Nike No More

[adamm411]

I didn't know Nike manufactured Chucks and now I'm feeling slightly miffed. As you already know, Nike pays its workers 50 cents an hour, and refuses to recognize efforts to improve working conditions in its factories. Nike is also the manufacturer of the beloved Chuck Taylors. However, you can now buy the classic Chuck Taylor look and style from companies that treat their workers right: nosweatapparel.com http://www.adbusters.org/home/ Or go straight to the shoes: https://secure.adbusters.org/orders/shoes/ Notes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Taylor_All-Stars http://www.saigon.com/~nike/ http://www.villagevoice.com/news/010...t,22274,3.html

 

[Max]

Dude? Seriously? Blackspot causes me massive cognitive dissonance. Adbusters tells us not to conspicuously consume, then whips out a shoe that you can wear to show everyone you're all lefty socially conscious and ****.

Every company that manufactures in southeast asia pays **** wages. Ever hear about ipod city?

 

[Max]

And the high tops are ******* hideous.

 

[adamm411]

Here's a breakdown of wages and benefits for NoSweat's workers:

http://www.nosweatapparel.com/faqs/s...-Benefits.html

It includes an allowance for meals, transportation, maternity allowance, holiday bonus, 100% health care for the employee, 80% health care coverage for the worker's family members, a pension, uniforms and shoes in gratis, accident insurance, among other benefits.

On the fashion tip, personally, I like NoSweat's interpretation of the classic black Chuck Taylor, and am starting to warm to their chocolate browns

The blackspot low top sneaker is all right, although their price is a bit higher.


Adamm

 

[drizzt3117]

Hmm, $50 or $20? <scratches head>

 

[adamm411]

In our society, we are more or less required to wear shoes. Why not wear shoes made by workers who are treated like human beings? Comprende? Blackspot is offering an alternative, not "whipping out a shoe." I'm not sure what you mean by "all lefty socially conscious and ****." Many, perhaps all of us, wear particular styles and labels to identify with a particular group, movement or lifestyle. I don't see a problem with affiliating with a group or company that advocates treating employees like human beings. The swoosh to me, stands for a company that allows for sexual abuse, militant opposition to unionization, the hiring of 10 year old girls, 20 hour long workshifts, in order to benefit....Lebron James? You take a stand everytime you put a shirt, shoes and jacket on. Just make sure your decision is an informed one. Adamm

Originally Posted by Max

Dude? Seriously? Blackspot causes me massive cognitive dissonance. Adbusters tells us not to conspicuously consume, then whips out a shoe that you can wear to show everyone you're all lefty socially conscious and ****. Every company that manufactures in southeast asia pays **** wages. Ever hear about ipod city?

 

[drizzt3117]

Originally Posted by adamm411

In our society, we are more or less required to wear shoes. Why not wear shoes made by workers who are treated like human beings? Comprende? Blackspot is offering an alternative, not "whipping out a shoe."

I'm not sure what you mean by "all lefty socially conscious and ****." Many, perhaps all of us, wear particular styles and labels to identify with a particular group, movement or lifestyle. I don't see a problem with affiliating with a group or company that advocates treating employees like human beings.

The swoosh to me, stands for a company that allows for sexual abuse, militant opposition to unionization, the hiring of 10 year old girls, 20 hour long workshifts, in order to benefit....Lebron James?
Adamm

Wanna know who benefits?

This is rehashing an old argument, but I won't pursue it further because it's been talked about ad nauseum on this forum. If you're really interested, do a search for sweatshop.

 

[cheapmutha]

if nike didnt give these people jobs, then who would? are nikes wages lower than the average wage in the countries? are the working conditions worse? are the people working for nike not lining up to work there?

socialy concious is a good idea, but i feel it is a skewed view of the situation. you cant expect people living in a 3rd world country to make american wages, and you also have to realize that cost of living is nowhere near what it is here.

plus, they can always jack **** from the factory and resell on ebay.

 

[knucks]

but i like my dunks

 

[Sleeping Dragon]

There are almost 100 million people currently looking for a job in China. Damn right they'll work for 100 dollars a month (there is no one in China that will work for 50 cents a day, maybe in Vietnam). Also, at any given time 1/4-1/2 the shoes in the world are made by a single Taiwanese company (who's factories are now in China). They employ nearly a million people. You can't escape it...

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

it's a pickle, all right.

 

[Matt]

Originally Posted by cheapmutha

if nike didnt give these people jobs, then who would? are nikes wages lower than the average wage in the countries? are the working conditions worse? are the people working for nike not lining up to work there?

socialy concious is a good idea, but i feel it is a skewed view of the situation. you cant expect people living in a 3rd world country to make american wages, and you also have to realize that cost of living is nowhere near what it is here.

plus, they can always jack **** from the factory and resell on ebay.
yup, he got it.

Living where I do definitely changes your perception of the issue.

 

[Bona Drag]

I love how these threads always tend to center around this false dichotomy between slave-driving sweatshops and "wulp, at least they got jobs". Look, while it is probably not realistic to expect Western-model working conditions and rights for the people who make our shoes, to pretend that they must suffer 'cause that's what the Invisible Hand decreed is absurd. A Nike or an Adidas could do a lot of good by demanding just a little bit more of their subcontractors, instead of this bullsh** "who, us?" pose that they pull. I'm not suggesting they need to make their workers rich, but they could very easily make their factories a little less miserable without throwing the global economy into chaos. Also, as I climb down from my soapbox, there's this: http://www.educatingforjustice.org/n...l#Anchor-35882 I actually avoided Nike for about a decade, until I saw this; makes sense. I say good for you for buying No Sweat Chucks (although I tore their lame logos off mine), but I also say you can buy Chucks or Dunks in good conscience provided you take some of the steps EFJ suggests (i.e., sign petitions and write a couple letters). That way you can pressure Nike as a consumer of their product, as opposed to just some annoying hippie on the street corner (not that there's anything wrong with that). But I have another question about Dunks, and Chucks, which I'll take up in a new thread...

 

[Rye GB]

I can't represent on behalf of Nike but the factories I've visited in China are as good as, if not better than many sweatshops here in Downtown Los Angeles. There's some seriously bad **** going on in our own back yards.!.

 

[Max]

Just to clarify, I don't even own a pair of nikes. My beef is with the adbusters folk preaching anti-consumerism on one hand and selling anti-consumerism on the other, if that makes any sense.