The race to have the most stylish shoes can sometimes be more of a marathon asguys buy various types ofshoes for various reasons. But what is the big deal with theneed to obtain so many pairs of shoes, especially when that is only one aspect of a person?
“I think they do it to stay in style because shoes stand out from what you wear,” said freshmanMarcus West.”They do it for fashion, to impressgirls and so they’ll try to feel good about themselves,” says another unnamed freshman.
To test if this was true, a female was asked why she thought males tried to obtain stylish shoes and whether she found the trend to beattractive for men.
“I think it’s attractive, but if they can’t afford them, they shouldn’t do it,” said freshman Sherree Cooper. “I think it’s only for showing off, fashion to show everybody,” she added.
Affordability could become less of an issue asanew style could possibly emerge in Stephon Marbury’s line of shoes, known as Starbury’s. The shoes, sold atSteve & Barry’s clothing outlets, areavailable at areasonable price of$15 a pair.
The success of Marbury’s campaign, however, seems unlikely to some since the general belief is that the reasonable price would be a deterent.
“If people don’t see the name brand [and assumedexpensive price] they won’t buy them,” Cooper said. Sophomore Reggie Allen agreed, stating,”I don’t see it because people don’t want to wear anything cheap since most go for the high priced shoes and brands.
The majority of people choose to purchase expensivestyles, such asJordans, AirForce Ones, or some other type of Nikes. Ice Cream’s andA Bathing Apes may challenge in the near future because some rappers and singers have been seen wearing them.Thequestion for the near future seemsto be whether Air Force Ones willcontinue to dominate the market? If not,will challengers, such as the twojustmentioned, be the standard of excellence?
“Forces are the trend,” said junior SamPaul. “It all depends on the designer and what they do. Individual choices also determine what trends get set,” he added.
And thankfully, Paul is not one to follow a trend.
“I don’t do what’s in style,”he said. “If I see people rockin’ Forces, I try to do something different because it’s unique doing my own thing.”
So while some don’t bend to the pressures of the main trends set in popular culture, it seems that most are comfortable following them to stay with the current fashion and try to fit in.