[pdkl95]

> I don't see why "poor urban blacks" buying $200 sneakers is a "desperate wealth-singalling purchase".

Far too often sending the right kind of signal is a required prerequisite[1] to e.g. being granted access to a job that might eventually become a better-than-minimum-wage career. Often wealth isn't the intended signal; it's a presentation of having accepted and converted to a group's culture or beliefs.

[1] https://tressiemc.com/uncategorized/the-logic-of-stupid-poor...