Some older folks in the black community were not happy with this sneaker hype spreading in the early 80's. A gentlemen named Gerald Deas, "Dr. Deas" who was a medical doctor, poet, and play writer. He was also an amatuer musician himself and decided to address this fashion trend with a song of his own, called "Felon Sneakers".
He wanted to tell the world in a rhyme that whether you knew it or not, if a young black man wanted to grow up, enter mainstream society, be productive, become a solid citezen, you better give up being a sneaker head, because people who have money in this world, the people who could potentially give you a job in this world, would reject you, because of your "felon sneakers". In line 13 and 14 of his song, Dr. Deas says "you rob, you rape, you shoot and kill, your wearing those sneakers but you lost your will". Putting a negative image on sneaker heads which was not true about every sneaker head. In line 15 and 16, he says "if an unlucky brother winds up in jail, his felon sneakers can't get him bail". Basically saying if you wear these sneakers, they're not going to get you anywhere but in a negative place.
RUN DMC, a rap group that came out in 1983, responded to this song saying "Don't stereotype the b-boy. Just because we rock our adidas with no laces in them, and hat to the side, doesn't make us negative individuals". They decided as well to take their views of the sneaker culture lyrically, poem for poem. So reacting to this laughable "anti-sneaker" campaign, RUN DMC came out with their own lines of poetic justice with the song "My Adidas". Another inspiration of the song was the fact that sneakers was something they cared about so much.
They didn't want to talk about basic negative things people often rapped about in the streets. They wanted to give more truth and flip the stereotype, and give a more positive side to the sneaker culture and prove Dr. Deas and any other oppositions wrong. In line 4 and 5, RUN DMC mention how they're sneaker heads but do positive things for the community. "I stepped on stage, at Live Aid, all the people gave, and the poor got paid, and out of speakers i did speak, i wore my sneakers but i'm not a sneak". And in lines 46 & 47, RUN DMC dedicates a line directly addressing Dr. Deas song saying "My Adidas only bring good news, and they are not used as "felon shoes".
He wanted to tell the world in a rhyme that whether you knew it or not, if a young black man wanted to grow up, enter mainstream society, be productive, become a solid citezen, you better give up being a sneaker head, because people who have money in this world, the people who could potentially give you a job in this world, would reject you, because of your "felon sneakers". In line 13 and 14 of his song, Dr. Deas says "you rob, you rape, you shoot and kill, your wearing those sneakers but you lost your will". Putting a negative image on sneaker heads which was not true about every sneaker head. In line 15 and 16, he says "if an unlucky brother winds up in jail, his felon sneakers can't get him bail". Basically saying if you wear these sneakers, they're not going to get you anywhere but in a negative place.
RUN DMC, a rap group that came out in 1983, responded to this song saying "Don't stereotype the b-boy. Just because we rock our adidas with no laces in them, and hat to the side, doesn't make us negative individuals". They decided as well to take their views of the sneaker culture lyrically, poem for poem. So reacting to this laughable "anti-sneaker" campaign, RUN DMC came out with their own lines of poetic justice with the song "My Adidas". Another inspiration of the song was the fact that sneakers was something they cared about so much.
They didn't want to talk about basic negative things people often rapped about in the streets. They wanted to give more truth and flip the stereotype, and give a more positive side to the sneaker culture and prove Dr. Deas and any other oppositions wrong. In line 4 and 5, RUN DMC mention how they're sneaker heads but do positive things for the community. "I stepped on stage, at Live Aid, all the people gave, and the poor got paid, and out of speakers i did speak, i wore my sneakers but i'm not a sneak". And in lines 46 & 47, RUN DMC dedicates a line directly addressing Dr. Deas song saying "My Adidas only bring good news, and they are not used as "felon shoes".