On the surface, shoes are seemingly ordinary covers to protect one’s feet from the various aspects of life. But for some, shoes can possess a tangible aspect of one’s personality. Since Jesuit students need to adhere to the guidelines of the dress code, shoe culture provides teenagers with a creative outlet for self expression.
In recent years, the simple sneaker, and all shoes in general, have become symbols of culture and personality.
Some students at Jesuit consider themselves “sneaker heads,” a phrase coined to describe individuals who are sneaker enthusiasts and find joy in collecting different styles of shoes. Senior Hannah Wendler falls perfectly into this category. She has spent years collecting shoes and loves to follow along with the constantly moving trend.
“Shoes are more than just a practical article of clothing, they are a form of self expression,” said Wendler. “When I choose a pair of shoes to wear, it is a reflection of me and my personality. I view my shoes as an extension of my outfit but also as a way to send a message about who I am to others.”
Along with Wendler, senior Boris Christensen has about 40-50 pairs of shoes and finds a similar passion for collecting.
“I love to collect shoes. I love learning about different styles of shoes but I also really like the community that the sneaker heads have created through a shared passion and online resellers.”
With fast paced fashion trends, shoes have been a revolving door for teenagers to convey their own personal tastes and choose shoes that mirror their personal identity.
However, these trends significantly impact the choices individuals make when purchasing and styling shoes. Individuals may feel more inclined to purchase a specific shoe due to a celebrity endorsement or collaboration with a certain brand, allowing people to incorporate these elements to their lives.
This begs the question, do students choose shoes to express their unique style, or to follow a trend in order to fit in?
For example, the Adidas Samba has been increasing in popularity since 2021. With popular social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, Adidas sales have had an uptick of 2,638% according to an online marketplace, Laced. Along with this increase in sales, the hashtag “#adidassamba has over 147 million views on TikTok. This trend is directly related to celebrities who are often seen wearing the shoe like Bella Hadid, Emma Chamberlain, Harry Styles, and Kendall Jenner.
In addition to Samba’s, Puma’s fourth quarter reports exceeded many expectations when they increased 17.1% after they announced their partnership with Rihanna.
Senior Sam Nordean, a self-identified sneakerhead, backed up these statistics by sharing where he gets his shoe inspiration. “When I see my favorite celebrities wearing a certain pair of shoes I feel so much inclined to also purchase that shoe,” Nordean said.
It seems that many students feel similarly, as the Jesuit halls are filled with trendy shoes.
Furthermore, the technological advancements in shoe culture has provided people with an outlet to customize their own shoes, allowing customers to be more unique.
Popular shoe brands like Nike, Converse, Crocs, Vans and more have added a branch to their website allowing their customers to become their own shoe designers: people can choose their own colors, patterns, designs, and even add their own text to their shoes. Through this customization, consumers can express their own self on an even deeper and more unique level.
“My favorite pair of shoes are ones that I personally customized through the Nike website. I was able to make them my favorite color, green and make them look unique,” senior Parker Heydet said.
Jesuit’s principal, Mr. Maxie, is very in touch with popular-shoe-culture. Growing up, Mr. Maxie was unable to afford the kinds of shoes he wears today. Now, he walks confidently in the halls embracing his expansive shoe collection.
Mr. Maxie considers all of his shoes some of his most prized possessions but his True Blue Jordan 3s stand out from the rest. He finds a hobby in researching new shoes and keeping up to date with the recent releases and newest styles.
“Pre-pandemic, I wore dress shoes, except on spirit days,” Mr. Maxie said. “As we went a little more relaxed coming out of the pandemic, I was wearing tennis shoes pretty regularly. And what I learned during that time is a lot of kids would stop me and say, ‘Hey, Mr. Maxie, where’d you get those shoes?’ I was like, ‘these shoes? I have lots of these shoes’. And then just a light bulb went on for me like, ‘Oh, this is just another easy way to connect and have conversations with students about shoes.’”
Beyond just connecting with celebrities, shoes provide people with a sense of community. Like in Mr. Maxie’s case, they can be used as a conversion starter or allow others to connect over shared interests. Students can bond over similar interests like shoe culture. The subject of shoes can create a more casual and approachable classroom environment.
Like Mr. Maxie, students agree that sharing similar styles with students and being able to relate to each other helps to create a better community.
“I came to Jesuit my freshman year and saw everyone had really cool shoes. It was my exposure to finding shoes that I really love like adidas and uggs. Looking at other people gave me inspiration for what I would want to wear,” junior Aya Brigham said.
Adding on to this more indirect community of sneakerheads, a more solidified group of students have formed born out of their love for shoes. An example of this is the student lead Fashion Club. This club allows people from all grades to come together and have an outlet to talk about shoes they love.
Senior Finley Clark, one of the leaders of Fashion Club, said, “If you are going to be passionate about fashion you need to have a love for shoes. Shoes are the most important part of an outfit and are a huge talking point for fashion media. I love how fashion clubs create a place for people to come together with a shared passion.”
Along with Fashion Club, shoes have also helped students form a deeper connection with their families. For junior Grace Clark, she has used shoes as a way to deepen her relationship with her dad.
“Shoe culture has always been a big part of my life because of my dad. He has a vast shoe collection and showed me how intentionally choosing shoes makes my outfit feel more complete. I also started to see how my dad would branch out of “traditional” colorways in his sneakers and how he was able to wear more colorful clothing that matched perfectly with his shoes. I think that I find community among other people who have interest in shoes because they’re so passionate about them and it’s fun to see new shoes that you might want.”
Despite all the excitement, popular shoes have a significant cost and can price out otherwise enthusiastic shoppers.
Shoes have been increasing in price over the years, leaving the sneakerhead community to become more and more exclusive. Nike Jordan’s, one of the most sought after shoes in the sneakerhead community, can range anywhere from $100-$1000+. Along with Jordans, popular shoe brand Golden Goose’s shoes range from $495-2,000. This is quite the financial burden for students and their families. Some find the funds to pay for such expressive shoes through their own jobs and many people find deals on the reselling websites. Fashion Club provides people who are not in the financial position to purchase a large amount of shoes with a community to be a part of and still find a way to express their passion.
Reflecting on the topic, Nordean added, “even though the community of sneaker heads who own a large amount of shoes is somewhat exclusive, I think that the broad idea of the sneakerhead community goes beyond just personal possessions. It is just about people coming together to talk about a shared passion for shoes.”
Shoes have proven to be a tried and true way for people to join together and create bonds. Shoes create an outlet for people to easily start a conversation with someone they wouldn’t normally or let people connect on a deeper level with a shared passion.
