Wale – The White Shoes Lyrics

I had a lady once stop me on the street.
I was wearing white shoes.
And she says, “I’m glad you’re sticking with the white shoes.”
She says, “It makes me feel good.”¹

Take this good advice
If they’re gonna judge you for life
Say we can’t always be fly²
We gon’ be good long as them sneakers white³
You’ll be alright
Said you’ll be alright⁴
Said you’ll be alright
Said you’ll be alright

Gucci iced out, whole hood had ’em⁵
Ice cream ‘fore the hypebeasts that’s into fashion⁶
Being forreal, yo try being Pharrell
When your black ass in a back class,⁷ the fronting was real
No Lauren London, we was on a budget⁸
You know, sharin’ Old Navy so the army could be fresh in public⁹
Where the sneaker stores and laundromats get all the money
Cause it ain’t ’bout what you’re doin’, ’bout how you’re lookin’¹⁰
When they love you for your status and your catalog¹¹
And everybody got a jersey to play along¹²
Back then the hoes checkin’ for your zapatos¹³
So even dirty niggas had the foams

Take this good advice
If they’re gonna judge you for life
Say we can’t always be fly
We gon’ be good long as them sneakers white
You’ll be alright
Said you’ll be alright
Said you’ll be alright
Said you’ll be alright

Biotech trainers on the way to work
And we would quietly complain while Eric would lurk¹⁴
That was the PG Plaza manager, managin’ us¹⁵
Yeah I’m standin’ in Lucky 7s but slingin’ them Lugz¹⁶
Still have them Js for the low, low, and I could get ’em early
But I’m not without a conscience, I see people out there hurtin’¹⁷
Got ’em for Penny Foams that was bought at this very store
And I think that was my shift, then again I’m not very sure
And that’s a lot that can get to ya¹⁸
When you’re not sellin’ drugs but the outcome is similar
Cause out come them niggas with pistols, tellin’ you give ’em up¹⁹
Now out come the moms with tissues cause you ain’t give a fuck²⁰
Free lunch²¹ for everyone, income was very uh²²
On the second and 16th everyone would have every one
And Reebok would carry pump, and that’s not the scary part
These niggas love white shoes so much they’d be buried in them²³

You’ll be alright
You’ll be alright
You’ll be alright
You’ll be alright

Take this good advice
If they’re gonna judge you for life
Say we can’t always be fly
We gon’ be good long as them sneakers white
You’ll be alright
Said you’ll be alright
Said you’ll be alright
Said you’ll be alright

No matter how good or lavish us niggas got it
We just a bunch of ravenous addicts living for fancy haberdashery²⁴