Shoes at State
Creative expression comes in many forms...
Creative expression comes in many forms...
Creative expression comes in many forms, and this is made more evident when one lives on a college campus. New fashion trends are exhibited daily while walking to class or around campus. Often you can’t help but observe the newest styles that your peers are experimenting with as it serves as inspiration for your own creative expressions. San Diego’s fashion scene is a diverse outlet to engage in for many students, yet one particular area to note are the shoes worn on campus.
We tend to walk anywhere and everywhere as college students. Although it can become tiring, it also allows for one of my favorite pastimes; people-watching. The idea of people-watching and observing others is fascinating as it is a way to gain a glimpse of who others are, or may be, from afar. One aspect of people-watching I find most intriguing is looking at people’s shoes. The shoes we wear not only share a part of our style with the world, but they also remind us of where we have been and where we will go. Watching the variety of shoes pass you by only contributes to the appeal of people-watching. It creates an area for individuals to gain inspiration, insight and an overall better understanding of who they share campus with. Coming from someone who not only loves fashion but also loves to observe others' styles, paying attention to the shoes students wear is a way to understand the styles and trends happening around me.
Each of us understands the impracticality that we often go through when wanting to wear shoes around campus that may not be the most comfortable, yet are stylish or distinctly complete our “look”. I often succumb to wearing my Birkenstocks for their comfortability, even though they’re not always the most stylistic choice. I applaud the students I see wearing platform docs. Mine sit patiently in my dorm waiting to be chosen one morning when I’ll feel brave enough to submit my feet to the day-long pain.
In all seriousness, although some would call a person’s shoe choice a trivial matter, I do think that the shoes you wear can say a lot about you and how you view your own personal style. Do you go for the practical choice? Perhaps the bold choice? Or maybe the totally unexpected choice?
What you put on your feet is a statement, regardless of your fashion sense or style. Will the statement you make be distinctive, cool, unconventional, rare, or fashionable? The beauty is that you get to choose the statement that you make.
As a college student who is inspired by others' creativity and forms of self-expression, I have enjoyed watching the evolution of students’ styles around campus as we begin to hopefully enter into a cooler climate. I’ve noticed that SDSU students have an eclectic range of styles, yet we all seem to share a common variety of footwear choices, especially as the weather changes. Uggs and the Boston clogs have been brought out, replacing flip-flops or other sandals. Converse seems to be everywhere lately. As an avid Converse consumer myself, I can see why they are. A trend I was not expecting to see when I moved to San Diego however was cowboy boots, although I’m here for it. And of course, you can’t forget about the endless styles of docs whether it be lace-up, chelsea, mary jane, and so on.
No matter what your go-to shoe of choice is, the shoes you wear are a form of self-expression, more so than any other element in your self-presentation. They are a key component of your personal style. As San Diego is a city filled with endless fashion possibilities and opportunities, exploring and experimenting with your style is easier when you’re surrounded by such a rich fashion scene. The diverse range of styles is bound to inspire you to engage with fashion, even on your walk to class. People-watching fascinates me, and with fashion as an interest, it becomes an even more enjoyable experience. I have come to notice how defining shoes are to people, especially the shoes that students wear on campus.
Katie Blais — October 24th, 2022
