Original.

Originality is something that’s individual. It is a personal option, opinion, and choice. To say that something is original means that’s it’s ‘origin’. So I bring up this question. Would wearing a North Face jacket everyday be original? Would buying what people literally call POTATO shoes [aka Birkenstocks] be original? Probably NO to both of those questions.

I will not lie, when I was in my freshman year of high school I bought a North Face jacket, and it wasn’t because they were super comfortable or really warm, it was because everyone had one. I gave it to Plato’s Closet the next year and got $30.00 for that thing. It goes to show that me even buying that jacket for $99.99 is a waste of time. They’ve become so popular that you WILL find them at Plato’s closets and even Urban Outfitters is starting to sell the brand. It’s just selling a name in all honesty.

You can go to a thrift store and find that same style of jacket for 5 bucks. Why do people not do that though? It’s because it doesn’t say North Face. Really though, if you actually liked that jacket it should be morally incorrect to be spending that much money on some letters that someone sewed on a coat. If you want to be ORIGINAL you would buy that jacket because that’s what you like, not what everybody else does. If you were like me at that age, I’m sure your parents would appreciate the effort to spend less as well.

Being original would be creating something new or having something that nobody else does on an everyday basis. Do you want to buy that band t-shirt with neon letters? Oh wait which band is it because when those guys found out that’s what’s selling, they all turned to bright colored with animations on them. I’d rather just buy a shirt that says the band’s name on it then something that looks like someone threw up the rainbow on it and you can barely make out what the font says. Let’s buy a shirt that says HOLLISTER CO. across the front of it. The shirts that I buy don’t say TARGET on them. That’s all that certain brands have become the brand. It’s just advertising where you bought something. Victoria Secret sweat pants say PINK down the side of them because…? It’s simply product placement and showing off how much money you spent on those sweat pants that you could’ve easily found without the obnoxious print down the legs or even better across your ass cheeks. Is that what has become of our retail services? Even Miley Cyrus brand at Wal-Mart doesn’t say MILEY on them. Overall, the origin of your clothes is on the tags, it’s not original to wrap it across your chest.

Crocs & Comfort

Crocs for comfort... I agree because when crocs FIRST came out I had nothing to say. I was in shock that people were wearing these garden shoes for their 24-7 shoes. What really is the point of them? Are they supposed to feel like you’re not even wearing shoes? They look like something a doctor should be wearing when working a 10 hour shift. If that’s the case, then I don’t even think they look that safe. Safe, as in secure. I think that rubber shoes should be used for fishermen fly fishing in a river bend. Not for society. Now they are starting to make crocs in disguise. The flat ones so that if you wear jeans that are really long, you won’t even be able to tell you’re wearing them. The name Croc reminds me of a crocodile. They look like alligators in a way. Rubber alligators with holes throughout the shoe. On top of that they try to make them fun by having pins that little kids can put on them. Maybe take them to the beach? I just think that the sand would get stuck in them and you would regret ever buying those damn things. Will I pay thirty dollars to buy some shaped rubber? Hells no, buy real shoes with LEATHER and rubber that will last you for YEARS. They actually have crocs that have wedges now, sad? It’s like the business woman that couldn’t handle wearing REAL shoes for 10 years so resorted to these bad boys.  I was walking through the mall the other day and there was a whole STORE of crocs! Not just a kiosk…A STORE. Do you want to know how many people were in there? Two, both employees behind the register. To me the crocs should be kept outside by the dirt, not strolling around town.

Shapeups for comfort…I guess because I don’t know what else they’d be good for? If you want to be two inches taller just wear high heels. If you’re a guy who wants to be two inches taller, just don’t where shapeups? Instead of the alligator shoes, these are like horse hooves. People are supposed to wear them to work out, what happened to Nike? How can you carry them on your feet?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVTT6_iEQEI

They could not have this commercial with ACTUAL shapeups, because that would not be sexy. It would probably be offensive if anything. Congratulations for finally realizing that that extra two inches of rubber are not appeasing. So what happens? They keep the comfort of the shapeup shoe and flatten them out like they should’ve done in the beginning. Yes, I still think that the advertisement is ridiculous, but as mentioned before, a LOT better than the hooves. It’s like the shoes from the 90s that kids had from Vans that literally made you noticeably taller. Shoes have evolved from bad to worse, but I have to give someone credit for at least trying for originality. As with the Ugs and many other stereotypical shoes, they end up becoming ‘all the rage’ once one person has them.