most prevalent basketball sneaker to a lifestyle staple. It remains beloved both for its history and its simplicity.” Converse have a staying power unlike any other shoe, dating back to their creation in 1917 they have been on constant production with no signs of stopping. Converse is doing something right, and without them it is possible that we wouldn’t have a sneaker culture at all.

Cloud, Justin. “Ruin Runes.” CUNY Academy Works, 21 May 2018, https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/299/.

Justin Cloud has a Master of Fine Arts form Hunter College, where he wrote his thesis about the correlation between male ideals and how its leaked into his art. In this thesis he aims to draw a connection between male ego and fetishization of things like cares, SHOES, and survivalist mentality; to his modern sculpture movement that involves and invasion of industrial materials. Making lucid the ideas that are pounded into to the heads of men by modern marketing. The idea he presents is that these ideals have become such a staple that they are becoming a fluid part of who Justin Cloud is and therefore cannot be removed from anything he does, in this case: art. I seek to use this thesis, to help support some of the ideas about how shoes have become more than just something you need to wear. Cloud puts it well when he says, “Sneakers culture has completely ascended beyond that of practical footwear.” He goes on to talk about how sneakers are a practical solution for anyone, and marketers know that. So however you identify yourself, there is a shoe marketed towards you. Clouds adds on by saying how this marketing ideology has created a culture –specifically in men—that uses shoes to reinforce who they want to be.

Chrisman-Campbell, Kimberly. “The Long Political History of the Sneaker.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 28 Dec. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/12/sneakers-have-always-been-political-shoes/511628/.

Campbell tell the origin of sneakers as well as the political weight with which they carry. She is an author of an upcoming book entitled: Worn on This Day: The Clothes That Made History. In this article, as well as in her book, she focusses on the choices of consumers and industry to say certain things with their clothing. The article starts off with talking about how New Balances support of Trump created outrage with their consumers. It forces people to adopt their brands for the wrong reason (a Neo Nazi group claim that New Balance is the official shoe of white people). This led to bad press, as well as loss of previously held consumers. Even warranted a rebuttal from Nike, whom themselves had faced scandal for supporting specific celebrities. Campbell quotes Elizabeth Semmelhack in her article. Semmelhack is the Acclaimed shoe historian Elizabeth Semmelhack is senior curator at the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto; also, the author of and curator of the book and exhibit Outside The Box. Semmelhack is quoted saying, “The cultural meaning behind sneakers is a constantly evolving dialogue between the people who produce the sneakers and the people who wear them.” Further contributing to the idea that sneakers have a voice, one that lends itself to self-expression or identity. The article contains themes of race, politics, and class; that push peoples interest in shoes beyond simple design.

Friendly, David T and Mick Partridge, directors. Sneakerheadz. Complex, 2015.

         This is a documentary produced by the famed pop culture outlet Complex, known for doing in-depth research and explanations on things important to the teens and young adults. The documentary uses almost exclusively interviews with some of the most famed contributors and creators of modern sneaker culture. They talk about things like, where did the culture come from, how has the culture changed, what did they do to contribute to the culture, their fondest memories involving shoes, their favorite shoes and more. Why? Well because as Rob Dyrdek puts it,” There are a handful of things that can define who you are without saying a word; shoes, are one of those things.” Similar to others this work talks on history, but the documentary takes a look into many different backgrounds, while talking about things like design, selling, reselling, and collecting.Giving both a well rounded and more global perspective on the sneaker industry.

Grant, Garrett Kalel, “A Case Study of Brand Associations for Yeezy Brand” (2018). LSU Master’s Theses. 4716.https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/4716

This is a thesis based on the clothing brand Yeezy, Kanye’s brand underneath the Adidas franchise. The goal was to see how and what consumers associate with the brand Yeezy. They then took this information and saw how it would affect things like brand involvement and brand awareness. While this is a market research report I think it is interesting to understand how consumers preserve brand within the sneaker market. This could inform the obsessive nature of the sneaker consumers or even help us understand why we view shoe companies the way we do. Being also that Yeezy is a co-branded company between Kanye and Adidas, this thesis will talk about the influence of celebrity endorsements on the clothing market. The author says, “The aggregation stage provided the researcher with eleven associations directly connected to Yeezy brand based on mention: Kanye, expensive, Adidas, overrated, trendy, athleisure, sneaker, Kardashian, fashion, shoes, popular. Only the first seven associations could be directly connected to map based on their link strength.” This goes to show us that there are more to brands than just the name and what they sell, we draw external connections and that is what creates influence. I believe these influence could be the creates a culture in the sneaker industry if it is not the brands themselves as is implied in Michael Jordan, Inc.

 Miller, Rodney M. Jr, “If the Shoe Fits: A Historical Exploration of Gender Bias in the U.S. Sneaker Industry” (2019). Senior Projects Spring 2019. 80. https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/senproj_s2019/80

Miller gives a history of how the sneaker industry began and has grown over the course of the last one hundred years or so. Citing three key components to growth in the industry; physical activity, professional sports, and Hip-Hop culture. Where Miller differs from other research is he focus on how the sneaker industry is polarizing particularly toward women. He explains how each of the three influences have brought with them their own set of biases towards women. Roughly summed up the author outs it this way: “n, women were discouraged from participating in physical activities because of misplaced fears that exercising was actually worse for women’s health. Additionally, competitive and professional sports show a historic bias against women because of beliefs that women were not anatomically structured to compete in sports. Lastly, Hip-Hop is a culture that has consistently placed constraints on women and ties their value based on their worth and their offerings to the men in their life.” This thesis could help to show who it is that comprise the sneaker culture. If it is found to be true that the culture really is a boy’s club it could warrant extra research as to why that is and the effect that has one women. This thesis also brings forth a interesting concept that is becoming fairly mainstream in modern culture. This being that boys are now the ones who collect and have ore shoes than they could wear, where in the past that had been ideal often associated with women. This thesis helps round out the history of how sneakers have gotten to where they are today.

Nhat Huy Mai. ”Helsinki’s Sneaker Spa Business Evaluation And Service Design.” Laurea University of Applied Sciences, October 2017, https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/154656/MaiDucNhatHuy_ThesisFinal.pdf?sequence=1

Duc Nhat Huy Mai is Degree Program in Restaurant Entrepreneurship, who wrote a bachelor thesis on Helsinki’s Sneaker Spa, the first provider of sport shoes and sneakers professional cleaning service, started by young entrepreneurs in 2017. While the goal of her these is to create a business plan for the Sneaker Spa, Mai does an amazing job of research to the growth of the sneaker industry and the how it is blossoming into new emerging markets such as shoe cleaning. My goal is to use her research to paint some of the back story of where sneakers come from; as well as, since her research is based in Finland, talk about the globalization of sneaker culture and some of the difference between areas. She says, “sneakers were invented in 18th century in US, when low class attached rubber to their sole to make the shoes more durable”. And I want know how we went from that to sneaker culture as we know it today.

Rakestraw, Alex. “Sneaker Culture Is a Reminder That We’re All Just Animals.” Highsnobiety, Highsnobiety, 5 Sept. 2017, www.highsnobiety.com/2017/09/04/sneaker-culture-competition-or-community/.

Rakestraw write this article to talk about how the search for rare shoes reverts the consumer to a primal state. This is one of the darker sides of the sneaker industry and sadly is often what outsider hear about sneaker culture. The want, or need in the mind a sneakerhead, can cause people to do some crazy things. We hear story of people being trampled robbed or even killed for their shoes. Rakestraw equates this to, “The thirst for inherent exclusivity creates an innately competitive culture where the goal is naturally adversarial: if your friend has a dope exclusive shoe, then your search for a more exclusive (and therefore more desirable) shoe is an ongoing challenge”. This poses interesting ideas as to whether the sneaker culture is a good thing or a bad thing. There are many sources that show he community and family oriented nature of the sneaker community, but what makes the main stream media of the outlandishly bad things the come from the sneaker community, as is the case with many news stories. This will help shape the image of what it looks like to be inside the sneaker culture. Painting the picture of what creates demand and how desire is influence by exclusivity.