I am a 41 year old black man. I do not care about sneakers. I never have. Clearly, something must be wrong with me.
I make good money, much of which goes to
I waste money on lots (and I do mean lots) on frivolous sh*t, but one exception is footwear. Yes, I have some very nice dress shoes. But when it comes to sneakers, I just don't care. I get a few new pair a year. They usually begin as running shoes, and then at some point reach retirement and become everyday shoes. When they're totally done, I put them out to pasture and use them when I do yardwork. Most of them are New Balance. I wash and care for these shoes, so they don't look totally rundown, but they aren't by any stretch of the imagination "new".
Everytime I'm out, I'll inevitably pass brothers on the street, some my age, some younger, and most of them are wearing absolutely spotless, brand new shoes. The shoes will often match whatever outfit the dude's wearing, and yeah, the overall effect will usually look pretty fresh. Then I'll look down at my feet and see a pair of 993s with lots of mileage on them. For a moment, I'll feel like I'm missing out on something.
And then I'll realize, that try and I might, I simply cannot scrounge up two f*cks about shoes, and I'll just keep it pushin'.
I don't begrudge these brothers their right to wear brand new $150 kicks. It's just not for me. And I wonder what, if anything, that means. Ya'll tell me.
Question: Am I the only black man that doesn't wear brand new sneakers everyday? Does this make me a weirdo?
