White shoes? - Foxes (1980) Discussion

[–] gargantuaboy 16 years ago

I watched this today and I have seen this many times and I have never really understood the big deal about "white shoes." I thought maybe it means Sally Kellerman's boyfriend had bad taste in shoes? But then, Sally Kellerman's response is just way too pissed for that to be the meaning. Maybe it means he's a pimp? I don't know. I think it probably just means the guy has bad taste in shoes.

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[–] Connie_n_Raymond_Marble 16 years ago

Have you ever seen white dress shoes? They are something only a sweaty used car salesman or a pimp would wear.

We'll see whose the filthiest person alive! We'll just see!

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[–] noveltylibrary 15 years ago

The only person at the time who could get away with white shoes was Steve Martin!

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[–] creaturefeeture 15 years ago

haha, so true!

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[–] quigley_brown-1 15 years ago

I think they were referring to the 1970s nearly-plastic square-toed white shoes, not the classic white bucks that Pat Boone wore (and I still wear).

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[–] josella14-1 16 years ago

I've wondered this too, so I looked it up on the Urban Dictionary site http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=White%20Shoes but it still doesn't seem to explain Sally Kellerman's extreme reaction.

People aren't chocolates. [They're] bastards. Bastard-coated bastards with bastard filling. -Dr Cox

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[–] purplewitch 16 years ago

I always wondered what was the big deal with white shoes. I never figured it out. Jeanie's mother reaction makes me think it should be sort of an insult or s. th like that , still I'd like to know more about it.

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[–] magnoliafreak 16 years ago

Remember Cousin Eddie's shoes and Clark's reaction to them in National Lampoons Vacation? Need we say more? I was born in 1980 so I can't say I know from experience, but it makes sense.

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[–] noveltylibrary 15 years ago

Well, Pat Boone was known for his white shoes and I think his squareness was a big part of what's wrong with wearing them.

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[–] mafiachika 16 years ago

back then white shoes between labor day and easter was terribly TACKYY!!!!!!! but now no one cares about that.

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[–] INTJewel 15 years ago

OK, white shoes on men was considered not only tacky and cheap, but also that the dude was either a wannebe womanizer, a complete loser, or gay. Or a car salesman. Someone mentioned Cousin Eddie from the Vacation movies earlier, a perfect example.

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] moonspinner55 15 years ago

white shoes on men = pimp

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] joewhiteyipee 9 years ago

I think the "white shoes" comment was just a snarky way of insulting her mother's boyfriend. It characterized him in a few ways---having bad taste (White shoes were in style merely 2 years prior---Saturday Night Fever---but the climate had changed dramatically in 1980), being used car salesman-like, and most likely a suspected womanizer. Her mother overreacted because she was already very anxious over growing older. Probably in her day, she was really hot and had a great selection of men; now the pickings were much slimmer and she was upset over having to "settle."

She also seemed much more observant of the latest trends than other women her age. Again, as someone else said, hitting 40 was a HUGE thing especially for some women back then, and she sadly felt competitive with her daughter.

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