Adidas to Release Gay Pride Shoes June 29th. Serious Question:

All shoes are atheist.

/thread

theJeff wrote:

https://www.adidas.com/us/pureboost-dpr-pride-shoes/B44878.html

I assume we can expect more shoes geared to the sexual preferences of runners in the future. Not sure I see the relevance.

So here is the question: LGBQ Community (of those of you with close friends in that community, please ask), is this shoe a source of pride for you? Or do you feel pandered to?

The only comparison I can think of is all the mentions of Jesus near Christmastime; as if Christians are supposed to flock to retailers that mention Jesus for two weeks out of the year. I feel pandered to, personally. So, closer to the topic, if Adidas relased a shoe with a cross on it called the Pureboost Atonement, I would be a little turned off.

Maybe you’re over thinking it.

/thread

I don't think it's pandering. Any more than The Incredibles 2 is pandering to women.

I'd wear a pair of Pureboost Atonement along with my $8000 Jesus piece and tat. Why not?

Just maybe... wrote:

theJeff wrote:

https://www.adidas.com/us/pureboost-dpr-pride-shoes/B44878.html

I assume we can expect more shoes geared to the sexual preferences of runners in the future. Not sure I see the relevance.

So here is the question: LGBQ Community (of those of you with close friends in that community, please ask), is this shoe a source of pride for you? Or do you feel pandered to?

The only comparison I can think of is all the mentions of Jesus near Christmastime; as if Christians are supposed to flock to retailers that mention Jesus for two weeks out of the year. I feel pandered to, personally. So, closer to the topic, if Adidas relased a shoe with a cross on it called the Pureboost Atonement, I would be a little turned off.

Maybe you’re over thinking it.

/thread

Or maybe you are under-thinking it...

Would you care if a shoe company came out (npi) with a shoe concering the 2nd Amendment? Or BLM? Or Metoo? At what point does support become pandering? If Adidas is planning to donate a portion of their proceeds to an LGBQ-themed organization, they failed to mention it on the webpage...

Ya adidas is messing up. The atonement would be a way cooler shoe, would fly off the shelves

Which retailers mention Jesus during Christmas? Maybe I'm missing it, but it seems the question more is do they refer to the "Holidays" or "Christmas".

Every month. Every year. Pride for what?

Wait, Adidas is German, right? No one find it's odd the Germans want LGBTQ+ folks to wear identifiable shoes? What's next, a special Jewish edition that are blue with a yellow Star of David on them?

It sold out so quickly that adidas didn't even have time to put it on their website or do a press release

Adidas is German, but their US headquarters is in Portland, OR, where this topic is huge. I’m guessing that’s where the idea emanated from.

Nike has been doing this for a while. What's new?

Most of the Nike pride stuff (their BeTrue line) has a rainbow of some sort on it, making it much more obvious that it is a pride shoe. This Adidas shoe looks like a pretty normal shoe except the stripes are slightly different shades of red. I don't really see how this is identifiable as a pride shoe at all.

I went to order a pair but it was very offensive when they asked me to select Male or Female sizing.

I see what you are saying. A company is explicitly pandering to a customer demographic based on a recent social movement, whereas they would be blasted for pandering based on other social movements. I think you're singling out pandering to the LBGT community because of some sort bias that you harbor, whether explicit or implicit. You are equating the LGBT movement with being a preference or social/political issue du jour, rather than an ongoing effort for recognition and equal treatment after basically being pushed into the margins since...forever. Just look at home many anti-gay folks still post on this message board.

But this is capitalism. Companies pander to certain demographics ALL THE TIME, have been doing this forever, and you probably barely even notice it. Subaru was pandering to lesbians in the 1990s. I am sure that VW was pandering the Jetta to gay men. The true meaning of Christmas might as well not even exist anymore, as companies pander to anyone they can during the holidays. Who or what is Brett Favre and his Wranglers pandering to, along with every truck commercial ever? White guys that have a certain cultural image and identity of themselves. Also, have you seen everything that is sold with a Confederate flag on it?

At the end of day, who gives a sh!t what company tries to pander to you. Just buy what you think is a good product.

How are gay shoes any different than straight shoes?

Wowzers wrote:

Which retailers mention Jesus during Christmas? Maybe I'm missing it, but it seems the question more is do they refer to the "Holidays" or "Christmas".

Fair question. Mostly local (SE US).

Good points.

Regardless of what the LGBQ community has gone through, it is still the issue de jour (I haven’t noticed any movements on behalf of Native or Asian Americans, for instance, both of whom have suffered injustices throughout our nation’s history.) Still, point taken (not agreed with, necessarily, but taken).

Capitalism is a funny thing. I doubt this shoe will affect Adidas one way or the other on paper, although I am sure some supporters will buy their first Adidas, and a few Adidas customers will walk away. There are certainly instances of these moves backfiring, (thinking about Target and Chik Fil A), but again, I doubt this one will register.

There have been plenty of movements on behalf of Native Americans in the past and currently. Just look into Native American activism during the 60s and 70s. We recently experienced the controversy over the Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Butte reservation, which turned into a social issue du jour that attracted people of all kinds and led to significant fundraising efforts, but was quickly forgotten about. However, that event inspired Native groups around the country to take more ownership of their land. I am somewhat keyed into Native American issues through a couple publication that I read, so it is more in my conscious than the typical American. Native Americans activism is strong and growing right now. You simply may not be fully aware of what is happening. In fact, it's impossible for us to fully understand what is happening.

I do think that the Pride month hype might be approaching the point of Christmas marketing. Companies jump on it as a marketing opportunity. Many people attend Pride events just to be seen there. I've read articles that some LGBT women feel uncomfortable at Pride celebrations, which is the opposite of the purpose of a Pride event.

But I do find Pride events to be much more positive, welcoming, and joyful than other types of social movements and self identification that might be based on more exclusionary or hateful terms.

Would you mind sharing the publication you are talking about? That is interesting. (I teach APUSH.)

First question, why do you care?

Second question, how are they 'gay pride' shoes? I don't see a rainbow or any other markings to let the wearer show his/her support for LGBTQ.