no, this isn't a tale of a kid getting jacked for his shoes. it is much more positive and uplifting. don't believe me? just read to the end.
i found this list today. it lists the coolest basketball shoes ever. coming in at #7 is the air jordan III. look at this triumphant bastard:
in 1989, i had a pair of those. now as i've beaten into the ground on this site, i didn't have a lot of money growing up. since i was pretty lazy (only had sporadic part-time jobs), i just usually bought cheaper shoes using the allowance my dad gave me for school clothes. this time, however, i skimped and saved until i had amassed the necessary $100 for the shoes. i don't think i've spent $100 on a pair of athletic shoes since, fyi.
i proudly wore those suckers during 9th grade. a few weeks into my ownership, this pathological fucking criminal walked up to me one day outside of spanish class, stomped on my right shoe with his filthy shoe, and then stared in my face, daring me to do something, anything, about it. well this cat was like 20 years old and in the 11th grade. he also used to hand cuff kids to the basketball pole in middle school and leave them there when the bell rang. on more than one occasion, he stole money from a semi-retarded kid on the basketball team. when i'm telling you this kid had no part in society, you better believe me.
anyway, of course i did nothing. i'm proud that i didn't apologize to him for getting my brand new cool ass shoe under his broken down shoe or piss myself at least.
i saw him around the next few years since he didn't graduate when he was supposed to. shocker. no more stomping went on, but it was always in the back of my mind. i was in 11th grade and he was still in 12th one january morning when the school found out that this evil motherfucker had been shot in the head, execution style, over a drug debt to the local nino brown. i think his body was found in the gutter, where he belonged.
i don't think i have to tell you my feelings on the matter, but i will anyway. i think i told a classmate at the time, "well someone just saved the state a bunch of money on the eventual incarceration and electrocution of ______" (don't want to say his name in case someone from my high school reads this and actually liked the son of a bee sting). i mean there was no way this guy was going to make it to 25 without doing time, probably for murder. or at the very least for stepping on shoes.
so to sum it all up - winner? me. i rock new balance shoes at the gym now and until he can climb out of his dirt nap, michael jackson thriller style, there will be no intentional stomping going on.
see, i told you it was a feel-good tale. you probably want to stand up and applaud. go ahead, i don't mind.