The Evils of HipHop Shoes

The evils of "HIP HOP" shoes are many. Let me say that hip hop shoes are EVIL! Kick your shoes off and let me tell you why this is true!

For school dirty Fila informed me that she wanted new school shoes and they must be some "hip" brand names. OKAY! What did that mean and what was wrong with the brand name athletic shoes I had been buying her before..like the dirty Fila's she was wearing right now?

dirty Fila informed me that she wanted Baby Phat or Air Force Ones. I had no idea that the song Air Force Ones was about shoes. I thought the song was about the President's plane. I must admit the first thought that came to my head was shoes that may cost over $100, be just a flash/fad shoe and not one of good quality. I was very opposed but I had seen some of the other girls in dirty Filas school wearing said shoes and they did seem all the rage. I went looking by myself in an attempt to surprise dirty Fila with those very shoes. What a fiasco it was!

I went to the mall a few weeks ago and I had something to prove to myself and dirty Fila. I needed to know that I was hip and could be hip and cool and in the know about hiphop culture since she is all about that---despite all my efforts to create sensory overload with jazz, NPR and talk radio. I was a mom...I have mom power don't I!? I could do this.

I went to the mall and went to an athletic shoe store. I walked in and was greeted by a young male who proceeded to point me in the direction the shoes were located. I spotted them..the baby phats. I checked the prices and they were $54 and $68. There were some unisex pairs that looked more like boys on sale. I looked at those also. Finally after about 15 minutes I asked for help as all the clerks were talking among themselves not bothering to assist customers. The same young black male who first approached me offered to help me. I asked for an 8.5 in several pairs of baby phat tennis shoes. He proceeded to bring me all the wrong sizes and colors and styles. I had to ask him 4 times for size 8.5 but he just kept bringing out those 8's. They had 8.5's as some were on display.

Finally after me correcting him several times and him still bringing the wrong size out, he bought me the last box he could find that were 8.5. Suddenly a line had formed at he register and he had to excuse himself to go ring up a few people. I opened the box and yes it was an 8.5 but it was the wrong baby phat shoe. I was through with him. I did not notice it until I got to the register and was about to pay. When that box was scanned, it was not the sale price of $29.99 but the full price of $68.00. I told the clerk that I did not want those shoes.

I explained to the manager that I wanted someone else to assist me as I had no faith at all that the first clerk was correct. I believed that if you looked you would most likely find the correct size, style and price i requested. I told him that the clerk I had, I felt was not looking in the correct places and I had no faith at all that they did not have the shoes I wanted. He said that given the amount of people in the store, the same clerk would be the one to help me. He had noone else to spare. I made a silent vow to come again when that clerk was not on duty.

I left dejected and feeling that I had not been served and most likely the shoes I wanted were right on the shelf in the back. I just did not have a good clerk. He was a young black male, mostly likely still in school. Not college but high school. What happened to work ethic and being properly trained?? dirty Fila was going to have to be ghetto fabulous another day.

Another day did come and I went back to the same store....let me tell you what happened on the 2nd visit.

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~