My afluent yankee gf at the time bought me a pair of blue Nike track shoes in 1982 when I was 20. By the time I was 30 I was wearing solid black Adidas high tops.
But before I was 20 I never wore brand name shoes. I just wore whatever was on sale at Gulf Mart or Woolco or Sage. We didn’t have Targets or Walmarts then. And I grew up poor. Momma wasn’t gonna buy me gym shoes at Dillards or Beall’s.
Most of the time, growing up, I wore these rough suede shoes with crepe soles called Chucka Boots.
My affluent yankee gf also introduced me to Hush Puppies.
She was a brand conscious little girl.