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Carlota

Retro Shoes Are Hot And For Good Reason 

Author carlota
A site for sore eyes for retro shoe lovers. The Classics are red hot right now, with shoe manufacturers bringing back their old school favorites.

I want to talk to you about my favorite subject. No, not fast cars. That was yesterday. Best mixers for tequila? No, but that’s a great idea. Maybe tomorrow. Today it’s all about retro shoes.  

Retro Shoes are Red Hot Right now. 

Retro Shoes are making a huge comeback. Brands like Adidas, Nike and Reebok all bring back some of the retro shoe styles that made them famous from the ’70s and ’80s. And who can blame them? I mean let’s be real. Some of the current styles are awful and awkward.  

For instance, have you seen the adidas Yeezy 450 Stone Flax? Quite possibly the ugliest shoe ever, and clearly I’m not alone in this feeling. This dude is so happy he was able to buy these “shoes” for 50% off? I’m just saying, you’d have to pay me just to take this pile-of-puke-on-a-sole out to the trash  

However, there are some sweet kicks available that don the retro shoe look. These shoes are hot, sexy and not tough on the wallet. 

Related: Vinyl Records Are Making A Huge Comeback

Nike has been loving the response to the release of the Nike Blazer Mid 77, according to the company’s website. This old-school shoe is just as sexy as it was in the ’70s. But I’d argue that it’s even sexier. Mainly, because the person wearing them most likely has good hair and isn’t wearing tight little shorts with a tank top with arm pit hair flying out. 

Guy in red shorts and white tank top.
PeskyMonkey via Getty Images
The retro comeback of many sneakers has created a new wave of fashion.

Vans is always a good go-to for the retro shoe look. Born in 1966, Vans took over the skate world and then just flat out took over the planet. And they’ve don all kinds of styles. But for me, the slip-on version is iconic. And it’s my go to. I have about five pairs. I love being able to just slide into a pair of my shoes and hit the half pipe. Kidding. It’s more like hitting Costco.  

When I want to get “dressed” up, TUK Shoes Creepers is for me. I grew up in Creepers. The punk-rock-goth-I’m-not-like-everyone-else style spoke to me. They were different, loud and raucous. Just like me. The fact that I can still get the “kicks for the misfits” makes me happy. They keep me young, therefore, I have a few pairs. The Red Creepers though. Fire. 

The new “retro” shoe is the Adidas Samba. And people love it. These shoes are flying off the shelf. And why not? They are good-looking shoes. I feel like If I bought a pair I could rock them in a Goodfellas prison scene, wearing the Adidas Track jacket, to go with the ensemble of course.  

Carlota is the music director and midday on-air personality for KXTE Las Vegas. She has been with the station since July of 2023. Carlota has been in the Las Vegas market since 1998, First with KXTE, 92.3 KOMP for 18 years, and now back with KXTE. She is known mostly for her on air work but also writes about Las Vegas happenings and where to find the best tequila in Sin City.

10 Best Rock Songs About Weed

Whether celebrating 4/20 or simply unwinding after a long day of work, finding the best rock songs about weed will surely add to your high. Fortunately, we’ve taken the guesswork out of creating the perfect high playlist with this song ranking.

We wanted to create a list as diverse as all of the marijuana strains available, and we’re pretty confident we met our goal. From very strange cautionary tales to basically declaring your love for the herb, here are the ten best rock songs about weed.

But First, Some Facts About Legalized Marijuana

Despite marijuana being federally illegal, a number of states have voted to fully legalize it in recent years. In fact, the Pew Research Center reported that 54% of Americans now live in a state that has fully legalized the drug for recreational use. When factoring in states that have legalized medicinal marijuana, that figure jumps to 74%.

Pew Research also reports that there are nearly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the United States. To the shock of probably no one, the state with the most dispensaries is California, with 3,659. Interestingly enough, Oklahoma has the most marijuana dispensaries per capita, with 36 dispensaries for ever 100,000 residents.

Where is Marijuana Legal in the United States?

Marijuana legalization has been on an ever-changing pace for a number of years now. Frankly, it’s difficult to keep straight where it’s fully legal, where it’s not and where there’s a bit of a gray area. However, we have done the research and have broken down all of the various levels of legalized marijuana for you.

The following states have fully legalized marijuana as of April 2024: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.

States that have legalized medical marijuana include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.

Some states have legalized medical marijuana and have decriminalized it. Those states include Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire and North Dakota.

Some states have only allowed for the sale of CBD oil with THC. Those states are Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. However, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bil 47 into law on March 31, 2023, which legalized medical cannabis beginning on January 1, 2025.

Finally, states where marijuana is fully illegal are Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina and Wyoming.

  • 10. Neil Diamond - ‘The Pot Smoker's Song’

    Neil Diamond has written some of the most popular songs in history, but “The Pot Smoker’s Song” is one of his deep cuts. The song is rather bizarre. It features a jaunty chorus and spoken word verses of people warning of the use of weed. It’s super dated today and is more funny than anything. It’s basically the song equivalent of that “Marijuana Kills” ad from Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

  • 9. Sublime - ‘Smoke Two Joints’

    Originally released by The Toyes in 1983, Sublime covered this tune for their album 40 Oz. To Freedom. The song’s essence is exemplified in this lyric:  “But then, one day, I met a man who came to me and said:/‘Hard work good and hard work fine, but first take care of head.’”

  • 8. Bob Dylan - ‘Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35’

    If you want to get technical, this Dylan classic isn’t really about weed. The man himself said in a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone the song has a Biblical meaning and is a reference to the Acts of the Apostles. However, Dylan is also no fool and likely knew he was having a bit of fun with the “Everybody must get stones” lyric in the chorus. Frankly, haven’t must of us, too?

  • 7. Jefferson Airplane - ‘Mexico’

    Grace Slick penned this song as a blistering take down of then-President Richard Nixon and Operation Intercept, which shut down the border between the United States and Mexico in order to deter Mexican-grown marijuana from entering the country. Tricky Dick is likely rolling in his grave at the thought of all the legal dispensaries operating in the country today.

  • 6. The Beatles - ‘Got to Get You Into My Life’

    Those lads from Liverpool were quite cheeky with this one. On the surface, it seems like just another silly love song written primarily by Paul McCartney, but it’s actually inspired by the first time Macca blazed up.

  • 5. Bob Marley & The Wailers - ‘Kaya’

    Truthfully, there could be a separate top ten list of just Bob Marley & The Wailers tunes about weed. We opted for “Kaya” on this list since “Kaya” is literally slang for pot, and the song is just vibes.

  • 4. Tom Petty - ‘You Don't Know How It Feels’

    Remember how the lyric “Let’s roll another joint” would often get terribly censored on the radio and MTV? It’s almost quaint now when you think about it, but a little controversy can yield major returns. As a result, “You Don’t Know How It Feels” remains a pensive stoner classic decades later.

  • 3. Peter Tosh - ‘Legalize It’

    The stigma of marijuana is practically nonexistent compared to 1976 when former Wailer Peter Tosh released his debut solo album Legalize It. Its title track makes a point to recognize people from all walks of life use weed. (“Doctors smoke it, nurses smoke it/Judges smoke it, even the lawyer do.”) The song also touts pot for its medicinal benefits. (“It’s good for the flu/Good for asthma/Good for tuberculosis/Even umbra composis.”) Tosh later said in a 1978 interview with NME, “Herb will become like cigarettes.” Honestly, he wasn’t wrong.

  • 2. Black Sabbath - ‘Sweet Leaf’

    A tender love song about ganja written by some kids from Birmingham, England set to a moody, doomy metal riff? Yep, that’s a pretty simple receipt for a stoner classic that holds up decades later. Tony Iommi’s coughing at the top of the track really sets the mood too, as does Bill Ward’s drum solo.

  • 1. Willie Nelson - ‘Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die’

    I’m sure some of you will take issue with Willie Nelson topping this list about the best rock songs about weed, but Willie transcends and has done so for decades. Get over it, please and thank you.

    Now that that brief rant is over, this song is featured on Willie’s 60th (!) studio album, 2012’s Heroes. Willie isn’t alone on this track; he’s joined on vocals by Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson…and Snoop Dogg! “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” was released, appropriately, on April 20, 2012. The song showed Willie’s outlaw nature was alive and well, as was his sense of humor. It’s the perfect ode to a plant that has clearly brought Willie much joy over the years. There’s a chance if you’re reading this right now, you can relate. 

    “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” is unapologetic about loving weed until the bitter end. When 4/20 rolls around every year, it truly is an iconic soundtrack whether you’re passing a joint or waiting for your edible to kick in.

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