Mexican Fads Part I: What Were They Thinking?

You wouldn't believe it yourself if you didn't do the research.  I thought it was truly made up.  My student, lets call him Samuel, told me about this new trend going on in Mexico right now.  After some research, it looks like its big in the Ciudad de Mexico and Monterrey especially, but has creeped up into Texas as of late.  I am guessing by now, you have looked at the picture before you read this, so go a head and take another moment to take it all in...



The name of this disturbing footwear is Botas Picudas...When I first saw these pictures, I would have bet my firstborn child that it was some sort of Saturday Night Live sketch or internet hoax.  But no.  When I did process this and accept it as a reality, my first coherent thought was: Well, now I know what happens when a Cholo fornicates with a Leprechaun.  Well it gets worse.  Evidently it becomes a mark of manhood, the longer you can make the boot tips. check out these pics:

Disturbed yet?  You should be.  The day Samuel told me about these things, I had to show the spouse immediately upon my return home from work.  My wife, often the voice of reason in the relationship so eloquently put it like this, "WHAT THE HELL?"  Very astutely, she posed the question, how could a culture so hell-bent on Machismo have such a ridiculous trend?  I second that.  I can accept the the sprarkley- tinseled details sewn into traditional Mariachi-wear...even the clearly feminine-sounding gritas done in Norteno music, but seriously?  The pointy boots are a sign of manhood? Over compensation for phallic inadequacies may be the more appropriate diagnosis. Why can't my people just get a giant truck or red-convertible sports car like every other culture?

It looks like this bastardized paisa-elf trend comes from a type of "tribal" music in which the dancers had long pointy boots.  As it became more and more popularized, it became a more and more common to see who could have the longest boots.  Clearly in this case, the winner is the clear loser.  Back to the music part...I was almost as equally shocked that the music this trend coincides with is more of a techno-house meets raggaeton style.  I would have guessed more Duranguense personally.  Here is an example:

I, to be honest dig the music.  It's no Wisin y Yandel or Aventura, but it's catchy.  I am just praying that for the sake of my people, this trend doesn't make its way across the desk of Bill O'Reilly or someone of the like.  My people have enough trouble staying off the conservative's radar, all this does is give more fuel for the argument of how Latinos are corrupting good ol' American society.  And if for some reason, in a couple of months, this catches on in America, and I am driving through Edina, Minnesota and see suburban white teenagers walking around with ridiculously pointy shoes, I may have to find a church because its for sure a sign of the Apocalypse. 

Anyway.  That's all I got.  You let me know what you think.  Share this trend with your friends.  At the very least, its worth it to see the expression on people's faces as they see the pictures.  Oh and if you are interested in actually learning more on this trend, here is a documentary recently posted.  Its a bit long, but it will give you, in the words of Paul Harvey, the rest of the story...