# I pit people who riot over a pair of sneakers. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 24, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280 "2011-12-24T14:34:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/101 "2011-12-28T01:45:46Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > His friend went in, bought a pair that didn’t fit, walked out and sold them to someone at the tail end of the line for a $120 profit. We have much to earn from them. ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/102 "2011-12-28T01:57:28Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > We have much to learn from neurotoxic African parasites. I for one welcome our new neurotoxic African parasitic overlords. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/103 "2011-12-28T04:10:18Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > The “whole community” benefits from a diversity of opinion, does it not? And like you, **sven** is a big, sturdy girl, more than adequately equipped to wage her own battles and face the consequences of her own actions. (Or to avoid them altogether, by occasionally refraining from swinging her sole hammer at the same ubiquitous nail.) Yes, I am more than equipped to weather some three-year old meme from the snark boards. But it is pretty…_boring_…to hear people dredge up half-assed attempts at personal attacks in unrelated threads every time I post. If you have something to say about my opinion on sneakers, I’m all ears. If you just want to take potshots at me because I had a really good time in Cameroon, there has to be a better way to do this. The “tee-hee tee-hee” swipes are cowardly and jerkish. And **Guin** , these people are not your friends. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/104 "2011-12-28T18:53:30Z")
Really, it’s making me nuts. Was post #43 in jest? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/105 "2011-12-28T23:50:56Z")
“Laughable” and “in jest” are not synonymous, even if the end result is the same. It looked like a typical example of **sven’s** inspirational lessons, courtesy of the _tu quoque_ school of cultural relativism. And yeah, needless to say, I thought it was pretty fucking stupid too. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/106 "2011-12-29T02:08:48Z")
I’m replying to the “it’s just sneakers. They don’t make you fly. No sneaker is worth that much money” school of thought. Yeah. obviously stabbing someone over sneakers is not a reasonable thing to do. But to pay a couple hundred bucks for a really nice pair of sneakers? What the hell is wrong with that? Nobody gives me shit because I wear a $259 pair of Fluevog shoes. Nobody gives me shit because I just bought a ridiculously expensive dress from Anthropologie. All of these things are stupid pricey and there is no good reason to be spending that kind of money…in fact, I’m sure I could find things just as good at Ross. But with most people, we are fine saying “It’s your paycheck, buy stuff you like.” I So why the sudden interest in other people’s wardrobes? Why is it we are suddenly really concerned about one particular demographic’s- a demographic few of us belong to- economic efficiency in fashion trends? How many of us show the same austerity that we apparently expect other people to show? I’ll say it, the “it’s only sneakers” thing strikes me as another way to take potshots at black people. Just like some Dopers will always jump all over modern African-American naming practices (They are made up! You are hindering your child’s economic future!), holidays, fashion trends and modes of conspicuous consumption (I recall a stream of threads about what a waste of money grills are…and yet oddly, I recall only one on the waste of money that is extreme tooth whitening.) Now, the rioting is a different story. But come on guys, can we stop it with the “Can you believe those people are robbing each other over sneakers?” thing? How many freaking people get robbed over iPhones? I can’t even text in my neighborhood because we are running one iPhone stickup a week. Why don’t we have some railing against people who kill each other over telephones? Thieves tend to steal valuable items. Some sneakers are valuable items- maybe not to you, but to a big enough group of people that there is a market for expensive sneakers. it’s not any “dumber” to steal a pair of Air Jordans that retail for $200 on the black market than to steak an iPhone that retails for the same amount. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/107 "2011-12-29T04:27:00Z")
It was only a matter of time. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/108 "2011-12-29T04:29:46Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > It was only a matter of time. Do you have a better explanation for why nobody is up in arms about, say, the prices at Aldo? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/109 "2011-12-29T14:17:31Z")
I didn’t know I’d been micro-pitted here, or that my micro-pitter had been banned. Huh. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/110 "2011-12-29T14:27:52Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I’m replying to the “it’s just sneakers. They don’t make you fly. No sneaker is worth that much money” school of thought. Yeah. obviously stabbing someone over sneakers is not a reasonable thing to do. But to pay a couple hundred bucks for a really nice pair of sneakers? What the hell is wrong with that? Nobody gives me shit because I wear a $259 pair of Fluevog shoes. Nobody gives me shit because I just bought a ridiculously expensive dress from Anthropologie. All of these things are stupid pricey and there is no good reason to be spending that kind of money…in fact, I’m sure I could find things just as good at Ross. But with most people, we are fine saying “It’s your paycheck, buy stuff you like.” I > > So why the sudden interest in other people’s wardrobes? Why is it we are suddenly really concerned about one particular demographic’s- a demographic few of us belong to- economic efficiency in fashion trends? How many of us show the same austerity that we apparently expect other people to show? Well, to be fair, there are plenty of threads or posts on here mocking those of us who prefer high-end handbags. But those bother me because I am in that demographic, and I agree with your point—we can say that stabbing people and rioting over a commodity is wrong without mocking the attachment that others feel towards that commodity. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/111 "2011-12-29T15:46:45Z")
What’s weird is that we’ve turned on each other in a thread deploring rioters turning on each other. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/112 "2011-12-29T15:57:07Z")
You think these riots were bad, doesn’t anyone remember the Beanie Baby craze??? ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/113 "2011-12-29T16:08:19Z")
Or the Great Cabbage Patch Doll Riots of 1980whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/114 "2011-12-29T16:17:02Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I’ll say it, the “it’s only sneakers” thing strikes me as another way to take potshots at black people. Damn, I wonder if my friend Steve knows the Air Jordans he collects aren’t meant for him. (Steve’s not black) > [@](#): > > I can’t even text in my neighborhood because we are running one iPhone stickup a week. :dubious: Where are you, Cameroon? iphones are so ubiquitous around these parts I wouldn’t be surprised if you left one at the bus stop and found it still there when you returned. > [@](#): > > it’s not any “dumber” to steal a pair of Air Jordans that retail for $200 on the black market than to steak an iPhone that retails for the same amount. Probably smarter to steal the Jordans. Less traceability and they have potential to appreciate in value (though this is diminishing as more and more people collect the new releases). ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/115 "2011-12-29T16:20:10Z")
> [@Hbns](#): > > Probably smarter to steal the Jordans. Less traceability and they have potential to appreciate in value (though this is diminishing as more and more people collect the new releases). Plus they look super fly. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/116 "2011-12-29T16:47:03Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Do you have a better explanation for why nobody is up in arms about, say, the prices at Aldo? Yes. The sneaker incidents were recent national news, unlike the Belgian endive riots at Aldo, which so far only exist in your strained hypothetical. The sneaker craze is mockable for two reasons: 1. Stupidity: it’s ridiculous to go insane/riot over overpriced, mass-produced sneakers. 2. Irony: the sneakers aren’t really remarkable in any way. I don’t think stupid behavior becomes immune to criticism when it’s primarily engaged in by black people; your mileage clearly varies. I also believe, in my heart of hearts, that most rational-minded black people would agree that losing your shit over a pair of sneakers is ridiculous. The only people defending the behavior are the ones doing it for themselves, the ones looking to cash in on the stupidity, and the condescending white liberal wannabe anthropologists clucking their tongues and squawking “you just don’t understand— it’s _their culture_!” ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/117 "2011-12-29T16:49:49Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I know, and we miss you. \ Why, thank you! So this thread wasn’t a complete waste of time. 🙂 I don’t understand how stating dismay and astonishment over rioting for gym shoes is somehow a racial issue. I’m sure someone will be along shortly to fill me in. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/118 "2011-12-29T16:52:50Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > unlike the Belgian endive riots at Aldo Hmm. I could’ve sworn Aldo was a high-end grocery store— some conspicuous consumer I am. And hey, looks like they’re opening one in [Cameroon](http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/stores/cameroon)! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/119 "2011-12-29T17:36:01Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > What’s weird is that we’ve turned on each other in a thread deploring rioters turning on each other. You could say that we’re all stabbing each other, in a way. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280/120 "2011-12-29T18:05:33Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > You could say that we’re all stabbing each other, in a way. Without even a pair of sneakers to show for it. Good god-we’re bigger tools than those customers! (that was a joke for the humor impaired) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-riot-over-a-pair-of-sneakers/607280.md?page=7)