I read this article in the internets about how Nike spent mega bucks to do some research on the foot size of Native Americans in order to construct a shoe that was more agreeable and comfortable to wear. Aww shit! Sounds like Nike is making their kicks more sturdy for the long trek on another Trail of Tears.
Although I don’t know how much farther west we can force the natives to walk.
So Injuns have bigger feet than most people? You know what that means? Bigger feet = bigger socks. I can imagine that natives will have to start paying more for their socks because of the extra cotton involved.
I’m pissed that Nike would fund the research to study the size of people’s feet. Who the fuck cares about the size of someone’s foot anyhoo? How about making a bigger shoe. Just do it. Or fund a study to find out why the injun foot is larger than the Euros who were used as the control group for normal sized feet.
It turns out that diabetes is prevalent among Native Americans at a ridiculously disproportionate rate than any other residents in the United States, moreso than even Black people. That could explain the occurrence of larger feet.
Too often we only treat symptoms to problems here in America without examining the root causes of the problems in the first place. It allows people to continue their fantasy lives of actually being good people, caring for pets and saving the Earth, without ever having to confront the fact that they are the reason the planet is so fucked the fuck up on a daily basis.
I’m sure Nike will use their social equity in this experiment in order to create some fucking mocassins that pay homage to the various native communities. Knowing that I am a sensless sneaker consumer as well I will prah’lee copp me a pair of those Iroquois Air Max.
Dont see the hate..its a good cause
^
BTW if they charge over 60- its rape, under 60, thats str8
Belize,
It starts as a benign study to establish the fact that a certain population has larger feet. Later these studies are used to set up other things like charging people more for socks because their large feet means that more cotton is being used. Even later they use these studies to determine that Native Americans are better walkers because their large feet support their bodies more effectively.
I don’t doubt that Nike needs to make shoes with wider footbeds, and they can certainly afford to lower their price points to disenfranchised communities, but don’t try to couch the deeds of the devil inside of a gift horse (pardon that analogy to all of my native american readers)
^
I get your point, but lets see what they do first. We shouldn’ knock them because well..selling shoes is thier business, and by all means let them get thier revenue up this year (plus there still trying to build thier PR up due to the whole sweatshop speel a couple years back). If they chose to exploit them a couple years from now, then let us start scrutinizing and protesting against this giant. Personally id like to see how this plans out, cuz my old lady has Type 1 and Iv been tryin to get her Nikes kicks for years but her feet are too sensitive (she coudnt even fit in the presto’s and dem shyt were soft to me). So if they do good research (as they claim), it may work out better in the long run for both the consumer (soft and affordable kicks) and Nike (Guap ^).
Also, Reeboks are way worse as far as rep
Just my thoughts…
I been reading your blogs for a minute DP but never felt compelled to comment until now…I was just discussing this concept in a cultural studies class that I’m taking last thursday. The consensus was that it was a little fucked up to be calling a whole peoples out on having some wide ass, flat feet. Not to mention, there’s other people who aren’t native american who got some wide ass, flat feet. Supposedly Nike is giving the Air Native N7 to the native american population at a lower cost than anybody else who wants the shoe – I’m redoing my research as we speak to check the validity of that statement but…shouldn’t all wide, flat footed people be able to pay the same price for a shoe? damn. This was just a marketing plot by Nike to get some more native american consumers and then to let all the non-native americans know that they give a shit about the people who the colonizers of America shitted on. The press release for the shoe also infers that native americans are lazy as shit and that the shoe will promote a lifestyle more focused on physical fitness…word? I got a closet full of nike’s and I can’t even tell you the last time I hit the gym.
anyway…press release:
http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/news/pressrelease.jhtml;bsessionid=HDZ1TID5ZYT2WCQFTBDSF5AKAWMEQIZB?year=2007&month=09&letter=d
love your blog, dallas. genius with the wordplay.
dp…There’s actually some appreciation within the Native Communities towards Nike. This on a number of levels. 1. Because we get some sort of recognition that we’re here. 2. Because it’s common knowledge that our feet are a bit wider than most appearantly. It’s a bitch buying toddler shoes for my kids that have to cram their feet into (adidas tend to be wider). 3. And probably the most important, and I never thought I’d have Nike’s back but they’re active in Native American communities. As a corporation they have programs that reach out to Indian Reservations that are designed to fight diabetes. They have a brother named Sam McCracken who heads up a department that deals with American Indians and health related issues. It would be my guess that the recent shoe is in relation to that and what Nike has been doing in Native American Communities. Also, I don’t see how Nike monetarily benefits from what the work they do on Indian Reservations. Maybe they’re so damn smart that they know were fucking like rabbits to replenish our population and their planning for 50 years down the road.
But seriously, Google that cat Sam McCracken and you’ll find out that there’s more to the picture than what the eyes see. Thanks for blogging about it and bringing it to forefront.
Peace.
Nike can not lose…
Yo Dallas!!!
Some randome knowledge. Being french and shit, the title of the post should be “Et toi Nike, et toi?!”
You’re Welcome
Yo Ricky!!!
Some random knowledge…
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy
The headline for this drop is an interpolation of the Latin sentence “Et tu, Brute?”
A Latin sentence meaning “Even you, Brutus?” from the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare. Caesar utters these words as he is being stabbed to death, having recognized his friend Brutus among the assassins.
“Et tu, Brute?” is used to express surprise and dismay at the treachery of a supposed friend.
Now don’t go hurting your brain just because your French, at least GOD still loves your country.
*sniff, sniff*
whats that smell?
fresh ether in the morning
Aight, In admit I lost. I only knew “Tu Quoque Mi Fili” from ceez mouth before gettin knifed… Because I thought Brutus was cesar’s adotpive son.
I guess imma step my shakesepare game up…
You gotta love DP.com, the only place I know where talkin’ sneakers drifts towards classical theatre shit!