Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/03/13/purple-imelda.html
…
“Life is just a party and parties aren’t meant to last.”
If you are as rich as Prince, you might as well have nice shoes.
9 Likes
Funny to think that someone as admired as Prince would still be self-conscious about his height.
5 Likes
If I were in that line of work I’d kill to get Christopher Walken on my client list just for the fun of getting to use that pun all the time.
19 Likes
by “wooden lasts,” is that supposed to be “wooden CASTS”? i’m not well-versed in shoemaking, so maybe “lasts” is an industry term, but man, “casts” makes so much more sense in this context to me.
1 Like
Industry term. It’s not a “cast” because it’s not literally made from a mold taken from Prince’s foot, it’s more like a dressmaker’s mannequin.
21 Likes
Cordwainer
1 Like
That’s a lot of fucking shoes. So when they auction them off you might be able to afford one with there being so many. What size were his feet? It would be cool to try them on.
ETA:
Prince was around a women’s size 5 1/2 or a 6.
Woah, nvm, there goes that fantasy…
Also, how the hell is there an article about fancy shoes and no pics of fancy shoes?
Also, interesting the one photo they showed, it looks like those old school high heeled shoes from back when they were invented.
6 Likes
So, Elton John’s eyeglasses?
1 Like
Height is a huge deal in society. When you’re not on the higher end of the scale you tend to notice it. (Studies have shown taller men tend to be better paid than shorter men, at least in the corporate world).
What’s impressive about Prince is that he overcame his lack of height well – no Napoleon complex/petty tyrant Prince. A perfectionist, yes, but he was self-made and used his talents well.
And at 5’3 he was apparently an amazing basketball player.
9 Likes
As related in an anecdotal story once re-enacted by Chapelle.
10 Likes
Yes, I was definitely thinking about that, but I also read an interview with his high school coach. Prince was supposedly really good, with professional-level potential. From what I understand 5’8 tends to be the lowest end the NBA tends to accept – not sure if 5’3 would ever be considered.
4 Likes
The shorter fellers certainly aren’t common; but Muggsy Bogues (5’-3") had a 14 year NBA career.
5 Likes
Wow. Had no idea.
1 Like
and today i learned what a “last” is in shoemaking. awesome! thanks, @Brainspore!
4 Likes
Shoe-maker?
The elite have cordwainers my friend.
5 Likes
…unless, of course, it’s a shoemaker’s last.
/badum-tss
7 Likes
?
5 Likes
While reading about Prince’s shoes it is hard not to think that hip pain, caused by his shoes, and his religious beliefs about not having surgery, are thought to have contributed to his addiction, and ultimately, his death.
9 Likes
