In the world of fashion, it seems there’s constantly a new ‘hot’ shoe or a new article explaining the up-and-coming shoe trends. We had the Adidas Samba, ballet flats, cowboy boots, mules, chunky sneakers and way too many more to count. Despite loving any excuse to purchase a new article of clothing, shoe trends are something I will never get behind and never adhere to.
No offense to all the sneakerheads out there, but people are not looking at your feet enough for you to justify purchasing every ‘trending’ shoe in an attempt to fit in or be the most ‘stylish.’ That being said, it is important to note the cyclical nature of fashion trends. So yes, if you bought cowboy boots back when they were trending, stash them in your closet for when they inevitably make a comeback. Hey, even camouflage made a comeback, and very few people saw that coming. Due to the recurrent nature of trends, maybe you can justify purchasing the newest, ‘hottest’ shoe and argue that even if it is only trendy for the next three months, it will eventually return to its former trending glory.
When it comes to my view on shoes, my advice is to find a personal staple that is simple, versatile and classic and stick with it. For me, that ‘staple shoe’ has been my trusty pair of Converse High-Top Chuck 70s. They are structured, durable, comfortable and an American classic that never goes out of style. You can wear them with jeans, shorts, to the gym, to a nice dinner — and yes, that may be shocking to some of you, but if Timothée Chalamet can wear them on the Met Gala red carpet, I can wear them to a semi-fancy dinner. A tip if you are a current or soon-to-be Converse wearer — I discovered a brand called Feel Your Soul on social media that makes inserts specifically for Converse, and they make them even more comfortable. Unlike other shoe inserts, they fit perfectly.
Now, I am not saying you have to commit just to one shoe. I’d just say having a simple, versatile shoe rotation is a lot better than constantly chasing endless trends. I would also recommend investing in a pair of classic, leather boots — you can never go wrong with a black Chelsea boot. Much like Chuck 70s, a boot like a Chelsea boot is easy to dress up or just wear casually. Additionally, pick a sneaker silhouette you like, whether that be a New Balance 550, an Adidas Samba, etc., and stick with it. Also, with sneakers, try to avoid crazy colors or patterns because as previously mentioned, that leopard-print pair may be trending now, but you might regret it shortly down the line.
So, before you give in to another shoe trend because you saw a cute TikTok about it or Bella Hadid was sniped wearing it by the paps, I’d say really think about it because most of the time, it will quickly go back to being a ‘regular shoe.’
