the shark's out of the bag

Some of you may be familiar with the story of the MIT grad student who tried to order custom Nikes off their website with "Sweat Shop" written on them and had his request refused. If you're not, you should check out the pretty amazing email exchange that ended up getting the would-be shoe buyer on the Today show:

Dear NIKE iD,

Thank you for your quick response to my inquiry about my custom ZOOM XC USA running shoes. Although I commend you for your prompt customer service, I disagree with the claim that my personal iD was inappropriate slang. After consulting Webster's Dictionary, I discovered that "sweatshop" is in fact part of standard English, and not slang. The word means: "a shop or factory in which workers are employed for long hours at low wages and under unhealthy conditions" and its origin dates from 1892. So my personal iD does meet the criteria detailed in your first email.

Your web site advertises that the NIKE iD program is "about freedom to choose and freedom to express who you are." I share Nike's love of freedom and personal expression. The site also says that "If you want it done right...build it yourself." I was thrilled to be able to build my own shoes, and my personal iD was offered as a small token of appreciation for the sweatshop workers poised to help me realize my vision. I hope that you will value my freedom of expression and reconsider your decision to reject my order.

Thank you,
Jonah Peretti

Now, lots of you might read that and be all like, "Oh Nike, you got served!" Not me. I read that and think, "Oooh, custom shoes." It's because I have no soul.

Well, the wait has been nearly impossible. I ordered my shoes in late March and they only arrived yesterday. According to UPS tracking data, the shipment originated in Thailand, but there was a major delay in Tao-Yuan, Taiwan when "THE AIRLINE OFF-LOADED PACKAGES." That's never the kind of thing you want to hear. It was cryptic messages like that which led me to believe that I'd never see my shoes. But then, like the first ray of sunshine after months of rainy barefoot darkness, they appeared.

They come in a bag like fancy shoes.

Oh, do you like those colors? Because I PICKED THEM!

MOTHERFUCKIN' SHARK SHOES!!!1!!!!!1!!!