“Unexpected, Eclectic and Relaxed: Three Shoe Philosophies”

    This week I decided to do something different. I interviewed three different girls with various types of shoe ideologies. Valissa Hicks, Melanie Hoffman and Leigh Rusyn. 

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     Valissa Hicks is a 19 year old girl from Nanuet NY. I know her through my house mate Talia, who went to high school with her. Knowing she is obsessed with shoes, I ask her if I can interview her.

     Valissa owns around 100 pairs of shoes. She told me that it’s not just clothes that make her feel different or special, but shoes are also a great way to show that she has style. She expresses her personality through shoes and relishes in the idea that her shoes are “different” or “stand out.”

Her favorite shoes? A pair of tan fringe heels, 4 inches tall. Based on the fact that they are “unbelievably” comfortable and different from any other type of shoe she has seen before.

Valissa doesn’t discriminate against shoes either. She adores high heels, but says she admits they kill her feet sometimes, but it’s the price she pays for fashion. Though she doesn’t personally own any shoes she wouldn’t wear, Valissa isn’t really interested in the platform heels that are making a comeback though. “They just look awful with the huge chunky heel.”

When I asked her how often she buys shoes she says,

“It depends really; I can go weeks or months without buying shoes. But when I do buy shoes, I definitely go a little crazy and buy a lot of different pairs of shoes with different prices and looks.”

When I ask what her favorite shoes are, after a long pause, she tells me that they would be  gladiator sandals, but within the same sentence she mentions a pair of boots she just bought that have feathers on them are sure to be a good contender. “Once again, they are different, and not too many people would be willing to buy something like that.”

Valissa immediately says “oh, god” when I ask her to describe her shoe style in one word but she eventually says “unexpected.”

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Leigh Rusyn is a student at Oswego State with a busy schedule. She’s actively involved in clubs, classes and campus activities but still finds the time to talk to me about something she rarely discusses: shoe style.

I met Leigh my freshman year in a creative writing class and we've had classes together one in a while. She runs the Great Laker Review, which I am a part of and I've gotten to know her better this year.

      Leigh tells me that she owns around 20 pairs of shoes and she buys shoes whenever an old pair runs out. Her favorite pair of shoes are her black sneakers. She tells me this is because:

1.)    They go with most anything

2.)    They’re super comfy

3.)    If she needs to run, she can

4.)    She never wanted to be that kid who forgot sneakers on gym day

“Most men just wear sneakers everywhere, so why can’t I?” She laughs. “Sneakers are comfortable, and I usually can kick them off and throw them on easily and move quickly with them on.”

She tells me that she’s usually wearing her sneakers, unless it’s bizarre weather, in which case she will wear boots.

“I don’t own UGGS. I’ve heard they’re the most wonderful things but they seem too much like slippers to me that I’m afraid I’d ruin them so fast.”

Leigh prefers wedges to heels, but she’ll wear heels when she dresses up. She owns a pair of stiletto boots that she says she’s not a big fan of. She tells me,

“I really like the shoes, but I can never move fast in them. After a while they gave me blisters too. But the big reason they bug me is that sometimes I'll misstep and I'll feel like the heel will bend or something. And I'm ready for the day it snaps and then I'm stuck with a heel-less boots.”

Leigh believes that the right shoes need to be worn for the right occasion. Most of her shoes are neutral colors and patterns so she can mix and match them with a lot of different outfits. She has previously owned wildly colored shoes that she was “stuck with” after she got rid of certain outfits.

Her response when I ask her to describe her shoes in one word is immediate. “Relaxed,” she says confidently.

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Melanie Hoffman is a junior at Oswego State from Long Island NY. She's my house mate and best friend. I know her extremely well, so it feels funny to sit down with a notebook and write down what she says when I ask her these questions. 

Melanie owns around 55 pairs of shoes. She goes shopping for shoes when she “needs” some retail therapy. She likes to shop for shoes when she feels blah because if she feels gross she doesn't want to try on pants, she wants shoes. She says shoes really express her mood. She buys more when she’s feeling down, she’ll wear combat boots when she has to kick a long days ass and when she’s feeling happy in the summer, she’ll wear cute, little wedges with a sundress.  

Her favorite shoes? A pair of Forever 21 pink, bow wedges. What she loves about them is how they’re feminine and make her feel tall. She likes wedges the most because heels make her feel clumsy and not feminine at all.

“Heels make me feel like a failure, I always fall, I’m not graceful.”

If Melanie could only have one pair of shoes it would definitely be wedges, but she admits it might be a little awkward with certain clothes, like sweatpants.

Other than heels, she isn’t a big fan of flats because she calls them “awkward” and they give her “cuts and blisters that aren’t sexy.” But they’re cute, and she has an image to uphold of a put together, fashionable girl, so she suffers through occasionally.

Melanie owns many different styles, colors, brands and types of shoes. We sit on her bed together as I interview her and she points to her incredibly small closet that has about a two feet high pile of shoes on the bottom of it.Any type of shoe you can imagine juts out of the pile. 

When I ask her to describe her shoe style in one word she says “eclectic.”

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All three girls believe that shoes make or break an outfit.     

Everyone wears shoes. Everyone has their own opinion on what makes a great pair of shoes and what makes great style. Every girl has their own philosophy. None are right and none are wrong, but each is incredibly individual to the girl. Each girl’s shoe style reflects their personality, what makes them feel comfortable and how they express themselves through their personal style. Whether they’re “unexpected,” “relaxed,” or “eclectic,” they are their unique to them. As long as a girl feels confident and beautiful in her shoes, who are we to judge?

There is no wrong way to love shoes.