Wendy Davis and Her Sneakers Are Basically Running Everything Now

By Erin Gloria Ryan | June 27, 2013 | 7:30pm

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Texas State Senator Wendy Davis who — admit it — could probably walk into the room right now and reduce you to a screaming tween ovulating for the first time at a Justin Bieber concert — has had quite a week. People are going nuts for her! She’s a meme! She’s a super hero! She’s on Anderson Cooper! She’s the inspiration for a hilarious series of Amazon reviews for the now-famous maybepink maybered Mizuno sneakers! Let’s take a quick tour of the Davismania-apalooza-stravaganza following in her magnificent wake.

Almost immediately after Davis completed her 12-hour filibuster of Texas’s abortion bill, pundits and politicos were all, she’s better than the Senate and she needs to run for GOVERNOR. Okay, that would be pee-inducingly exciting, but remember that Texas is the state that elected actual crazy person Ted Cruz to Senate and actual crazy person Rick Perry governor, so unless something dramatic happens with the state’s voting demographics, I’m not optimistic about US Senator or Governor Davis. Not saying it’s impossible, just that Texas would really have to get its shit together.

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What I am optimistic about, however, is the internet’s indefatigable ability to channel collective happiness into giddy hilarity. There was the short-lived Wikipedia page update that described her as “the LeBron James of filibustering” before the pesky fun police changed it back to reflect “facts.” (Ugh.) There were memes, memes, memes. The Twitter hashtag #standwithwendy took off on the night she spoke, and the next day, when Texas conservatives tried to make #sitdownwendy happen as a ham fisted “I Know You Are But What Am I?” counterpoint, the hashtag was hijacked by her cleverer supporters. Her filibuster even inspired one man to post on Austin Craigslist’s Missed Connections page-

you were speaking on the senate floor – m4w – 34 (the Capitol)

You were speaking on the Senate floor for over 11 hours the other day for women’s rights(which in turn are human rights-a cause I’m pretty fond of). It inspired me to come down there and support you. Don’t tell my current governor, but I want you to be my new governor. My friends all feel the same way.

So do I, m4w 34. And I’m not even Texan! Also, folks — Wendy Motherfucking Davis nail art. She’s gone full Gangnam Style. She’s gone Hillary Clinton.

Davis’s sneakers have taken even on a meme-y life of their own. Are they pink or red? Is it sexist to discuss Wendy Davis’s shoes? Most importantly, can I buy a pair for the marathon I’m training for? (Seriously, I spent probably three hours with a pair of them in my cart at the brand’s website yesterday debating whether it would be a little too much if I bought them because I want to be like Wendy Davis. I mean Christ I’m not 6 years old and she’s not Kristi Yamaguchi.) Mizuno even tweeted an admirably diplomatic message of support at the State Senator.

The best part, though? The fact that Wendy Davis supporters have hijacked the Amazon reviews of the Mizuno Wave Runners she wore with quips that would be at home on the side of sassy NOW tote bags. One raves,

The next time you have to spend 13 hours on your feet without food, water or bathroom breaks, this is the shoe for you. Guaranteed to outrun patriarchy on race day.

Another writes,

Excellent support for your arches and morale. Not the only footwear choice for defending and representing, but their power to distract (Pink? Red??) is amusing. You might welcome the distraction when you find yourself tediously explaining facts, or playing along with the student council or the neighborhood association’s rigged games.

But not every review of the shoes— “perfect for kicking Rick Perry’s ass” — is favorable. One man laments,

Even though…

1) I am a man and these are clearly women’s shoes
2) I have never gone through the experience of wearing them
3) These shoes are not designed for my feet; and
4) They are of a color I would never wear…

I feel somehow compelled to decide for the shoe’s female target market whether or not they should own them.

Another facetiously warned against the proliferation of pink-shod terrorism.

Davis has been making the media rounds as well. Here she is on Anderson Cooper 360:

GOD YOU GUYS ISN’T SHE JUST THE COOLEST? Anyway without getting too caught up in the hype, she’s like Gloria Steinem and Angela Davis and Beyonce and Nala the lioness combined and we love her. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be out for the rest of the day geting Wendy Davis’s face tattooed on my neck.