Zippers and laces, colorful and bland, packed in cool boxes, these are the fairest shoes in the land.

Teenagers all over the world have been pulled into the whirlwind of the “shoe craze”, and Air Academy High School is no exception. Over the years, shoes have become more than just canvas covers for students’ feet; they have shifted to an important statement of style.

So, we attempted to explore why and how the students of Air Academy sport their signature appearance.

From Nikes to Adidas, Vans to Converse and Reeboks to New Balances, students purchase shoes from all different price ranges. One person could be wearing a stylish $50 pair of Vans, while another could be displaying a $150 pair of custom Nikes.

Below you can find a gallery for this month’s features shoes:

Gallery • 14 Photos

Sophomore Ryan Thompson wearing $120 Nike Air Max 90's

Many would argue that these expensive accessories are not worth their function. However, junior Maizie Daye comments, “I like to find shoes that I can wear with everything.”

“My all-white Converse are perfect because they go with basically every outfit,” she continued.

But, Maizie’s not the only one who agrees–almost all of the interviewees said that an important deciding factor in buying shoes was their versatility and how many pieces of clothing could be paired with them.

“I like to buy shoes for their style. I try to find things that are [on] trend but are also unique,” said sophomore Lisa Aitken.

Shoe lovers attempt to find kicks that follow the flow of the current style but also have a personalized artistic flare. A perfect example of a personalized trend are sophomore’s Ellie Hess’s customized Air Force One’s (featured image in the gallery). Hess sports a classic trend of white, low-top Air Force One’s; however, hers are accessorized with little orange polka-dots.

A unique feature of modern trends is truly our modern fascination with older decades. Shoe inspirations can derive from old fashion icons and look into the past for style originality. Many teenagers have brought life back into popular trends of the 70s and 80s. 

“I got these because Freddie Mercury (from the rock band Queen) was wearing them in the Live Aid concert back in 1985,” said Aitken, regarding her white Adidas Sambarose.

Although these precious accessories are pricey, few students regularly maintain their cleanliness. As Daye insights, “I don’t clean my shoes because I prefer the more vintage, used look.”

However, Junior Doug LaBouff does the opposite, as he cleans his shoes regularly with gentle formulas and brushes to keep them looking their best at all times.

“If they are cloth material, I will put them in the wash (washing machine) once in a while,” said junior Callissa Steel, who balances keeping her shoes clean and allowing time to leave its vintage mark on them.

Looking down at people’s feet has shown us the varied style here at AAHS, and how fashion is a unique term to every teenager. It can be a privilege to be able to express personal style at this school, as many schools in the United States enforce school uniform regulations.

However, Kadets do not need to posses expensive shoes to accessorize. As long as you are happy about what you are wearing, the world will extol your confidence, and AAHS students sure know how to express their magnificent style confidently.

High-tops and low-tops, thrifted or new, the style flow is non-stop–these shoes were just to name a few!