Before business casual, choosing a pair of shoes for work was easy. Black dress shoes. If I wore a suit for a client meeting – black dress shoes. Slacks and a shirt to the office – black dress shoes. Regardless of the color of my pants, black matched everything. When one pair wore down, just go to the store for the exact same pair to replace it. I wouldn’t say these were my favorite shoes, but they made getting dressed in the morning easier. They gave me one less decision to make while I enjoyed my second cup of coffee trying to wake up in the morning.
Then business casual became a thing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a little more relaxed atmosphere at work, but now I had to think a little bit more about what I was going to wear. I now needed a few different shoe options, which also meant I needed matching belts. What color socks? Oh my god. Is my shirt ironed? Do I have time to toss it in the dryer at high heat to hopefully get rid of that crease down the front? Shoot me. I’m a guy. I don’t need these decisions to bog me down while pre-caffeinated in the morning. There was a time I wished business casual would just go away.
But like anything else, I found my stride. Adapt or die, right? OK, a little overly dramatic, but you get what I’m saying. I fully embrace business casual and am waiting for it to go to the next level. Once shorts, t-shirts, flip flops and baseball caps become acceptable attire, I’m diving in head first. That’s certainly something I can get on board with.
Sneaker History came up with a list of the top sneaker movies of all time. Forrest Gump made the list because of the Nike Cortez. The movie sparked a comeback for the shoe and Nike re-released it due to popular demand.
The movie has a great soundtrack. I’ve always liked For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield. Here is an interesting story about the song title.
As anyone who’s heard it knows, the phrase “for what it’s worth” appears nowhere in the song. According to one legend, Stills played it for one of the group’s managers, prefacing it with, “Let me play you a song, for what it’s worth.”
– Rollingstone
In all honesty, I was having trouble finding a song to match today’s prompt. That led me to Forrest Gump in a roundabout way.
Forrest Gump’s momma once said:
You got to put the past behind you before you can move on.
Yes, I agree with momma Gump. But not all things of the past are best left behind. Old movie. Old Nike shoes. Old classic song. All still stand up to the test of time. Some things are timeless. At least that’s more than I can say for my everyday black dress shoes. RIP.
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There's something happening here
But what it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop
Children, what's that sound?
Everybody look - what's going down?
There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking' their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
It's time we stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look - what's going down?
What a field day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly saying, "hooray for our side"
It's time we stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look - what's going down?
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
Step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look - what's going down?
We better stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look - what's going down?
We better stop
Now, what's that sound?
Everybody look - what's going down?
We better stop
Children, what's that sound?
Everybody look - what's going down?
MyGenXerLife 
I had no idea that was the title of THAT ubiquitous song. I thought it was called What’s That Sound. Great research!
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It’s been interesting learning how songs got their titles. This was a good one
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Good old Momma Gump : )
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I used to be that way with a pair of black high heels. It matched any dress or pair of slacks. Then, the pandemic hit and they let us wear shorts and library T-shirts to do curbside in 110 degree heat. That’s when I wore my athletic tennis shoes. It’s nice to have a go-to pair of dress shoes ready for work each day.
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The pandemic sure changed everything!
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I love that song. I embraced business casual when it became popular because I hated suits for women and I abhorred nylons. They’re so uncomfortable. >_<
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It’s definitely easier
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I actually enjoyed wearing a suit and tie. I also enjoyed donating about 15 suits, plus sports jackets, slacks, many dress shirts and ties a while after I retired (there’s a local group that distributes men’s dress wear to young men for graduations). I do see some men wearing black dress shoes with jeans… not sure everyone can pull that off, mind you, but maybe there’s hope for yours…
Good connection between the Nikes, shoes and the film and song. I know the song well, but have never associated the title with it so when I read the title of you post I thought, “hmmm, another new one!” From the quote you provided, maybe it’s because the phrase isn’t in the song.
A really timeless song, and a great choice, plus an interesting and informative post.
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Yes, I do rotate black shoes with jeans. So not a total loss. I still have the suits in my closet. Some clients are still more formal than others. Sometimes to casual it up, suite without a tie. I do miss laundered shirts everyday. I always liked the starched pressed look and convenience. But mixing normal attire has helped me pocketbook!
It is a timeless song! Glad you enjoyed the classic!
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Yeah, nothing quite like that starched, pressed look. I don’t miss the ironing, though!
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In a nice bit of coincidence or alignment, I’m just out for a coffee right now and was sitting in the sun reading blogs when I came across this post by a great music reviewer blog I follow and he mentions this song!
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Thanks, Steve. That was a great blog. I just know this one song from them. It was nice to learn more about them.
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You’re welcome and I agree, it’s a great blog.
It’s also the only song I know from them, though Neil Young is a pretty big deal up here in his home country, and Stephen Stills is fairly well known to me through being in the Crosby, Stills and Nash — plus Neil Young in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young supergroups. So many cool interconnections in the music world.
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