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Shoes are an important status symbol for the runners in the book, as the quality of one’s running shoes is typically tied to their social class. At the start of the book, Ghost wears high-top sneakers to track practice because they are the only footwear he owns. While there, he notices Lu wearing a pair of beautiful Nike running shoes and envies them. Not only can Lu run faster in the shoes, but they also show he is wealthier than Ghost. Ghost does not feel comfortable asking his mother for running shoes because he knows she will find the money, and he does not want to put that burden on her. As such, he decides to steal a pair of shoes from the local sporting goods store instead, so he can fit in with his teammates. Therefore, in Ghost’s case, his shoes do not only represent his class status. Rather, they showcase his desire to conform and possibly even stand out among his teammates.
Shoes Quotes in Ghost
The Ghost quotes below all refer to the symbol of Shoes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 5
Quotes
I wonder if doctors ever cut off somebody’s arm or leg and afterward realize that they made a huge mistake. Like, totally blew it. Because that’s definitely how I felt about low-topping my high-tops, but not until I got to school the next day.
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I was literally shaking with embarrassment, like my insides had turned into ice. Ice that was cracking.
I wanted to break the desk.
Or flip it over.
Scream. Something. Anything.
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At first, I wasn’t going to do it. I mean, when I went into the store, it was a thought, but only a thought. Not even like a real, real thought either, because I knew that I could just ask my mother to get them for me, and she would because she felt like this track thing was gonna keep me out of trouble. But when I saw how much they cost . . . I just couldn’t ask her for them.
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Chapter 6
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I just told him that my mother had gotten them for me as a way to encourage me to do the right thing and stay out of trouble. Just saying it turned my stomach, because here I was, a boy who was suspended for busting somebody in the face at school one day, and skipped half the day the next because I was laughed at. Then I swiped shoes!
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Chapter 9
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My tongue had suddenly turned into a stone in my mouth. I couldn’t breathe, like I had just finished running ladders, like I was going to yak up every sunflower I had ever eaten, and if there was a sunflower growing in me, it was definitely dying right then.
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Get the entire Ghost LitChart as a printable PDF.
Shoes Symbol Timeline in Ghost
The timeline below shows where the symbol Shoes appears in Ghost. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4
...comes untied, and he trips and falls hard. In the process of the fall, his shoes go flying off, and he badly skins his knees, eliciting an audible “Ohhhhhhhhh!” from his...
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...to his story. When Ghost arrives home, he takes a pair of scissors to his shoes in an attempt to make them more suitable for running track.
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Chapter 5
Ghost feels good about what he has done with his shoes because they feel much lighter. However, he knows his mother will be angry if she...
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...class. Shamika is laughing too hard to say anything, so she just points at Ghost’s shoes. Everyone else in the class sees the shoes, and they all burst out laughing as...
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...inside. The store clerk, Tia, shows Ghost to the track section, where he admires the shoes on display. However, one look at the price tag makes his eyes bulge, as he...
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Tia brings Ghost the pair of shoes he likes the most in a couple of different sizes, and he tries them on....
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...himself, Ghost walks slowly away from the store. He is not proud of stealing the shoes, but he could not ask his mother to put up that much money, and he...
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...in. He rolls up his pants and shows Mr. Charles what he did to his shoes and then explains what happened in history class. Mr. Charles empathizes with Ghost but tells...
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...the open because he fears the police will be looking for someone with stolen track shoes. Instead, he stays inside Mr. Charles’s store and eats sunflower seeds. After a few minutes,...
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...shipment, he keeps a close eye on his backpack, as he wants to ensure his shoes are okay. After unloading everything in the front, Mr. Charles asks Ghost to carry some...
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Chapter 6
...the practice field where he sees everyone else already warming up. He puts his new shoes on and then goes to stand with the team. Several of his new teammates notice...
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Then, Coach Brody drives Ghost home. On the way, he questions Ghost about his new shoes. Ghost lies and says his mother bought them for him as a way to motivate...
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Chapter 8
The only person left to say something is Ghost, who considers discussing the stolen shoes, but feels that would be a bad idea. After a moment of contemplation, Ghost tells...
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Chapter 9
...worries that one day they will run by the sports store where he stole the shoes and Tia will be there to recognize him. By far, Ghost’s favorite day of the...
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...“shoplifter” underneath. Coach Brody begins laying into Ghost, ordering him to take off the stolen shoes and sit down. Everyone else looks on with concern, which Ghost finds embarrassing but preferable...
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...Ghost begins begging Coach Brody not to say anything. The entire reason he stole the shoes in the first place is so he would not be a burden on his mother....
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...will not say anything to Ghost’s mother. Then, he asks Ghost why he stole the shoes. Ghost explains that he did not want to burden his mother. In response, Coach Brody...
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Ghost has a good week of practice, though his old shoes slow him down a bit. He dreams of running the 100-meter race but feels Lu...
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...the cab, Coach Brody drives him to the sporting goods store where he stole the shoes. Ghost goes inside with Coach Brody and apologizes to Tia. He does not make excuses...
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