Will Haenni
Walking practically barefoot, Will Haenni, junior, wears one of the most unique yet simple pairs of shoes around: Vibram FiveFingers. Designed to fit the shape of the owner’s bare feet, the shoe promotes a natural approach to exercise by allowing the natural muscles of the foot to strengthen without extra cushioning.
“I wear them because I think they’re comfortable,” Haenni said. “It feels like you’re barefoot. You step on stuff, you feel it, but it doesn’t really hurt.”
Though Haenni knows other students who own pairs of the shoe, he sees no one else wearing them on a regular basis. Wearing them sparks a mix of reactions of students who are not used to seeing five rubber toes wiggling freely in black polyamide fabric.
“The reactions are about half and half,” Haenni said. “It’s either, ‘Wow, those are really cool,’ or, ‘What the hell are you wearing? Those are the weirdest things I’ve ever seen.’”

Marquisha Terry

Simplicity, comfort and versatility make up a shoe that can be dressed up when feeling fashionable or worn with sweat pants when feeling lazy. That is why Marquisha Terry, freshman, loves her grey sweater knit Uggs.

“My Uggs are great, you can wear them on relaxation days or on days you simply want to look good.” Terry said. “Uggs do not have to be worn with a set outfit, you can really wear them with anything.”

Terry’s style is an expression of who she is and how she is feeling on a given day. Whether it is a mixture of a wild hairstyle mixed with bright colors, or a calm do with relaxing colors, Terry tries to focus on shoes that can be worn with more than one outfit, so she focuses on colors that can be versatile.

“I think I picked my grey Uggs because they can be worn with a bigger variety of colors and it is a calm color,” Terry said.

Simplicity and comfort for the cold weather, that is the perfect shoe for Terry.

Megan Kilian

Instead of paying an extra $40 for customized shoes, Megan Kilian, sophomore, had her pair of Converse All-Stars personally designed for free. Drawings of an orange sunset, peace signs and several music notes in bright colors cover the once white shoes. Kilian gave the pair to her friend Madeline Keel, sophomore, to turn the plain-looking sneakers into a completely original work of art. Two weeks later, Kilian received the shoes, along with a new way to stand out in the crowd.

“I’ve gotten a lot of compliments,” Kilian said. “People have asked if they could get similar pairs, but it’s not really possible because they’re so unique.”

Christine Hakenjos

A tall wedge with black snakeskin straps wind up her ankle. This is how Christine Hakenjos, junior, describes her favorite shoe.

“They are really unique, and I have never seen anybody else with a shoe like them before,” Hankenjos said. “I will only wear them for a special occasion; I don’t want to waste wearing them with no place to go.”

When shopping for the perfect pair of shoes, especially high heels, Hakenjos always knows just what she is looking for and will not stop until she finds it.

“I want shoes that not a lot of people have and that can really catch other peoples attention,” Hakenjos said.

Half the fun in high heel shopping for Hakenjos is never knowing when she will be able to wear them. As for her black snakeskin wedges, she is just waiting for the perfect party.

Diamond Boyd

Zoom Kobes. Black low top Nike shoes with a yellow heel and a purple Nike swoosh. They are the perfect shoe for Diamond Boyd, senior.

“They are the best because I am in love with Kobe Bryant [forward for the LA Lakers],” Boyd, said. Through the Nike Very Important Program [VIP] program Boyd received a text about the new Bryant shoes coming out and was able to get them a week before they were released.

“When I am in my Kobes, I feel on top of the world,” Boyd said.

Boyd not only loves to wear the Kobes, but they must be paired with the perfect outfit as well, consisting of: her Bryant Most Valuable Player (MVP) shirt and a pair of jeans or just a simple pair of shorts. Boyds’ love for Kobe was the main deciding factor when it came down to buying her favorite pair of Nike tennis shoes.

“I love [Kobe Bryant]. He is the best player in the game right now and my future husband,” Boyd said.

For the love of a team and one very special MVP that holds a place in her heart, Boyd will never be shy while wearing her favorite tennis shoes.

Brad Kuziel and Dan Papineau

The ‘90s are over, but two pairs of ankle-top, air-compressed Reebok Pumps keep the old school spirit alive. Wearing shoes roughly the size of a small boot, juniors Brad Kuziel and Dan Papineau sport their brightly-colored sneakers as a part of the self-entitled weekly event, Pump-It-Up Fridays. Containing a squeezable, rubber button on the upper tongue of the shoe, the Pump was designed to give extra support around the ankle.

“They make me faster and more agile,” Kuziel said. “They make me play basketball better too. Or at least, I think they do.”

Neither Kuziel or Papineau play basketball or use their shoes in sports but rather display them as an expression of individuality and respect toward the fashion masterminds of the early ‘90s. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air would be proud

“Wearing them is just something different that I can do,” Papineau said.