Growing up in a middle class or lower middle class family, jugaad becomes your way of life. We all know of the plastic cover on remotes, the hand me down traditions and the if it ain’t in complete tatters, we can still fix it attitude. We’ve gone to schools with our toes poking out of our shoes and been ridiculed for it. And over time we develop a thicker skin and learn to laugh at all of it.
However, turns out, everything that we were made fun off back then, is coming in fashion these days. Just take a look at pictures from fashion weeks across the world and you’d be surprised at how they’ve managed to give poverty a chic twist.
Take these pair of sneakers for example.
Would you believe me if I told you that a pair of these dingy, taped together sneakers retails for a whopping ₹41,611.41 in India? Yup, that’s exactly what they’re priced at.
Golden Goose, the Italian high fashion sneaker brand is the creator of these sneakers that even our Indian moms would never let us wear if they could help it.
The shoes which are being sold through American retail chain Nordstrom’s website has the most honest description ever. Maybe a bit too honest:
“Crumbly, hold-it-all-together tape details a distressed leather sneaker in a retro low profile with a signature sidewall star and a grungy rubber cupsole.”
Really?! Crumbly, hold-it-all-together tape detail? You don’t say! *slow claps*
Though the shoe is priced at $530, which is equivalent to approximately ₹38000, those who’d like to buy it from India will have to shell out ₹41,611.41 for some reason.
The people of the Internet, understandably are not impressed by a luxury brand trying to making money off of glorifying poverty:
1. I pity the fools who’re going to buy this.
we’ve already got a problem if any clothing description says “crumply, hold-it-all tape details a sneaker” but it’s even bigger when that sneaker costs $530!!!!!!!!1111!!!!!111!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/yngTTyVVQ2
— joon (@joonlee) September 19, 2018
2. People are writing hilariously sarcastic reviews for the shoe.
💀💀💀 pic.twitter.com/IIpHqEWDpB
— Melissa Webb (@ifoundlily) September 20, 2018
3. Didn’t you hear? Poor is the new black.
I will never, in my entire life, understand the "distressed" trend/style. I could go to Target, buy a pair of Keds/Keds knock-offs, and wreck them like this for less than a quarter of the price of those things. Why does anyone waste their money like this?
— 🎶 Kaija 🎶 (@mother_fickle) September 19, 2018
4. Oooooh… That’s a nice range of dingy worn out shoes to choose from. Yay!
I just checked and apparently there’s a whole line. Like ok cool let’s mock poverty pic.twitter.com/WKhF15gRGG
— Eliza T. ⚰️🦇 (@lizalove91) September 19, 2018
5. If only these existed back then, we would’ve been the hippest kids in school!
okay maybe i’m being dramatic but i remember seeing kids getting harassed and made fun of endlessly in school for having shoes that looked like this. this is extremely distasteful. https://t.co/h3RAKmiY5d
— brooke🌻 (@broookedanielle) September 19, 2018
6. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve picked these out of the dumpster.
i think peak capitalism is selling shoes characteristic of those who can’t afford new ones for $530 https://t.co/CJuKEQSpgO
— left-hand (@jakeyhanded) September 19, 2018
7. And way too much money.
when u wanna be edgy w worn down sneakers but don’t have the patience to wear them out https://t.co/6rVcjenCbb
— Vivian Sanchez (@vivvsanchez) September 19, 2018
8. So do I! Hit me up, peeps.
Are people really out here paying $500 for brand new shoes that look worn out…bc if so I got some fire for you guys for a cheap price of $400 https://t.co/oQeh8hX0Mj
— Crea (@Creabug) September 19, 2018
9. Most authentic experience of poverty ever!
Every pair of Golden Goose sneakers is hand crafted and stitched in Italy each pair is different and obviously not meant for y’all https://t.co/o6kZRHIs2w
— paul (@Paulsreply) September 19, 2018
10. Without a doubt.
When you see someone rocking this shoe 👟 pic.twitter.com/cR6b7IaxTR
— Aamir (@da8wonder) September 20, 2018
Actually, this is not a bad business idea. I’m going to mail these guys and see if they’d be interested in buying my authentic, faded and distressed, worn out, barely-holding-it-together pair of shoes with a unique ventilation hole detail at the front. It even has a high-fashion toe sweat stench for utmost authenticity.