Shoes are a staple of American fashion culture. From Adidas to Doc Martens, shoes are everywhere people are. Knowing this, there have been some crazy shoe trends in the past. For today though, I only want to focus on shoe trends that I have experienced in my high school and middle school years. Now to put it out there I am no sneakerhead, I am just a guy who likes shoes.
To start off this list I feel like we gotta go back to the first shoe trend. A true powerhouse in the industry, the infamous shoe, the Chucks. Converse has had a chokehold on teenagers since their creation over a hundred years ago. The classic stars are known for their iconic shape and association with good music and cool people. They are pretty common shoes and will probably always have their place in the hearts of alternative people all over the world. Converse gets an eight out of ten on the shoe meter.
Next up, is a true epidemic that the consequences of have still not vanished: Yeezys. Kanye had the fashion game under an iron fist back in the 2010s with every other middle school boy rocking the new Adidas Yeezy Slides. Hundreds of dollars were dropped on a single pair of foam slabs and the credit cards of parents all around ached and cowered in fear. The slides were also just objectively bad. Cheap pieces of foam that could easily run you over two hundred dollars. This was a horrible time for shoe enjoyers. The Yeezy slides get a four on the shoe meter. They do get points because of how ridiculous and overrated they are.
The next pair of shoes that I would like to look at today are very infamous. It is either hit or miss with these. Of course, I am talking about the notorious Nike Panda Dunks. This is the most recent shoe trend to hit society and it is no mystery as to why. They are clean. It is hard to hate simple black and white Nike Dunks. It is really hard to mess them up. They go with everything and are objectively just a nice, well made shoe.
So now the question is, “Why are these on the list of wacky shoe trends?” The answer to that question is simple: They are everywhere. It is not possible to walk outside and not encounter a human wearing these on their feet. Left, right, up, down, in every direction one cannot escape these kicks. A lot of people in the shoe community claim that these sneakers have left a permanent blemish on fashion and shoe culture.
Now, in my humble opinion, I do not really get the hate. I know that they are popular and it is easy to hate mainstream things, but I would rank them a solid six and a half on the shoe meter. In all senses of the word, the shoes are just mediocre.
Yep, shoes are pretty cool. They are a highlight point of a good outfit. So make sure that every shoe purchase is highly thought through because prices can get outrageous. All in all, just wear what looks good. And that is an opinion, so really it is all up to the wearer to decide if they are happy or not. Who knows what the next shoe trend will be, only time will tell.