en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 22 May 2013 15:13:55 GMT 15 By Harrison Bard
Vibrant colors, Sponge Bob, hearts, rainbow swirls. These could be in a pediatrician’s office, but they are all actually found in our own school halls. Why are students wearing Spider Man backpacks, which are really targeted toward young children? “Spiderman is the most ballingest homeboy ever!” sophomores Kirk Welds and Brandon Eldermire, who wear their Spiderman backpacks everywhere, said. The cartoon character backpacks are available at Wal-Mart and Target for as little as $10. The more popular characters are Dora the Explorer, Sponge Bob, Superman, Spiderman, and Strawberry Short Cake. However, cartoon characters aren’t the only ones who are bringing color onto students. LeSportsac and other colorful bags, such as JanSport, are big on campus. The LeSportsac brand features large bags, which are carried over the shoulder and backpacks which are covered with a vibrant smorgasbord of pictures. There is a LeSportsac store in the Aventura Mall which sells the backpacks at around $80 and the tote bags at around $90. However, if you find $90 too expensive, Marshalls often has LeSportsac for much less. Energetic JanSport backpacks are available at most sporting good stores, such as Sports Authority, for around $50. In addition to lively backpacks, lavishly decorated Converse and Nike shoes are also becoming popular. Designers are releasing classic retro colors and new, wilder styles, and they are selling extremely fast. Local stores which sell these shoes are Journeys, Hot Topic, Champs, and Foot Locker. Converse shoes retail for around $55 and you can even design your own custom shoes for just $60. Nike shoes, which are not as obtainable in stores as Converse, are all priced at around $100-$200. Due to the exceptionally high price for these sneakers, students save up for a long time to buy them, and protect them from the marks made by other students shoes. “I clean them right away,” junior Philippo Groebe said. “I don’t let anyone dirty my shoes.” “No matter how old we are,” junior Shelli Lockwood said, “we all grew up with colorful cartoon characters, and wearing colorful back packs and shoes is just one way to stay young at heart.” ]]> Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:14:00 GMT