There are four stores that specialize in shoes near the intersection where I deboard my morning Red Line subway train and walk toward the office during the week: Nike, Skechers, Payless ShoeSource (which is about to close), and Designer Shoe Warehouse, abbreviated as “DSW”. Before I knew what DSW officially stood for, I’ll admit to having referred to it as “Da Shoe Warehouse”. This is not a sales pitch, but DSW has often been a trusty source of shoes for both work and leisure, and if the prices are usually good (rather than exceptional), their wide selection of merchandise very often more than makes up for it.
As I round the corner from State Street to walk westward toward the Sears Tower (nobody correct me – I’m aware of what it’s been called for the last decade or so), there is sometimes a line outside the Nike store, just as there was just this past Friday morning. I deduce in such instances that there must be a new brand of Air Jordans being introduced, a gargantuan sub-brand which I understand inspires a very high level of devotion. There are sometimes people camped out in a queue on lawn chairs on the (wide) sidewalk outside the store.
The fact that it’s somewhat early in the morning and many of these shoe shoppers look like they’ve been there for a while always blows my mind. After all, on any given weekday around that same time, I’m headed to the office to the adventurous, sexy world of insurance underwriting. I’ve learned not to make assumptions about the employment status of others, as I come from a car-building factory town (Flint, Michigan), where many GM employees worked one of three shifts. I understand that a lot of working individuals do not share the same Nine-to-Five hours that I have.
Regardless, I thought it was fitting that this good-looking, dark blue 1980 Malibu coupe happened to be driving south on State Street when I spotted it right in front of the downtown DSW. The paint didn’t exactly look like a “factory” color, but what do I know? I think this great shade of dark blue is tasteful and really suits this car. I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between the wheels on it and the cost of an expensive pair of new kicks.
Hold your fire before you label these wheels as “clown shoes”. Much like an expensive pair of Air Jordans, wheels like these are something I would probably never put on a car I personally own, as they’re not exactly my jam, and they’d probably be out of my budget. The thing, though, is that I respect this “sartorial” choice, much like I can admire a nice pair of athletic shoes on someone else without coveting them. I probably also wouldn’t be as lucky as the gentleman behind the wheel to find such a nice example of one of GM’s best styling efforts of the mid-/late-1970s as what we see here.
This car is a third-year example from the penultimate year of GM’s successfully downsized A-Body coupe from Chevrolet – a clean, simple, handsome design that has withstood the test of time head-and-shoulders above many other styling jobs of its era. It is one of about 57,000 Malibu coupes produced for 1980, out of roughly 278,300 total Malibus, including four-door sedans and wagons (both with their infamous unretractable rear door window glass). As it has been pointed out previously, the enduringly attractive Malibu coupe was handily outsold by the more busily-styled personal luxury Monte Carlo that shared its platform, by a ratio of over 3-to-1 that year. The least expensive 1980 Monte Carlo still cost $157 more in base form ($7,299) than the flossiest two-door Malibu Classic Landau ($7,142).
Allow me to digress for a moment and tell you about the most expensive pair of sneakers that I ever owned. Back when I was in the seventh grade (1986 – ’87), my normally frugal parents allowed me to purchase (read: purchased for me) a pair of Italian Lotto athletic shoes for something like $60 back then. (This figure translates to something like $140 in 2019.) When I think about it, I don’t understand how Mom and Dad even allowed this conversation to happen, given their penchant for buying even house-brand groceries at times.
Maybe my parents felt bad because my face had started to break out and look like a plate of Jeno’s pizza rolls. Perhaps it had been a reward for getting as close as I ever got to straight-A’s (five A’s and a C, in Chemistry – why, Mrs. Gloria Lewis??). This purchase did happen, though, and what I remember the most about those shoes is how they made me feel like a complete rock star. They even seemed to buy this awkward, dorky kid a little bit of street cred at Whittier Middle School. These Lottos were to me what Napoleon Dynamite’s moon boots seemed to be to him in that legendary dance scene at the end of that 2004 movie.
Never mind that I didn’t play basketball, soccer, or any sport for that matter. (My Liberian-born father was great at “football”.) Also, disregard that the rest of my clothes were hopelessly outclassed by these white Lottos with green and red accents. The seventh grade me knew in his heart that they were probably the nicest, hippest, dopest pair of shoes he would probably ever own (and he was right). I understand the allure of expensive sports shoes, even if I am also cognizant that my money goes only so far and I have other priorities. (Doing a cursory search on the prices of a new pair of men’s Air Jordans, one pair can go for up to two or three bills.)
In a way, the wheels on this nice Malibu are much like my beloved Lottos that I wore with everything from my baggy Bugle Boy trousers, to my Levi’s jeans and matching jean-jacket (yes, I was that guy), to late ’70s-era hand-me-downs from my older brother. I suppose that others just got used to looking at this lanky, decidedly unsportsman-like kid wearing this really cool pair of sports shoes with anything and everything, even if they didn’t exactly fit the vibe of what else I might have been wearing. As for our featured car, I’d say this Malibu wears these wheels a lot better than I could ever rock a pair of Air Jordans (or another pair of Lottos) in 2019.
Downtown, The Loop, Chicago, Illinois.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017.
Summer Solstice.
Thanks for calling it the Sears Tower. It will never be the Willis Tower.
Yeah, it will always be the Sears Tower to me, too, sort of like the Chrysler Building in NYC. Seems like Chrysler didn’t stay there very long, but it’s always been called the Chrysler Building and nothing else.
And for good reason…
The skyscrapers in Downtown Dallas went through many name changes due to merges of companies and changes of owners in the 1980s. That proved to be a huge headache for the taxicab and shuttle van drivers and the visitors arriving in at DFW aeroport who went by building names rather than addresses.
Some visitors didn’t believe they were taken to the correct buildings despite the name changes. The taxicab and shuttle van drivers sometimes had to come in the buidling and bring the security guard out to confirm the name changes.
Forever, the Sears Tower.
I worked in that Chicago icon for just over five years, and I miss the excitement of the bustle in the lobbies, restaurants, and stores. It’s like a miniature city within itself. I also miss the views.
Although I do like nice shoes (not usually sneakers though), I’ll never pay an exorbitant amount, usually buying them on sale, and I’ve never gone out of my way to “wait” for any shoes.
Likewise, although I do really like rims, I’ve never payed an arm and a leg for upgraded rims on any of my cars, and I’ve never purchased a set of aftermarket rims. To each and their own though!
Like Brendan, I’ve never bought aftermarket wheels (or much of anything) for any car I’ve owned. However, a thought occurred to me – which may or may not be applicable here….
Didn’t this Malibu originally have 14″ wheels? Having shopped for 14″ tires for the Galaxie several years ago, the selection of 14″ tires generally sucks unless you want to spring silly money on something from, say, Coker Tire.
In turn, upsizing ones wheels with aftermarket may be a good way to have a broader selection of tires since tires, like everything else, seem to have grown over time. Having seen a well loved ’69 Impala sedan yesterday with aftermarket rims brought about this realization.
But Joe is right. This is a fine looking Malibu, much better than the gaudy Monte Carlo from the same year. I’ll even go so far as to say this have a certain commonality with wine, as they tend to look better each year. A truly timeless, and overlooked, design.
Not only does the selection of 13” and 14” tires generally suck, the quality of what’s available locally sucks even more. Sure, you can buy better online, but then you have to find a tire shop that a) will mount tires you bought elsewhere, and b) won’t charge you a ridiculous amount for doing so (some charge much, much more to mount tires purchased elsewhere). I’m sure it won’t be too long before it’s difficult to find 15” tires for my Ranger.
What blows my mind is that people actually RENT rims. Not sure how if that includes the tires, and how tire wear is handled in the terms of the lease/rental agreement.
I needed to buy a set of 13” tires last summer, and ended up having to resort to T/A Radials from Coker. Ouch.
Last time I needed tyres for the 12 inch rims on the ’84 Swift, the shop got me some light aircraft tyres that fitted. It wasn’t worthwhile changing to a larger wheel and lower profile on a (then) 30 year old car that saw little use. I forget the name, but my mate who’s a pilot knew the brand and gave them the nod.
The quality and selection of tires diminishes with diameter at this end of the curve too, lots of Chinese rubber in the 22″+ diameters, and what few good tires available in those sizes are insanely expensive since these aren’t common performance diameters. Not to mention the significant unsprung weight increase and the taller center of gravity are undoing any upsizing benefits. There are plenty of 17-18″ wheels with excellent tire selection that are in the sweet spot.
I suspect guys who get wheels like this are just after ‘da look’ and wouldn’t care about the centre of gravity being stuffed up. Probably just gets used for city prowling. We used to do odd things to cars too in my younger days, that didn’t always improve them.
Jason, what you said in the last paragraph are things that crossed my mind when I was editing this handful of pictures. These Malibu coupes are like wine (great metaphor), looking better each year.
I remember pretty much ignoring them until maybe about ten (?) years ago, at which point I took notice and wondered why I hadn’t before. They really are great looking cars.
For the record, I do also like the Monte Carlos of this era – but the Malibu is much more to my liking.
Yes they were 14in but the RWD A/G body is still very popular so you can easily still get tires for them. Cooper tires and Hankook make easily gotten 14in tires.
These were cars folks drove from point A to B and they really did not have huge performance so no need to buy top of the line performance tires for regular A/G bodies.
However me and most of my friends that had these cars switched them out for rims that were 15×7. These fit perfect because the Grand National had a 15in tire as standard and there were plenty of 15×7 rims out there to buy.
A few random thoughts:
I love Malibus, but not with those wheels. Its otherwise a very nice car.
I don’t hate big wheels on old cars but I like to see the whole car built around them, i.e., a built Pro Touring car or a Low Rider.
Did you all know the rear windows don’t open?
A song for the car:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrNTsKg4z64
And a song for Joseph:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDTZ7iX4vTQ
Happy Monday!
Ha! I don’t like big rims (18” are the maximum) on newer cars, let alone older ones! There are 17” variants of classic aftermarket and factory wheels that give a slight update but keep that old school flavor.
The rear window thing has long been a peeve of mine. I have an A- / G-Body sedan story (perhaps for another post) where I was riding in the back seat of an ’81 G-Body Regal sedan while a (there’s no other way to say it) flatulent driver was behind the wheel.
I scrambled to find a window crank or a switch for a power window, and there wasn’t one. It felt like an episode of “The Twilight Zone”. I lived to tell about it. (Well, I guess that’s the story, so no need for me to tell it again in the future! LOL)
These are both great songs… The Foster The People song was instantly catchy – one of those songs where you hear it just twice, and even if you don’t know the lyrics (which are actually pretty dark, which I discovered only within the past year or so), you’re humming the chorus long after you want it to stop! ♪♫
”Did you all know the rear windows don’t open?”
I see what you did there. 😀
I’ve always wanted a Malibu coupe of this generation. There are so few left unmolested anymore, though: turned into racers, or lifted onto giant rims. It’s a shame.
Yup, these turned into the box that the 350 came in once all the 1960’s Camaros got rusted out and/or too pricey.
Haven’t seen a “normal” one in quite a while, I still think you can’t beat the slotted steel Monte Carlo 15″ rims on these.
Nice catch Joseph
Very nice on several points. These Malibu coupes were background cars to me when they were new, but they have become one of my very favorite styling jobs from their era. The slick roof and dark color bring this car’s simple yet elegant lines out to the max. And it would not surprise me if this was either the original color or a repaint that got as close as it could in trying to match the formula.
I am with you – the wheels aren’t my thing but they are easily removed and do no violence to the car. I will never forget the amazement I felt when I learned that some people make monthly payments on custom rims. I hate making monthly mayments on a car, let alone on just parts for it. But it’s a free country.
And yes, it will also be the Sears Tower. Also, I loved Da Shoe Warehouse. I suppose that anywhere beyond the Chicago area it would be TSW (The Shoe Warehouse)? 🙂
If one went to Ohio State it’d presumably be THE Shoe Warehouse with heavy emphasis on THE. 🙂
That color works impressively well on that car, and the wheels, while perhaps not what I would fit to it, also work quite well visually, certainly better than what it came with and if it had anything smaller wouldn’t make quite the same statement. So overall as a package it looks splendid, nice find!
And Joe! I too had a pair or two of the Lotto shoes in that same time frame. Very comfortable and they did put an extra spring or two in my step as I got off the public transit bus at school and walked by the other kids parents’ Benzes and Lincolns…Nowadays? No, no big money for sneakers. But I did discover firsthand that even at Nordstrom one can haggle and receive a discount on a new pair of moderately expensive dress shoes if polite about it.
Those people lining up for sneakers aren’t just people who want to wear them. You can make serious bank buying limited release sneakers and re-selling them. I know a friend who enters all the different raffles and such and has been able to flip new kicks for sometimes 2-3 times (maybe more?) what he paid for them.
I have a nascent interest in sneakers. I’m not lining up in the morning for them though but I definitely want to buy more and more. Prices can be eye-watering though! My most favourite purchase of late was my Timberland FlyRoam sneaker boots, which I got in both stone and black.
The Malibu sedan was quite forgettable but the coupe is crisp, clean and elegant, certainly more so than the Monte.
The wheels on this? How do I put this… I like them as much as I like your sneakers? 😀 Better to see a car driving around with gaudy rims than to see the same car sitting up on blocks in a junkyard. Rims can be removed. And it’s not like they offend me — I see a car like this and I think, “Nice. Someone appreciates this fine old car.” We enthusiasts all love our cars in different ways.
People love to sing along to Pumped Up Kicks like it’s an upbeat indie pop song but what a lot of people don’t realize is that it’s about a teenager thinking about shooting up his school…
Can’t say I’m a fan of double-dubs, but that’s an inspired idea to photograph a vehicle with oversized wheels/tires in front of a well-known shoe store.
And I will admit that the outrageous appearance of that particular look is an attention getter. Frankly, that Malibu isn’t all that bad. I’ve seen far worse where the vehicle had to be radically lifted, almost like one of those modified 4×4 chassis, to clear some insanely tall and wide wheels/tires.
The sighting of this Malibu in front of the shoe store was pure serendipity. My camera is always on me, even on my morning and evening commutes. People sometimes ask me, “What are you taking pictures of today?”, or “How’s yer photography goin’?” I have honed my reflexes to get the lens cap off quickly when an opportunity like this presents itself.
I didn’t actually plan to photograph this car in front of this store, but in looking for a topic to write about, the juxtaposition jumped out at me. 🙂
I’m a fan of anyone who is passionate about cars. And anyone who is driving a clean 40-year-old car on a weekday morning is clearly passionate about his/her car.
Wheels and tires are easy to change. IF this car is ever sold, the next buyer can put whatever rolling stock they want on it.
My thoughts exactly, Evan.
I go back and forth as to whether or not I prefer these “plain Jane” Malibu coupes or the dressier Classics preferring my Classics with a vinyl roof that is the same color as the body.
I have bought a few aftermarket rims for cars over the years. I had a Ranger that I wanted to mimic the then new class of race trucks so I had a set of +1 black steel wheels put on in place of the factory alloys…big mistake as the added weight was noticeable when accelerating from a stop.
For shoes, I shop 2 places: a Red Wing store and a nearby Nike outlet. Red Wings are NOT cheap, but they are well constructed and thereby last nearly forever. And I try to avoid paying more than $100 for athletic shoes, hence the outlet.
“nobody correct me – I’m aware of what it’s been called for the last decade or so”
I would never correct you on that point. While I’m aware the Sears Tower has a new name, I don’t know what it is, and I don’t care to find out-
It will always be the Sears Tower!
What’s worse is sports grounds that change their name with a change of sponsorship. That’s fine for the big finance types who negotiate naming rights, but when there are several in a city how is the average Joe supposed to keep up with what that stadium is called this year? And another new sponsor next year? It must be murder on taxi drivers.
These Malibus came equipped with 14” wheels like most base Camaros of the era. Chevrolet steel rally wheels are a nice upgrade to a factory 15” wheel, but another good choice that is also lighter is a set of aluminum 5 spokes from a third generation Z28.
The 2 door Malibu (sans the vinyl roof) sure was a successful, timeless design.
You forgot my favorite shoe store – Nordstrom Rack, which is 2 blocks north on State near Washington. I developed a fetish for expensive Italian shoes in my 40’s and the Rack was my supplier of several Ferragamos, and 2 pairs of the most expensive high tops I’ve ever bought; driving shoes by Santoni for AMG (as in Mercedes). Nice shoes can really make your day, and gain respect from certain sales people.
Behind the Malibu is Louis Sullivan’s masterpiece the Sullivan Center which he designed for Schlesinger & Mayer Department Store in 1899 + 1903 – Carson Pirie Scott Dept Store moved in 1904 and had D.H Burnham do an addition to the south in 1906. The DSW addition, which was still in the same style was done by Holabird & Root in 1961. Sorry for sounding like a know it all – I was a volunteer docent with the Chicago Architectural Foundation for 15 years.
I love this stuff! And be a know-it-all, if that’s what that’s called. We all have knowledge and expertise outside the field of cars, and I love learning tidbits like the ones you shared.
I visited the -Ahem- Sears Tower the last time I was in the Windy City. What a great view! My son and I walked there from I think, Dearborn St over by the river, not far from the Wrigley Bldg. Chicago is one of my favourite US cities, and I always enjoy your photos and articles taking place in or near the loop.
Thanks Joseph, great story.
That’s a great shot! The Wrigley Building is one of my favorites in this city – it’s just stunning. Chicago’s architecture is truly inspiring, with so many beautiful buildings and architectural styles represented. (I’m typing this almost with tears in my eyes as I think about the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire today…)
One thing I miss about working in the Sears Tower was access to views like this one.
No wonder the facade looked familiar! Wasn’t much of a shopper on State St. when I lived in Chicago even though my office was right across the river from The Wrigley Building. Usually shopped at Goldblatt’s Uptown, Sears on Lawrence or one of the Jupiter ( former Kresge) stores nearer to home at the time. Are these all gone now?
I know two of these buildings are still around, though I admit I’ve never heard of Jupiter.
Goldblatt’s at Broadway & Lawrence now houses a health club and bank (formerly a Borders book store – remember those?), the Sears on Lawrence closed a couple of years ago, but not before I got to shop there one last time. I liked that Sears store.
I think this deserves a “say something nice “ heading.
This car displays MUCHO pride of ownership, no taking that away from the owner. It’s not to my taste; I’d have either 15” Cragars or any number of GM’s gorgeous period correct alloys, rallys or steelies wrapped in RWLs and almost zero chrome on the rest of the car. But keeping a car of this vintage rust free in the rust belt is amazing in and of itself.
Fab shots, once again, Joe! You have a knack for being at the right place at the right time.
Thanks, Paul! A day without my camera can feel very unsettling – I pretty much always have it on me.
Thanks, everyone. I thought for sure that someone among the CC readership would have pointed out the ’79 taillamps on the burgundy coupe in the 1980 brochure photo, or the cross-flag emblem on the front fender (sourced from a Corvette)! Overall, I think this Malibu’s presentation was pretty close to flawless, even if mine would wear different shoes. 🙂
Well shame on me for missing the taillamps in the brochure. I have only owned my “79 for forty years and should have caught that one.
Several commenters have mentioned the non rolling down rear windows. When all our kids were still home one hot July day we decided to drive the 55 miles to the Mall in Evansville, Indiana. The minute we hit the parking lot on that muggy day, the switch on the back of the AC compressor blew out leaking out all the Freon. We had only intended to stay a couple of hours. Instead, we ended up waiting until the mall closed to try and beat the heat. We had both front windows down and the sunroof open, but with the fixed back windows it was still hot in the back seat. The girls didn’t like riding back there anyway and this just made it worse!
When I started driving in the early 80s, our local police had an entire fleet of the sedan version in solid white paint. They all had the dark gray GM “rally” wheels that were optional on contemporary Malibus, which seemed pretty fancy back when most police models had steelies with dog dish caps. The graphics were limited to just a police seal decal on the doors, which made for a sharp looking cruiser.
Pleased to say I never saw the interior of one, despite getting several speeding tickets.
I can always identify a Joseph Dennis article by the headlining photo. The writing is always equally distinctive and engaging.
While the subject of this article is not ‘my jam’ either, this piece gives me a perspective with which to appreciate it — true to the heart of CC! Please keep doing that voodoo that you do!
What a clean example. The colour choice is spot-on, too. Drop the rim size to 16″ and add a little rake – and it’d be perfect.
But either way, good on the owner for caring about a classic like that.