I’m thinking of placing a bid on eBay for the only pair of L.A. Lights I could find. They’re size 5 – women’s. I don’t think I can fit in them.

They used to belong to a little girl, and according to the eBay description, ‘They are made from white leather with pink trim, and have cute little lights that flash when you walk.’

The monetary value is 5 British pounds, the equivalent of $9 American – plus the shipping fee from the United Kingdom, which I can only assume is expensive. But, they’re Velcro, so I figure the time I save tying my shoes evens out the extra cost.

L.A. Lights were so popular in the early ’90s, so what happened to the rest of them? There has to be more than one pair available.

The death of light-up shoes certainly wasn’t a slow and steady demise. It was a quick end – like the dinosaurs. But I know how it started. There was one kid who decided they weren’t cool anymore, so he traded the lights in for pumps. Then all of a sudden, POOF, light-ups were gone.

If I were in charge of making L.A. Lights, they would flash different colors, to reflect society’s growing fashion sense. Wear the green flashers with your Paul Pierce jersey. The blues would go perfectly with your newest Sean John jumpsuit. Wear the pinks when you’re feeling saucy.

We should bring back L.A. Lights because, with one small step, that red light is more of a status symbol than any expensive Rolex or Gucci wardrobe. I want a pair.

I have a feeling that they’ll make a comeback. Kind of like Pogs and slap bracelets, but with longer staying power. Long live L.A. Lights, popular culture needs a new fad. And soon enough, if it picks up, as I suspect it will, the Syracuse campus will turn into a breeding ground for plantar fashion, like a million lightning bugs on parade.

They’re coming back. That is, if I win the auction.

Published on September 27, 2004 at 12:00 pm