LOUIS BURKE | Culture | CONTACT
As teachers continue to strike for improved working conditions and a salary that matches inflation, PE teachers have come out and said why they need that extra bit more.
Often regarded as the best career path for failed athletes and police officers alike, the Australian PE Teachers Union has called out Generation Z for pricing their PE teachers out of their traditional footwear.
For years, shoes made by brands such as Salomon, Fila and New Balance were known by PE teachers as ‘sand shoes’ and were a way of saying ‘I only watch Australian sports’.
Likewise, when Crocs first hit the Australian market they were worn only by daggy people who felt the need to advertise the fact they were celebate.
These days however, being celebate is cool and so is dressing intentionally daggy which is why many brands of ‘sand shoes’ have become ‘sneakers’ and gradually adopted a premium price point.
And just like he was whenever a student would forget their uniform, Betoota High PE teacher Graham Grubbly (62) is so irate you’d think someone had rooted his wife.
“I swear, these things used to be nine dollars for a pack of 12,” stated Grubbly, owner of the town’s sheerest tan lines.
“Now I gotta get on the phone with my accountant every time I run a pair through to the ball of my feet.”
“And they used to make them to fucken’ last too.”
