The Shoe Game!

"How many can  really afford to step their game up?"

In 1986 I was a sophomore at Purdue University and even though Adidas ran the shoe game at the time I was a diehard Nike fan. When everybody was rocking the shell toe joints and hot Adidas jogging suits because of the popularity of Run DMC I was holding Nike down. If you weren't rocking Adidas it was Fila or Puma but very few people were wearing the Swoosh. However, I was the lone wolf on the yard rocking Nike. I even made a poster of myself with all of my gear laid out in my dorm room. Then one day one of my boys from Ohio moms sent him a pair of Air Jordan's (J’s) and boyz were like what are those?

They were red, black and white high tops and he was the only cat on campus rocking them for about 24 hours. Everybody called home with a care package request and depending on how far home was. Some boyz went home to get them. Til this day I've never owned a pair because they never did it for me. However, I'm still loyal to the Nike brand. The problem is some people are beyond loyal and down right ignorant when it comes to the Air Jordan’s.

On Friday the latest version of the Air Jordan, The Concord, was released in stores across the country and folks acted a fool in their quest to obtain a pair. Complete mayhem ensued at malls all over the country. Folks were lining up at midnight for the shoe. There were fights, people being killed and trampled for a pair of sneakers bruh.

You aren’t trippin’ you read that right! Boyz are fighting and killing each other to get the opportunity to PAY somebody $180 for some sneakers? You heard me, $180 for a pair of shoes that will never look brand new again after the first step. I know all about cleaning them because it was my generation that perfected the art of cleaning sneakers. However, once the stitching gets dirty the first time they never look the same bruh. Trust me!

Here in Indy they tore the mall doors off of the hinges and trampled people to get in. There wasn't a natural disaster and folks weren’t desperate for food and water around this piece. They were doing this to PAY somebody for a pair of shoes. Not just kids bruh! These were grown folks out there!

I would say that 95% of those that were in line to buy those joints will be sitting in the dark next week because they didn't pay their light and gas bill. Stop me when I start lying bruh! Kids will show up to school in January with those joints on and will be standing in the free lunch line. Ride past any bus stop in America right now and boyz are waiting for the #2 with a transfer in the new Jordan’s.

I'm not mad at folks for wanting the latest pair of J’s because I know some grown folks that have been and will always be loyal to Jordan’s. My cousin Lovell, who is a corporate executive I might add, is the biggest Air Jordan fan I know. The difference between him and these clowns out here is that he paid ALL of his bills, saved some money, fed the kids, took care of his wife, made sure everybody else was eating before he bought a pair, online. People that put Jordan is his proper place didn't take their last like a drug addict in an alley and start fighting to give it to somebody that has more money than they have.

I’ve always had a problem with giving folks that have more money than I do, my money. Especially if there is no even exchange. That’s why I refuse to gamble in Vegas because they’ve got way more money than I do and I can’t take the thrill home with me. I feel the same way about sneakers now because I’m never in a pair but that’s just me.

Lets' keep it real or all the way 100 which ever comes first! I'm not mad at Jordan at all for selling shoes but he's not thinkin' about all of those clowns out there killing themselves to put them on. He's already rich! He could care less about whether some kid eats or not because their mom took her last and bought his shoes. There are babies in ghetto's all over this country right now with J’s on that can't even walk.

If I had a search warrant right now I bet I would find 8 out of 10 project addresses with multiple pairs of J’s at the residence. However, on Monday those same idiots that were at the mall on Friday will be trying to borrow money with their new outfit and Jordan’s on! Big Momma would always say? “You all dressed up with nowhere to go” but baby your shoes look good though!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport