infobong.com

I noticed this morning that The Media Foundation is taking orders for its antibrand "Black Spot Sneaker." I'm really tempted to grab a pair in order to give myself a much-needed dose of cultural cachet. I tend to disagree with Prentiss' assertion that $60 is a lot to spend on sneakers. Unless you're biomechanically perfect, running shoes start around $90, and I'll bet that the all-hemp Adidas I wore in college cost about $50-60, so a well-made pair of hemp sneakers is going to cost some money, whether or not they're made in unionized factory in Portugal or not.

But what does keep me from ordering a pair Black Spots is the fact that I don't really need another pair of sneakers. I bought a pair of Puma Californias - the greatest sneaker ever made - back in March, and it'll be years before I need to buy new shoes. It doesn't make sense to consume simply to contest the social role of consumption.