When I was a kid, a pair of ‘sneakers’, as they were called, cost about $30 (even cheaper if you got ’em on sale). And for many of us, we had to wear them until they were literally falling apart! Flashforward to today: the biggest names in basketball have multi million dollar shoe endorsement deals, so today’s ‘sneakers’ cost anywhere from $300 to over $6,000!! Actor Ben Affleck’s teenage son wanted a pair of the high end, Dior Air Jordan 1 shoes, which start at $6,400!! Like most parents, Affleck told his teenage son to earn the money himself by mowing lawns, but his boy backed down. Affleck’s response went viral…
I applaud Ben for not caving and buying the ridiculously expensive shoes for his son. And I’ll be the first to admit, I have splurged many times for my son when he’s asking for a box of basketball collect cards or toy. He’s 8 years old though, and as my son gets older, I want him to also understand the value of a dollar. Even now, I tell him to save his money for things he wants. My boy gladly does chores to save up for an autographed Larry Bird basketball card. It’s a tough lesson to teach when they’re staring at you with those puppy dog eyes, but it’s for their own good.
Years ago, Shaquille O’Neal had a very lucrative shoe deal that caused the same outcome: expensive shoes that the average kid and family could not afford. Shaq was confronted by a mother on the street one day and she ripped him a new one for the insane price of the shoes he was endorsing. So, he did the right thing, watch: (WARNING: foul language)
