NIKE DECADE

In 1996, over the course of three days, 39 members of the UFO and doomsday cult Heaven’s Gate swallowed poison, put plastic bags over their heads and laid down on their bunks to die. Dressed entirely in black, with patches stating that they were members of ‘The Away Team’ (a Star Trek reference) their corpses were recovered a couple of days later. The cult believed that the millennium would bring the end of the world and decided to join the afterlife on their terms, perhaps in order to direct the Rapture from heaven. 

The cult all wore Nike Decade trainers, budget range black and white shoes that they bought in bulk from the local K-Mart. These trainers feature heavily in the crime scene photographs, sticking out from the purple cloths and tarpaulins pulled over their bodies, an unwelcome advertisement for the sports brand that had dominated the decade. Pissed off, Nike immediately withdrew the Decade from sale, in hindsight a missed opportunity. 

Just Do It clearly does not mean mass suicide, it’s much less meaningful than that.

All of which prompted me to think about what trainers I'd wear to kill myself. I eventually decided on a pair of Adidas All Blacks, a rather sleek shoe I wore a lot in the late eighties. They were discontinued some time ago, so I'm unlikely to commit suicide just yet. Which, actually, is fine by me.