Sad: Grown men and women can’t be trusted to control themselves over … shoes

Sign of the times, via The Charlotte Observer:

Police and SouthPark Mall officials weren’t taking any chances this time.

They sent a crowd of would-be shoe shoppers home twice since midnight, eliminating any chance of a repeat of fighting and other problems that broke out two months ago with the release of a new Nike shoe.

This time, the in-demand product is the Nike Foamposite Galaxy, a glow-in-the-dark shoe that will sell for $229. Foot Locker says its House of Hoops stores are selling limited quantities of the shoes today.

A crowd of about 100 people gathered near the rear entrance of the mall about 9 a.m. Friday, but they were dispersed by a mall spokesman who came out and announced that the shoes would not be sold today.

Overnight, police dispersed a crowd that had gathered outside the mall, telling them to return during normal mall hours.

The last high-demand release of a Nike shoe was on Dec. 23, and fighting broke out at three Charlotte malls among shoppers trying to buy pairs of the re-released Air Jordans.

Trouble was reported again this time, although not in Charlotte. Police reported fights broke out at the Foot Locker House of Hoops store in Orlando, and authorities canceled a sale of the shoes early Friday morning at a mall near Indianapolis.

An Orlando TV station reported someone had made an offer on Craigslist, willing to trade a 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier for a pair of the shoes.

And, of course, we also see this nonsense play out every year the day after Thanksgiving.

Now, unlike the left, I won’t go off on long-winded rants against “commercialism” and the like because I happen to a) like to shop and have choices, and b) am a strong believer in capitalism, but what is it about *THINGS* that make people want to bust out in a fight over them? I can understand the use of violence in a situation where self defense (or the protection of another) was necessary, but over shoes? A $200 42″ TV?

What irritates me even more is that there is SO MUCH in this country deserving of more attention and devotion than the latest and greatest “thing.” I weep when I think about how much more some people care about shoes and TVs than paying attention to what’s going on in our country.

/Rant over.

12 Responses to "Sad: Grown men and women can’t be trusted to control themselves over … shoes"

Sefton says:

February 24, 2012 at 7:05 pm

I’m with you on the material love affair some folks have. I’ve been out of the loop on some of that for some years but I’m sure social status has a lot to do with it, and that’s just a damn shame.

That said – why don’t these stores limit sales of these “gotta have” shoes to online purchases? Of course my first guess is (and this says a lot about our society as well) that the mob stampede story for “X” product is also part of the selling point.
I buy my shoes online at $35-$40 a pair and they had better last me awhile. It’s hard to get my head around people who pay hundreds of dollars for a pair of shoes.
Drew says:

February 24, 2012 at 7:05 pm

weep when I think about how much more some people care about shoes and TVs than paying attention to what’s going on in our country.

Uh, weep when I think how much more people care about receiving money from the government – read: taxpayers – to pay for shoes and TVs rather than food clothing and shelter.

There, fixed it.
MissJean says:

February 24, 2012 at 9:48 pm

When I was a kid, the stampeding and fighting were about Cabbage Patch Kids. And we all know how important those are, 30 years later!
Drew the Infidel says:

February 25, 2012 at 5:22 am

Keep in mind this is a country that, on the eve of invading Iraq, was more interested in the Kobe Bryant sex scandal.

BTW, those shoes are available online for $220.
Ken66 says:

February 25, 2012 at 7:49 am

It’ll be a cold day in you know where before I pay 225 of my hard-earned dollars for a shoe.
Jim McDonald says:

February 25, 2012 at 9:56 am

What ‘history’ month is it? We again are provided with another common example of this culture.
Drew the Infidel says:

February 25, 2012 at 3:23 pm

Good one, Jim. Like my dad used to say, “Call ’em like you see ’em.”
Dana says:

February 25, 2012 at 5:36 pm

The real story is that these people are stupid enough to pay $229 (plus tax) for shoes. Once this group has self-selected themselves into a small area, everything else follows.
Jiji says:

February 25, 2012 at 8:18 pm

I buy my Court Classic sneakers at COSTCO for $14. Yes, they are plain white but I have no need to impress the neighbors.
Steph says:

February 26, 2012 at 12:22 am

@Ken, I totally agree with you! Money is just too darn tight to spend that much for shoes. Ridiculous.
Carlos says:

February 26, 2012 at 5:19 pm

The day I spend $200 for a pair of shoes – ANY shoes – is the day I get out of the insane asylum my town is and am locked up in the state hospital for my own protection against myself.

Heck, I have a problem spending that much on a computer!
Doodlebug says:

February 27, 2012 at 8:17 pm

My friends and I would camp out overnight in front of stores for Beanie Babies. Remember those, ha? Anyhow, it was a friendly crowd and most of us knew each other because we had a habit of showing up at the same places. We had an organized system. One person with a pad would start a list. Each person would add their name to the list as they arrived. The keeper of the list called off the names in order and we organized into a line about 1/2 hour before the store opened. Everyone was peaceful and organized. Some people got what they wanted, some left a little disappointed. That’s just how it was.

Once we camped all night and organized ourselves into the usual line. This lady showed up 5 minutes before the store opened and decided the line was too long and decided to try to cut in the front. She started running her mouth and next thing we know the cops were called and we were all sent home. In a group of over 100 orderly folks, all it took was one idiot to ruin the whole deal.

The folks who sell these shoes really should consider a lottery system. They know the demand and should be prepared to handle it in an orderly fashion. Otherwise, people revert to animals and chaos ensues.

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