I think I'm starting to return to the point where I hate everything and I have a pair of "gaming footwear" to thank for that rapid decline. Nike makes gaming jerseys for esports teams? Sure, that's fine. There's nothing inherently wrong with that. Other sporting companies, like Adidas with Ninja, sponsor some professional video game players? I mean, that's still not completely terrible but it's starting down that path.
And then we have PUMA here with some $110 (USD) "Active Gaming Footwear" that they just released. They aren't even technically "shoes" either. They're kind of like slip-on shoes if you want to stretch it. Slippers, maybe. At best they're like water shoes. You know, those roughly $9 "shoes" you can wear at the beach to avoid stepping on rocks or hot sand? Or maybe you wear them around the pool to provide a bit of grip on slick surfaces? Yeah, those things. This $110 Active Gaming Footwear looks like a pair of water shoes you could buy for $9.
If nothing else, they're more akin to padded socks as they were "designed for indoor and in-arena use." "Surely this must be a joke," I can already hear you saying. No, it's real. It's real and it's stupid and it gets worse.
There are three different "modes" that you can activate in these glorified socks. Socks with modes! Socks with modes for gamers! LET THIS ALL SINK IN!
You have a mediatel wrap-up grip in Seek mode, a lateral wrap-up support in Attack mode, and a heel wrap-up stability in Cruise and Defense mode. These modes allow gamers to "adapt to different active gaming modes and game their best." They don't even attempt to explain how these modes actually work. They don't even try to explain how you switch modes on these socks.
I can't. I just can't handle this actual bullshit. At least the sales of these things are being contained to the U.K. and Australia. I'm guessing PUMA is testing the waters in these locations first to see how gullible people are before looking at other markets.
EVERYONE'S A WINNER HERE!