Sigh....

You're missing the point entirely too. It's called <b>"uniform standardization"</b>. You know, the old dinosaurs who also say you can't wear collared shirts; wear shirts with different colored stripes other than white or black; don't use pink or other colored whistles; wear grey, orange, yellow, etc. pants....or track pants, jeans, etc.; wear white or red warm-up jackets; wear white, yellow, pink, green, mauve or argyle socks; wear ball caps, toques, ear-muffs,etc.; etc., etc., etc......

Hey, let's get the officials to <b>all</b> dress differently. Maybe nobody will know who to b!tch at anymore.

<i>"Hey you....yeah, you....in the bustier, the yellow wig and the George Bush mask....did you make that call?"</i>

Great idea, BITS.:rolleyes:

You forgot 'fishnets'.

That's right. If we allow some color on shoes today, we'll all be in pink shirts and purple pants tomorrow. And different shades of pink and purple too. Of course, thinking people realize the slippery slope fallacy, even when dressed in argyle socks and ball caps. :rolleyes:

Who decides what is "<b>some</b> color"? The dinosaurs that were making up the dress codes or the individual picking out the shoes? What stops someone from wearing the kinda shoes that Snake~eyes posted a picture of, as opposed to Texas Aggie's?

If it's the dinosaurs, aren't we right back to where we started?

Well, the referee uniform do change from time to time. When I first started refereeing, the uniform was gray top and gray pants. Then it changed to black trousers (thanks goodness for that, because it was so f#%$*@ hard to find gray trousers). Now in several European leagues, refs are wearing orange or dark red shirts.
So, when enough people push for a change, it often does happen, even if the "dinosauruses" are not prone to change.
http://www.referee.pl/obrazki/galerie2/6/6_33.jpg

I think that you're missing the same point.

In the picture you posted, what would you say if one of the officials still wore grey pants and a grey top?

There's nothing the matter with change, as long as it's a <b>UNIFORM</b> change. Changing a dress code to reflect newer or different tastes or trends is fine, but <b>all</b> officials should then adhere to that new, changed dress code. My point is that you should follow your local dress code until it <b>is</b> changed.

If Texas, as part of it's dress code, sez it's OK to wear black, red and grey shoes, hey, then that's fine for Texas. In my own experience though, most other associations or states that also issue their own dress codes do not allow multi-colored shoes.

LOL, I just figured it out. The real issue behind this isn't uniformity, it isn't absurdity, it's fear.

To be sure it's widespread, even institutionalized fear. But it's fear.

If somebody got to wear a new color of shoe, that may lead to even more change. But you're not comfortable with change. Change means uncertainty, and uncertainty breeds fear. Best to nip it in the bud.

If somebody else got to say how much color is too much color, they might not decide the way you'd decide. And you like having that kind of control. Loss of control means uncertainty, and uncertainty breeds fear. So from 1,000 miles away you -- perhaps subconsciously -- bare your fangs and start talking fines. Because you feel compelled to nip this in the bud.

It's not just you, of course. Many officials feel threatened by such a shoe. Most of us are authoritarian control freaks. If one of our own, especially a less influential member of our community, openly flaunts a "rule," we're just not happy with that. We like rules; we like enforcing them on others. It's who we are. And we wouldn't want to live in a world without such rules.

No, it's not just you. You're just the poster boy for fossilized resistence to change. :D

:confused: I'm not sure how we got to orange uniforms on this thread. I just thought I'd mention that Dick's had a good price on Air Monarchs.

Picked up these for $50 Cdn
 

Lah me......

Don't rip the argument; rip the arguer instead. I kinda expected a l'il more than that from you, especially since you don't know me at all.

I've been changing for close to 50 years, and change never stops for any official who really gives a damn. Why do you think that I come to this forum?

Change isn't a factor in this issue, and never was.

You still don't get it. :rolleyes:

At the risk of derailing the ongoing sniping session, I'd like to thank REFNREV for his original post. I went to my local Dick's and picked up a pair of the Air Monarchs Saturday and wore them for a middle school game last night. Very comfortable at a great price. Hopefully I can get a full season out of them.

A black "sharpie" pen works wonder for covering up undesirable colors on shoes.

"sharpie" pen
 

A black "sharpie" pen works wonder for covering up undesirable colors on shoes.

__________________________________________
I'll be starting my 3rd season in mine at the end of this month. They've held up great and feel as good as they did the first time I put them on!

My comment was not directed at you, in fact, I completely agree with the notion that all officials in a certain area/competition/federation should look the same.
My point was that the uniform does change from time to time, and if one objects to an all-black shoe, this needs to be raised as an issue with the local governing body and try affect a change that way. If my past observations are anything to go by, those who decided to just go out and buy the stuff hoping to get by unnoticed sometimes do get away with it (at lower levels of competition), but mostly and up buying another pair of (black) shoes. Which kinda defeats the point of buying them because they are cheap in the first place.:cool: