Shoes.
All of us have to wear them and there are so many different types to try on. Whether or not you choose your shoes for athletics, comfort, style or support, there is likely a reason why you chose the shoes on your feet today.
Different shoes have different uses and reasons why people might wear them. However, we often forget how important they can be as they are worn on the daily. A person’s shoes can help express who they are and tell you about someone’s personality. At Community High School, students and staff wear pairs of so many different types and styles.
CHS math teacher Con Parker purchased her pair of “But Another Innocent Tale” red T-strap heels when she was 17. She remembers finding them at Modern Millie Vintage in Salem, Massachusetts. The heels are one in a few, as the brand focuses on using vegan leather while keeping stylish vintage designs alive.
Although she can usually be seen wearing Doc Martins to class, Parker enjoys wearing high heels on occasion. She doesn’t feel pain when wearing heels, as others might complain about seeing them as a way to express her femininity.
“I don’t mind wearing heels. I danced for a long time, so it doesn’t hurt my feet as much,” Parker said. “I told my mom I’d wear this skirt. She made it, and I needed shoes that were gonna match.”
For Parker, wearing the pair of shoes is about expressing herself and rocking her style. The history found behind this type of heel goes way back to the 10th century. The shoe Parker wears in 2025 can be traced to horseback riding for men in Persia. Heels gave men extra height, which soon became a symbol of status for those in power.
When women started wearing heels, some thought their silhouette was more appealing. Throughout history, women have kept the heels as men have ditched them. This eventually contributed to heels being considered a feminine accessory in the modern day with men failing to wear them.
Parker remarks that math can be a strongly male dominated subject. In order to break that stereotype and show her students that anyone can be good at math, Parker likes to choose her outfits with more of a feminine approach. Her red high heels strongly embrace that look matching her skirt to help embrace her feminism.
“I like dressing femininely when I teach math, because math is not a subject that is often associated with femininity,” Parker said. “My personal quest with my students is being good at math, and feminine in how I appear.”
Athletes often wear specific shoes for their sport. Runners need running shoes, soccer players need cleats and swimmers might need flippers. This is the case for CHS Junior Annie Zheng.
Zheng recently bought a pair of Nimbus cloud-colored 237 New Balance sneakers. The shoes are inspired by a vintage look, taking archives from the 1970’s while keeping a modern contemporary touch. Customers find the shoes to be durable, and fit true to size. Zheng found the pair at TJ Maxx, a store she exclusively visits when shopping for shoes. 
Zheng chose this pair specifically for golf, as she plays for Pioneer High School’s varsity team. She finds the shoes super versatile as they are a good fit for her daily life, on and off the green.
“These are my favorite sneakers that I could wear both to school and to golf practice,” Zheng said. “I basically wear them every day.”
The comfort and flexibility of the shoes help support Zheng as she plays golf. Through the last 100 years, New Balance has made its mission to support athletes and provide maximum comfort. Because she is on her feet for most of a tournament, solid shoes are a must have for her and other athletes so they can maintain their energy and strength all day. Without support from the shoes, athletes might not be able to perform as well and end up tired early in the day or end up hurting themselves or even worsening injuries while competing.
While she may have chosen the shoes for golf, Zheng also likes the look, style and comfort of her new sneakers. The iconic N signifies the New Balance shoe that has proven reliable for some for over 50 years.
The uniqueness of New Balances brand and being a popular shoe for many years in the past has also helped to make the style more popular. At some points, the shoe has been seen as a status symbol in D.C.. New balance is worn by celebrities and students alike on many different stages of life.
“They go with any outfit. I just love them,” Zheng said. “They are super comfortable. I wear these to almost every golf practice.”
Although New Balance has been around for quite some time, they haven’t made much progress in providing strong environmental and ethical standards. However, New Balance has started to make shoes using partially recyclable materials, a small step to their goals.
Another popular shoe brand, CHS Sophomore Anna Chomistek had been keeping her eye on a pair of pink Converse embroidered with bluebells. While out shopping with her aunt and grandma, she ran into someone trying to return a custom pair of shoes. The shoes were high tops in a shade of baby blue with daisies embroidered into them, similar to what Chomistek had envisioned for her pair.
When the cash register wouldn’t accept the return, Chomistek saw this as an opportunity. She asked the shopper what size they were, and they happened to match her shoe size perfectly, being size seven and a half.
“I really like Converse[s] that have flowers on them,” Chomistek said. “I thought the shoes were really cute.”
After discussing with the shopper, she excitedly bought the shoes from them at a discounted rate. Not only had she found Converse that she loved, but had purchased them for 120 dollars, 40 dollars less than what the buyer had previously ordered them for.
While some might not find Converse worth the high price, Chomistek disagrees. She mentions how the shoes held strong for around two years before starting to wear down—a great amount of time, considering she wore them daily. Even after they started to get old, she continues to wear them on days when she knows her shoes might get a little dirty such as when it rains during her commute to school.
“They’re great shoes,” Chomistek said. “I only wear them on rainy days now because they’re really old.”
Chomistek has also heard of people complaining over how the shoe fits. Some might think they’re too tight or not flexible enough to walk in. While she understands why and mentions that they are definitely a tighter shoe, it doesn’t seem to be an issue for her.
“I really like wearing tight shoes so I don’t mind it at all,” Chomistek said. “Just make sure you wear socks long enough to cover your ankles.”
Converse first began as a boot, with a marketed no-skid bottom and canvas sides appealing to buyers in the 1910s. Up until World War II, they made shoes enticing to basketball players and fans alike. However, contributing to war efforts, they shifted their focus in order to make thousands of shoes for soldiers overseas.
In 2003, Nike purchased Converse, leading to the iconic shoe known today. They have recently been making an attempt to become more sustainable by putting forth an effort to use ethically sourced materials in the making of their shoes. However, they have also been found barely paying their workers a living wage and have been lacking any transparency in what they are trying to do in order to reach their company’s sustainability goals.
Converse had previously set a goal of eliminating all hazardous chemicals in the making of their shoes by the end of 2025, a goal that is starting to look harder to accomplish. Nevertheless, it can be a good reminder of the ethics brands you buy from use. It is super important to many where they buy their products from. This is a major factor in the shoe industry. Find what matters to you, and look for items that fit your criteria.
Shoes can be such an interesting topic in how they fit your style, comfort and personality. Shoes can tell a story if you learn where they came from and think about where they might go. A person’s shoes can tell us so much about them, but oftentimes we might not take the time to think about them.
Shoes can mean different things to different people. They are something we wear daily, and some give more attention to what’s on their feet than others. They can truly be unique as we choose our shoes for a reason. They impact our lives.
