Powertrips and Powerlines.

In the article, Nike, Social Responsibility and the Hidden Abode of Production by Carol A. Stabile, it discusses how Nike Corporation undeniably has created wealth for its owners and shareholders. They specifically tailored their product to their target audience through “the corporation’s ability to reach middle class consumers through appeals to the values and belief systems of that audience” (199). This was particularly effective during the 90’s within the lower-middle class African American and Hispanic community. The rising trend within these communities was to invest in a pair of trendy shoes in order to identify themselves as some with a higher status. After reading this article, I am reminded of a time in my past where I grew up in a relatively rough area of Miami. In school, my friends and I invested more time talking about my new pairs of Air Jordan shoes than my multiplication tables. We went as far as judging those around us who didn’t have “name brand” shoes, particularly Nike shoes. In some of the neighborhoods by my block, groups of kids would tie shoes together and hang them from power lines. This signified that they had successfully taken the shoes from other innocent kids by physical force and intimidation. In some instances, it was the marking of gang turf. The more valuable the shoe, the more respected that you were by your fellow members. It’s an ongoing cultural identity that lingers in most inner cities. Fascinating.