When looking around at the people that stride through the halls of FHC, it is very quickly noticeable who has admirable taste when it comes to pairing the perfect shoes with an outfit.

For senior Grace Crook, her shoe collection grows as she finds more pairs matching multiple outfits. With different styles and shades of the same color coming into play, Grace has found a formula that suits her style.

“I have so many pairs of white shoes,” Grace said. “There are different styles for everything; you can’t wear white [Nike] Air Force [1s] with certain things, but you can wear a different pair of white shoes for [that] outfit because it goes [better] together. So, I feel there are so many different styles for each different type of shoe that you can [wear].”

Putting effort into outfits and the precise selection of shoes boosts confidence and provides others with inspiration for their own wardrobes.

While Grace pairs her many shoes with her different outfits, she feels that the elevated look of a stylish pair of shoes creates a sense of self-assurance within her daily routine.

“I feel really good [when I’m wearing a nice pair of shoes],” Grace said. “I feel like confidence comes with your outfit, and if [I] feel good, I feel like I’m more social and I want to talk to people and show off my outfit and [shoes].”

Similar to Grace, junior Liam Bennett also gains a fair amount of confidence when he pairs the perfect shoes with his outfits.

The daily self-esteem boost provides a setup for a good day and allows certainty to be found in appearance.

“I feel more confident when I wear cool shoes,” Liam said, “because I don’t need to worry about looking [bad] if I’m wearing cool shoes, so it’s a confidence boost. I forget where I heard this analogy, but shoes are like rims on a car because if you notice there’s a cool car [with bad rims], [it’s] like a good outfit with bad shoes, but if you wear a bad outfit and it has good shoes, it’s like when you see a bad car but with good rims.”

Although nice shoes provide Liam confidence in his everyday life, he also notices those around him and the different shoe trends that tread through FHC.

The sense of mutual respect between shoe lovers is real, putting effort into styling the right pair correctly is noticed and admired by others, whether they realize it or not.

“I don’t really notice if people have bad shoes,” Liam said, “but I notice good shoes. If I see somebody and they have a cool pair of shoes, I notice that, but if they have [bad] shoes, I don’t really pay attention.”

When walking through the halls, it’s hard not to notice a nice pair of shoes, especially if you also appreciate different styles and types of shoes. Similar to Liam, Grace also finds herself looking down and admiring peoples’ footwear choices.

“Shoes are really cool to me,” Grace said. “I always look at people’s shoes, not judge them but just [to be] like, ‘Oh my gosh, they have cool shoes.’ It’s a good conversation starter because I can go up to people and say, ‘Your shoes are so cool,’ and then we’ll have a little conversation about that, and it’s something [we] have in common [now].”

Junior Madi Evans also enjoys styling and admiring different shoes.

Whether it’s buying her own pair or just simply looking at new releases from her favorite shoe brands, Madi loves paying attention to the ever-changing fashion.

“I love shoes because I think [they] can make any outfit,” Madi said. “I think it’s super fun to match colors within shoes to tops or fun pants, and [doing that] also can elevate any look super easily.”

With admiration for a nice pair of shoes, obviously, favorite pairs will follow. For Madi, it is hard to choose, but she was able to decide based on everyday wearability and comfort as the main contributors.

“I have a pair of Jordans 2 Union collabs, and I think they’re my favorite,” Madi said, “just because everybody hates on the [Jordan] 2 silhouettes, but they are just such a classic look, especially with the Union collab. It’s a really cool take on the silhouette, and they’re super comfortable.”

Grace also values similar factors when it comes to her favorite pair of sneakers.

Being able to pair shoes with multiple outfits and still create a stylish look is an important factor for Grace, so without hesitation, she was able to name her go-to pair of shoes.

“My New Balance 550s [are my go-to shoes],” Grace said, “because they’re not all white—there’s cream in them—but I really like them because they’re a little more elevated than [Nike] Air Forces [1s] or anything like that. They’re really comfortable, too, and they go with everything; [I] can dress them up and down.”

With a comparable sense of style and great amounts of knowledge on how to identify unique shoes, some students undeniably have impeccable taste for what they choose to walk through the halls wearing.

“[If I see someone with nice shoes], I know they know what they’re doing,” Liam said. “If they’re willing to spend that much money, they know what they’re doing when it comes to styling. If they’re going to spend $200 on a pair of shoes, then they probably are not going to look bad [wearing] them.”