Serious sneakersheads and label wh*res should probably skip this post: here we have the totally fake Bathing Ape kicks that I was very excited to buy at a colourful little Chinatown shop called Meteor. I love them; I have no idea how much they actually resemble authentic BAPEs. The tongue tag and back logo are pretty good replicas, but they don't say "APE" on the sole. Real BAPEs also seem to be much shinier, generally. I only investigated all of this post-purchasing them for $45, no tax.

There's much to discuss about the politics of clothes but for now, let's stick to the whirlwind of branding and logos that is city life in 2006.When it comes to labels, my general rule tends to be that you get what you pay for, although I could argue the other side too, if I was on debate team. I have brands that I think look good on me and are of a quality I appreciate, and brands that I think aren't cut for my bod and/or aren't worth my money. I don't think I'm one to flaunt logos, but then again, my affection for that clear, shiny star is pretty strong.

What I knew of Bathing Ape pre-buying these shoes was that it is a culty Japanese brand that was sort of a cheeky spinoff of Nike Air Force Ones. The gear was always "limited edition," which is how it got so culty. After buying the shoes, I went online to see how fake they looked. What I found was a hotbed of controversy regarding fakes and knockoffs: is BAPE itself just a weak ripoff of Nike, getting what it deserves? Or are knockoff buyers cheapass posers that don't know cool til someone else feeds it to them? Am I part of the brand underground, or am I a wannabe? It's hard being me, especially because I also learned that BAPE is apparently already "over" with the coolest Japanese kids.

As I said, I think I'll get what I paid for, ie. I fully expect these shoes to self-destruct within a fairly short period of time. Thus far, no one has even noticed the brand of the shoes--I get a lot of kudos for the modtastic black and white checks, but I've yet to confront either amazement that I would spend $400 on sneakers (meaning they're good fakes) or disgust that I'd wear knockoffs (meaning they're bad ones). I just hope they don't get dirty too soon, they look so good with black leggings.

Meteor has a great array of shoes, including flats in all colours, plus handbags galore and cheap cheap cheap fake-or-real-my-bum-looks-hot jeans (including guys styles).

Meteor
Somewhere that I know, and you don't.