As students mill around the quad, bathrooms, and Student Union, one must only look down and see the amazing shoes students own.
There is a sea of Air Forces, Jordans, Yeezy, Sambas, and many other brands.
As November sets in, shoes keep dropping, and there is a huge community loving the surge in cool sneakers.
Sneakerheads don’t just enjoy the shoes for their style; they also appreciate the community. Griffin Klose, a junior at Carlmont, got into sneakers because of his cousin.
“My cousin started wearing them, and I thought they looked pretty cool. He showed me the website where he got them, and I bought my first pair of sneakers. Now, shoes are a conversation starter,” Klose said.
Sneakerheads get into shoes in all kinds of ways. Whether it’s through a family member or a classmate, sneakers help people become part of a community.
“No one really got me into sneakers; I guess it was my friend group. We all just started to wear them,” said Anthony Decarlo, the owner of Glass Case, a shoe resale store at the Hillsdale Mall. “I really like sneakers because they are so unique. It expresses your individuality and who you are as a person. Everyone needs shoes so people from all walks of life are able to enjoy them. “
It creates an amazing community where people celebrate each other for being themselves. — Anthony Decarlo
There are different shoes for all kinds of people.
“I got into my shoes from basketball,” said Dhatri Vennela, a sophomore at Carlmont. “The shoes help me make new friends, I always compliment people on the court about their shoes.”
As a basketball player, her favorite shoes are the Zoom Freaks.
While you can see students glide around in all kinds of shoes, there are two leading shoes that Carlmont students adore.
“Everyone is trying to get the Jordan 4s and Dunks. Kids who want to get into shoes always get the Pandas,” Decarlo said.
Connor Schaefer, a sophomore at Carlmont, is one of many students who appreciate the Jordan 4s.
“One of my first shoes was ‘Jordan 4 Laser Black Gums,‘” Schaefer said.
High Schoolers like the “4’s” because they are a timeless classic, and Nike is always coming out with new versions of them.
“I think they just really help top off your fit and make you look good,” Klose said.
This can be seen throughout Carlmont as students pair their favorite shoes with cool pants that match.
“I have a lot of different styles so I have shoes for all of them,” Vennela said.
Students acquire their shoes from people like Decarlo all the time.
“We market ourselves to teenagers. We have a rack of used shoes. I know that when I was a high schooler, my mom would never let me get expensive shoes, but $100 or $150? Sure. I think that it is important to make sure high schoolers nowadays can get shoes even if they don’t have that kinda money,” Decarlo said.
More and more shoes are being released as the year goes on, so students have plenty of options to choose from. At the end of the day, your November “cop” is up to you.
“Get something simple and easy for you to wear. I wouldn’t recommend any shoe to someone without meeting them. You have to choose your shoe because it has to be unique to you and in your price range,” Decarlo said.
