In a world that is constantly changing, how do we keep up with the fashion trends? How will we know if these trends are even going to last long enough for everyone to participate? How do we differentiate fast fashion from lasting fashion?
Fashion trends have always been a thing, and over time, they have continued to develop. Fast fashion, which is mass-market companies producing cheap clothing in response to the latest fashion trends, is the most common and most environmentally harmful type of fashion. On the other hand, lasting fashion is looking at trends in a realistic manner to determine whether or not they will last over a longer period of time. One trend that has sustained popularity involves shoe brands and colors. BBCHS students seem to follow sneaker trends, but within reason.
An anonymous student discussed the footwear at BBCHS enthusiastically. They said that Nike, Air Jordan, Vans, and Birkenstocks are the most popular shoes, with the most popular colors being black and white. Blue, red, and gray are also extremely popular shoe colors, but they’re mostly used as accent colors. They said that low top shoes are extremely popular, but they don’t provide much support for the ankles. Most teenagers wear their shoes until they’re wearing down (and some even wait to get new ones until they have holes in them or the sole is falling off), but that doesn’t stop students from spending up to an estimated $300 a year on shoes, depending on the student of course. The anonymous student says that teenagers don’t buy shoes to display them often, “unless [they’re] signed or belonged to someone famous.” They say that teenagers mostly look for comfort, nice colors, and good durability, but price and comfort play the greatest roles in their decision to buy the shoes they see on the shelf or not. Overall, students at BBCHS seem to have an eye out for shoe fashion trends.
Christina, better known as Christinabtv across all social media platforms, is a fashion influencer who wants to “simplify fashion for [her] peers.” Her target audience is millennials, but teenagers are also heavily influenced by her across many platforms. Her content is relatively short, ranging around 10-20 minutes per video. In her video titled “What’s In Vs Out: Fall Shoe Trends 2024!,” she says that the most popular shoes being sold to teenagers are Nike Air Force and Adidas. She agrees that the low top shoes are the most popular, and that the colors black and white are the most common, but she says that shoes with logos will be out of trend for a while. On-brand shoes are the most expensive, but most people find very similar knock-offs for much cheaper at places such as Amazon or Walmart. Women and men spend about the same amount of money on shoes a year, but differences in income can determine whether or not decisions like comfortability and appearance are actually important factors to consider. She says that most people don’t buy shoes just to display them, but rather they take good care of them while they’re being worn. She claims that the hardest shoes to do anything in are inconvenient day-to-day shoes, and the easiest are sneakers. Christina seems to know a lot about keeping up with trends – that’s her job, after all!
Whether or not you keep up with the trends, there’s always going to be a shoe that fits your foot just as perfectly as Cinderella’s glass slipper. Fast fashion trends come and go, and some even return – so don’t think about throwing those Converse away yet! When you’re thinking about buying shoes, think about the current fashion trends. Analyze whether or not the shoe you’re looking at is a fast fashion trend or a lasting fashion trend. Think about the type of feedback you want to receive from the shoe, as well as what level of comfortability you want. Stay in your price range and don’t just buy new shoes because they’re popular right now. Practice smart spending to be more environmentally friendly and don’t let other people’s opinions sway yours.