Finding that "right" pair of shoes can be difficult for some and easy for others. This school year has seen some growing trends with the types of shoes students find themselves walking on.
"Sometimes I have the hardest time finding good shoes," junior Ryan Weiss said. "I spent a bit of time looking for a pair of black casual shoes to wear out, because it can be an important decision."
Last spring the emerging trend was "retro" shoes. More tan and earth tones were growing in popularity along with different types of soles and shapes.
"I really like the shoes that kind of resemble bowling shoes," Weiss said. "There's a lot of different types and styles, they were pretty comfortable when I tried them on and I've seen a lot of people wearing them lately."
One of the more popular trends, the retro bowling shoes, came out a year ago last spring. These shoes started with a standard rubber sole, but have evolved into a mixture between an athletic shoe and a casual dress shoe.
Steve Madden was the brand that started this trend a year ago. Since then, there have been several shoe companies such as Sketchers and GBX that have joined in producing this trend. Diesel has become known for making "retro" bowling shoes. The prices can run as low as $40 for a pair of Sketchers or GBX, and $70-90 for a pair of Diesel or Steve Madden. Most of the styles tie, but some can be found in slip-on as well.
Slip-on shoes have became increasingly popular. Whether a clog or a full shoe without shoe strings, slip-ons can be very easy to put on when students are on the go and still look fashionable. Black shoes, resembling dress shoes, have become popular as well. These shoes keep the dressy look and usually have a square toe.
"I really like how athletic shoes are getting much more simple," sophomore Matt Hemmerling said. "I see a lot of people wearing plain white and clean looking shoes."
Men and women share a common trend in athletic shoes: Simple is better. From wearing the old-school Adidas to the re-emerging popularity in old-school Pumas, the simple white athletic shoe is a growing trend. The more popular brands include Adidas, Puma, Nike, Kswiss and New Balance. Converse is another brand that has tried to rely on bringing back old-school looks but has not been as successful.
Women have also turned to a more traditional, or retro, look for their dress/casual shoes.
From the high-heeled, pointed toe boots, to a more natural hiking boot, or slip-on, women's shoes have become more retro. The common trend in most of the popular shoes is the pointed toe.
Trends are defined as a prevailing tendency for a period of time. This leaves a person to question what will be the next trend for shoes and how long the "retro" trend will last.
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