Those silly, big-footed Indians. Hey, don't blame me, that's Nike talking:
BEAVERTON, Ore. - Nike on Tuesday unveiled what it said is the first shoe designed specifically for American Indians, an effort aiming at promoting physical fitness in a population with high obesity rates.
The Beaverton-based company says the Air Native N7 is designed with a larger fit for the distinct foot shape of American Indians, and has a culturally specific look. It will be distributed solely to American Indians; tribal wellness programs and tribal schools nationwide will be able to purchase the shoe at wholesale price and then pass it along to individuals, often at no cost.
[. . .]
Nike designers and researchers looked at the feet of more than 200 people from more than 70 tribes nationwide and found that in general, American Indians have a much wider and taller foot than the average shoe accommodates. The average shoe width of men and women measured was three width sizes larger than the standard Nike shoe.
Who knew? If I am caught wearing an Air Native N7, will I be guilty of something? Will the culture police send me to re-education camp? There is a note of dissent, however:
Jerry Bread, outreach coordinator for the Native American Studies program at University of Oklahoma, said the idea was "fantastic" and addressed a core issue for tribes, though he was skeptical that the feet of people from so many tribes could be so similar.
That's called foot profiling, you white man who speaks with forked tongue.
Air Native? Cheese and rice.
Comments
LMAO!
And the hits keep coming!
B.G.
One of the many, many reasons not to subscribe to anything P.C. is that such silly limitations often have consequences like keeping a group of Americans from getting what they need, for fear of offending some touchy activist somewhere.
I don't know if native Americans have unique feet or not, but if they do, then they ought to have shoes that fit and the sooner the better.
Hulk Hogan wears size 15 shoes, by the way, and he wears no feathers. Okay, maybe a boa now and then...
I think it's so great that the $ made off of these shoes will go back to a good cause! As an Alaskan Native & American Indian decendant w/wide feet I was thrilled that there were shoes specifically made to fit. Not to mention that I'm not alone w/having difficulty finding comfortable gym shoes. I never realized that my feet were "taller" as well but they really are. I only wish that they were more stylish but what the heck, I know my money will go to a good cause non-the-less.