Shoe Christening-heard of it?

simu

This is when somebody else sees you're wearing new shoes, spits on them and rubs the spit in with their foot and says "I christened them". It's never happened to me and just as well because I'd freak out but wondering if anyone here has ever heard of or experienced the practice!

tSubh Dearg

I've never heard anything like that. If someone did it to my shoes, especially the new turquoise suede ones, there would be hell to pay! (Or at least a new pair of shoes to pay for)

Doomspell

Nope, never heard of it!

skywalker

"Christening new shoes" back when I was in school just meant someone stepping on them, and hopefully leaving a mark. Ive never encountered it in adult life, mainly because people, like, grew up.

youcancallmeal

skywalker wrote:

"Christening new shoes" back when I was in school just meant someone stepping on them, and hopefully leaving a mark. Ive never encountered it in adult life, mainly because people, like, grew up.

I concur with this but op where did you get spit from?

Pigman II

If someone tried christening my shoes the next christening they'd be attending would be the one for their face (curtosy of my heel).

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

lay off the mushrooms simu

Karl Hungus

I remember back in the days of schooling (Oh the horror!) Christening someone's shoes would entail as many kids as possible stamping on the feet of a kid with new shoes, usually when he was held by two other kids. Can't have him trying to fight back, eh?

Anyway, as far as stories go, this kind of thing dates back to poorer times, and some kids would have shoes passed down from older brothers or cousins, so essentially any youngster with new shoes would be a rich bastard, thus the other kids would ruin the shiny new shoes out of spite or jealousy.

Caliden

Pigman II wrote:

If someone tried christening my shoes the next christening they'd be attending would be the one for their face (curtosy of my heel).

Haha!
wait...what??!

Rb

I remember the practise from primary school, haven't seen it since though. Someone tried to "christen" my shoes in 6th class and he got a swift kick in the balls, that was the first and last time it happened me.

monkeyfudge

I didn't encounter the shoe stamping thing until I went to college. There was a big dumb f*ck who still thought it was still cool to be a bully who decided to stamp on my foot... I hadn't a clue what he was doing and I think he expected other people to join in.

Last I heard he dropped out of college and joined the Garda. Draw your own conclusions on that....

Sparky

skywalker wrote:

"Christening new shoes" back when I was in school just meant someone stepping on them, and hopefully leaving a mark. Ive never encountered it in adult life, mainly because people, like, grew up.

Yup, thats the one. I never heard somone spit on them.

Ruu_Old

skywalker wrote:

"Christening new shoes" back when I was in school just meant someone stepping on them, and hopefully leaving a mark. Ive never encountered it in adult life, mainly because people, like, grew up.

Yeah same here, big dirty mark. Never heard the spitting one.

stovelid

we used to do it in school but thankfully nobody has done it to me since then

simu wrote:

This is when somebody else sees you're wearing new shoes, spits on them and rubs the spit in with their foot and says "I christened them". It's never happened to me and just as well because I'd freak out but wondering if anyone here has ever heard of or experienced the practice!

Creamy Goodness

i always thought that christianing a pair of shoes meant that you stood in ****e in them. ohh well.

steveland?

Cremo wrote:

i always thought that christianing a pair of shoes meant that you stood in ****e in them. ohh well.

Or when you got new white runners someone always told you to go play a game of football to get rid of the shine...

Bluefoam

I remember a guy in school christened my brand new bubble toe docs & really destroyed them. The next time I was wearing a spanking new pair, they were steel toe which, he got a shock when he felt them swiftly in his groin. Didn't do it again...

Cake Fiend

Bluefoam wrote:

I remember a guy in school christened my brand new bubble toe docs & really destroyed them. The next time I was wearing a spanking new pair, they were steel toe which

Mine is a similar story, except the dumbass hurt his own foot on the steel toe!

Tar.Aldarion

Yep simu, that was done in school, along with what karl mentions.

What do people make of Elvis Costello?

simu

maybe I imagined the spit... damn mushies

elvis costello? what connection?

Bard

simu wrote:

maybe I imagined the spit... damn mushies

Then we must be on the same brand of mushrooms (Aldi?) as I clearly remember the shoe-christening practise from secondary school myself - and it DID include spitting... mind you there were a lot of ignorant scumbags in the secondary school I went to in Dublin so... eh... that might explain that...

I presume you're talking about school anyway... any "adult" who still "practises" this "ancient custom" deserves a right royal feckin' kicking around...

Tar.Aldarion

simu wrote:

maybe I imagined the spit... damn mushies

elvis costello? what connection?

No, no, the spit was right.

I was just listening to Elvis Costello tbh.
I'm sure there is some connection.

monkeyfudge

Yes. We all remember Elvis Costello's hit about spitting and stamping on shoes.

parasite

When I was growing up, people would shout "first dirt!", then stamp on your feet. Don't know about the spitting ... :?

monkeyfudge

I demand that the ritual is evolved to a point that involves jizzing somehow!

Yeah, we had it in our school/village too. Though spitting was never involved. Just a few people'd stamp on your shoes. If anyone tried doing it to me now I'd just headbutt them.

simu

monkeyfudge wrote:

Yes. We all remember Elvis Costello's hit about spitting and stamping on shoes.

blue suede shoes... spitting ... it all makes sense now

Well, from a theological pov, the spitting would symbolise baptism by immersion in water so it works, I guess. Looks like my local bullies had a more sophisticated knowledge of theology tbh.