David Whittimore
20
College Area/SDSU
DVS, $70

DVS. They’re a kind of skateboarding shoe. It’s been over a year since I bought them in some random surf-and-skate shop in North County. They’re all black, really comfortable, and they look good with everything else I wear. I never actually skate in them — I just like them because they’re comfortable. Skate shoes happen to be the style of shoes that my friends also wear. I like DVS, but some of my friends also wear éS, which is another good brand of skate shoe. Black dress shoes are a waste of money because I never end up wearing them. My parents must like the shoes I have, because they always pay for them.

Brian Dunn
17
Serra Mesa, West Hills High School
Payless brand, $15–$20

These are restaurant-style shoes. I bought them about nine months ago, so they were well worth the money. A lot of kids at school wear skateboard-style shoes because they’re the most trendy kind of shoe around. I definitely regret buying a pair of soccer cleats. The first week that I had them, they tore the back of my foot and wore my heel raw. Not too much later, the same cleats ended up falling apart. I hate any shoe with pink on it. Pink shoes are girl shoes, and no guy should ever wear pink. Now, the old Michael Jordan Nike basketball shoes, those were probably my favorite pair of shoes ever. I remember when I got them, back when I was in third grade, and I was the most popular kid in school that week. Now that I pay for my own shoes, my parents don’t care what kind of shoes I wear. When I get paid, maybe I’ll buy a pair of the Vans slip-on shoes to look good for the ladies.

Katie West
17
Tierrasanta, Serra High School
Nordstrom boot, $65

I’m wearing a pair of black-heeled boots. It’s been two years since I bought them at the Nordstrom in Fashion Valley. It was wintertime and I needed a warm pair of shoes, and these were really cute. Usually my friends and I wear Reef sandals, but it gets cold, so you need to have something else to wear. A lot of other kids at school wear Nike, but that’s not really my style. I once bought these shoes from Payless that had four-inch heels, and they gave me major blisters the next day. That’s what I love about these shoes; they’re comfortable even though they’re about to tear in half because I wear them all the time. I still Super Glue them together, because I love them. If I could buy any shoe, I’d probably buy something like Prada. I would never want to wear the European boots that have square toes, but boots with pointed toes look good.

Francisco Mayer
16
Chula Vista, Saint Augustine High School
Outlet brand, $10

I got these shoes at a San Ysidro outlet store. I’m not sure what the brand is, but for ten bucks I don’t care. I bought them last week, and I’ve been happy with them, because they look pretty good. My friends all wear Diesel, Vans, and Converse. The skater kids tend to go with Vans and Converse. The kids at school that wear Diesel are usually the rich kids from Tijuana. I once bought a pair of Vans for, like, 90 bucks, and they turned out to be not worth it. When I first bought them, they looked appealing to me, but they were just normal shoes. The best pair of shoes that I had were a pair of Adio skate shoes. What I liked about them was that they were durable and lasted me over a year. If a pair of shoes costs too much, my parents make me pay half. There are some outrageous prices for shoes, like the Kobe Bryant basketball shoe. Adidas made them, and they looked like boxes. I would never wear those.

James Fairview
16
Point Loma High School
Nike Air Force One, $79

These right here are the Nike Air Force One. I bought them on the Navy base a year ago. I got them because they have yellow on them and they match the yellow on my Lakers jersey. Nike and Converse are the most popular among my friends, because we all play basketball. None of my friends wear the old-school Chuck Taylor Converse, even though they’re making a comeback because of the throwback jerseys that are popular with sports fans and the hip-hop crowd. My Kobe Bryant Adidas were my biggest regret. They were $120 when I bought them. Two months later, they went down to $30 when his new shoe line came out. My favorite shoes are a pair of baby blue Timberland boots that I got to match my throwback Lakers jersey. Timberland, or Tims as most people call them, are a great boot. I have four pairs of them. My mom is really into fashion, so she likes it that I have a closet full of shoes.

Gloria Hu
23
Mira Mesa, UCSD
New Balance, $79

New Balance running shoes are what I’m wearing. I bought them at the Shoe Pavilion. They look good, and they’re comfortable for all the walking that I do around campus. My friends wear a lot of Adidas and Pumas. I don’t think any of my friends wear any brand names for formal shoes. I’ve been to Asia and have bought shoes from street vendors for, like, ten bucks that looked nice but hurt my feet. There are also a lot of fake brand-name shoes for cheap in Asia. It’s always pretty obvious that they’re fake; instead of “Gucci,” it will say “Kucci.” Adidas are my all-time favorites. Old-school Adidas shell toes rock. The only reason that I bought New Balances instead was that these were probably on sale. My dad also has the same pair, because he likes to hike and be active. If I could afford any shoe, I’d probably get a pair of Jimmy Chu shoes. I have no idea where they sell them though. If I had no money to buy shoes, I would stock up on shoes on my next trip to Asia. The plane ticket might offset the savings, but I would have a suitcase full of Kucci.

Kelly McCumber
19
Del Mar
Volatile, $40

I’m wearing Volatile shoes. I like them because they have a big sole, but they’re also a tennis shoe. I picked them up right before Christmas at a Journeys shoe store. The best thing about them is that they make me taller. Without shoes, I’m only five foot one, so it’s nice to wear a comfortable shoe that makes me feel taller and looks cute at the same time. Normally, my friends wear a lot of boots, but they also like to wear the old Chuck Taylor Converse All Star for a more casual look. When I bought a pair of shoes from Target, they were inexpensive, but they killed my feet. They were a pair of platforms that I only wore once because they hurt so bad. My Chuck Taylor Converse All Stars actually aren’t all that comfortable, but I still think they are my favorite shoe that I own. I think if money weren’t a thing that I thought about, I would go to, like, Italy and buy the shoes directly from the big designers. The Reef sandals have to be the best, though, for anyone on a budget, because they’re less than ten bucks and they last forever.

Christina Oliveras
19
Del Mar, MiraCosta College
Nine West, $80

These are boots from Nine West. They have a square, nearly round toe, because I won’t wear a shoe with a point toe. I bought them two months ago at Nordstrom. It’s nice to buy shoes from Nordstrom, because they have a great warranty. Ever since I was little, I’ve worn the same style of shoe. I haven’t fallen for the trendy pointed-toe shoes. Before, I used to wear penny loafers, because they had the same cut. The people I know wear whatever is cute. I have a great pair of Roxy sandals that have a little bit of a heel. Of course, they are black, because that’s the color I wear the most. Pink just doesn’t do it for me. For other girls pink can be cute, but not on me. A lot of people that I went to high school with at Torrey Pines always wore the trendy brands. I find when something becomes trendy, that’s when I want to stop wearing it. Although I do find myself wearing what happens to be trendy, but that’s because I wear what I like.

Angela Villanueva
19
College Area, Mesa College
Cathy Jean, $45

I’m wearing shoes by Cathy Jean. They were a gift from my best friend. We had gone shopping together, and I pointed them out and said that I liked them. A girl in my Spanish class at school actually had them, but I didn’t know where she got them. Steve Madden, Cathy Jean, Nomad flip-flops with the big foamy heels, and those cheap Old Navy flip-flops are the kinds of shoes that my friends wear. There are so many shoes that I regret having bought. I love Old Navy flip-flops, because they go with everything. I have three pairs of them, in blue, black, and white. My mom and I both bought a pair of the Dr. Scholl’s wooden-looking shoes; she got them in tan, I got them in white. I would probably buy all Steve Madden shoes if I could. I don’t think I could wear a lot of the trendy shoes on a regular basis. Those boots with lace-up high heels and pointed toes that Jennifer Lopez wore have to be the shoe that I would never wear.

Emily Adler
19
University Heights, SDSU
Tilt, $13

These are a pair of flip-flops that I bought at the Pacific Sunwear in Mission Valley about two years ago. I bought them for comfort. Flip-flops are fun and easy to wear. For casual wear or when I work out, I like to wear a pair of Nike or Adidas. A lot of my friends wear shoes like Louis Vuitton and Steven Madden. I live with a sorority girl; she and her friends are all about Steve Madden shoes. Even though Louis Vuitton shoes are expensive, they can still hurt your feet if they’re heels. You have to warm up the shoe by breaking them in a little. I never regret buying Louis Vuitton, because they’re great shoes. My favorite shoes have to be a pair of sparkly Steve Madden shoes that I wear when I go out. When I was in high school, my parents thought that I spent a little too much on shoes. I’d spend at least a hundred bucks a month on shoes, and that was usually only one pair. If I could, I would go to Europe and buy Gucci, Versace, and all the other kinds of good shoes. I’ve been to this place in LA that’s a big outlet and has last season’s shoes for a fraction of the price. You can walk out with a cute pair of shoes for, like, 20 bucks.

Andrew Rodriguez
17
Pacific Beach, Mission Bay High School
Converse All Stars, $35

I’m wearing a pair of Chuck Taylor All Star Converse. I picked them up about five months ago. Chucks are a kind of universal shoe that everyone wears at some point in life; I figured now is my time to wear a pair. A lot of my friends also wear Chucks. It’s like the underground punk scene that wears Chucks. In the past, I’ve paid a hundred bucks for a pair of skate shoes, and I realize now that they were totally overpriced. I ended up tearing them up pretty bad just by skating in them. My favorite pair of shoes had to be a pair of Etnies low-cut skate shoes. They lasted about six months, and I used them a lot. My parents are glad that I’m wearing Chucks right now, because they’re definitely cheaper than most skate shoes. If I had a lot of money to spend on shoes, I’d probably just buy a whole bunch of different colors of Chucks. If I were really broke, I’d shop around and look for the cheapest pair of Chucks that I could get. I would never wear a pair of really expensive, superbright-colored basketball shoes. I think shoes are overpriced. Some shoemakers definitely use sweatshops, and you know that those don’t cost them anything.

Erin
21
College Area, SDSU
Abercrombie & Fitch, $17

These are Abercrombie sandals that I had to buy for work. I work at Abercrombie in the Fashion Valley mall, and they require rubber-soled sandals. I could have bought any pair of sandals, but now I have this little plastic moose logo on the straps of the sandal. Most of my friends wear a brown leather sandal called Rainbows. College-age girls tend to wear a lot of Steve Madden shoes. Last year, I bought a pair of Pumas, and they weren’t happening for me. They were the old-school blue ones with the white stripe. I wore them twice and then never again. I don’t know what it was about them that didn’t work. My Rainbow sandals are probably my favorite shoes. They’re the kind of sandals that are comfortable and mold to your feet. Rainbow mainly makes guys’ shoes. Just recently Rainbow started making sandals for women, and the only real difference is that their girls’ shoe is a little narrower. Everyone wears sandals down here. I’m originally from the Los Angeles area, so my parents always ask me why I’m wearing sandals when I go home to visit.

Hillary
22
Pacific Beach
Brand unknown, $30

These are flip-flops, and I have no idea what brand they are. They were last year’s Christmas gift from my sister. I usually like a good pair of stilettos with a pointy toe; that’s kind of the in thing now. Aldo is my new favorite shoe store. The reason that I decided to wear these shoes is that I got a pedicure yesterday and I wanted to show off my toes. The laid-back, cool, hip crowd wears my shoe. I own a pair of brown leather slip-on shoes that look good but are really uncomfortable. My favorite pair of shoes has to be my black knee-high boots. I wear them all the time. They look good with a miniskirt. They’re the kind of shoes that you’d wear to a club. My mom doesn’t like my choice of shoes. I fall down a lot. I’m uncoordinated and I trip on things. There was this pair of shoes I had with a bow on them — they were really high heeled — and I tripped and fell down my mom’s stairs while carrying a Jell-O mold. She says that half the reason I fall is the shoes I wear.

Mike Gustovson
23
La Jolla
Merrell Moccasin, $70

I’m wearing a pair of Merrell slip-on moccasin-style shoes. Merrell is a very comfortable shoe. I bought them at Road Runner Sports about a month ago in the Kearny Mesa area. Besides being comfortable, they’re a reasonably priced shoe. The Nike All Conditions Gear line of shoes is pretty popular with my friends. They’re known as a trail-running shoe and are good for most outdoor activities. My favorite shoes are a pair of Nike Air Max. I’ve had them since high school. I take good care of them. When I bought them, they cost about $120. Since I’ve had them for about six to seven years, I think they were well worth the money. I was fortunate that price wasn’t an issue growing up. I don’t think I’d be caught dead wearing a pair of shoes that cost over a hundred and fifty bucks. I’d wear Timberlands, any basketball shoe, and I even own a pair of Dr. Martens.

Kimmy
17
Rancho Peñasquitos, Scripps Ranch High School
Converse All Stars, $35

These are Converse low-tops. I like them because they go along with my style. I bought them two years ago, and they’re still the style of shoe that my friends wear. My friends also wear Vans, but I once had a pair and I stopped wearing them after a couple months. Converse also makes a high-top with the anarchy logo on them; those are one of my favorites. I bought those at Journeys, and I think they’re pretty cool. The shoes that I’m wearing are my real favorites. They are the only pair of shoes that I have from before my house burned down. I saved the things that really mattered, like my guitar and animals. I don’t go shopping that often, so I don’t know where I would go buy shoes if I wanted to buy a lot of shoes. Some of my friends call the shoes I wear clown shoes, but my parents are cool with the shoes that I choose to wear. You would never see me in a pair of those tan boots with the fur in them. They are just way too girlie.

Simion Jordan
24
North Park
Airs, $14

I actually just picked these up at the Ethiopian store down on 54th Street. They’re not Nike Air, they’re just Airs. I needed them at the time, so I bought them. For the money, they’re pretty comfortable and don’t hurt my feet after walking around. I bought some Reebok Classics recently, and I was pretty disappointed with them. It was something about the material of the shoe. They were comfortable, but they didn’t look the same as the kind of Reebok that I used to sport back in the day. I owned a pair of Penny Hardaway Nike Air that I really liked. They looked good and were extremely comfortable. The only problem with basketball shoes is that they get old fast because there’s always new styles coming out. When my parents bought me the Penny Hardaway Nike Airs, they told me to be careful and not mess them up. For me, as long as the shoes I wear are suitable for what I’m doing and where I am, it doesn’t matter what kind of shoe they are or where I buy them. I still don’t think I would ever walk down the street in a pair of Zips. Everybody clowns Zips but your momma, and your momma would clown them, but she’s usually the one paying for them.

Eric Johnson
15
El Cajon, Granite Hills High School
K-Swiss, $60

These are black Classic K-Swiss. Not just anybody can wear these kind of shoes; you need to be top-notch. Black shoes match with everything you got. I bought these, like, two weeks ago at Foot Locker. Once I got a pair of Hyperflight Nike Air, and they looked cool for a minute. After a while though, they began to look trashy. K-Swiss have to be the best shoe: they look good when you first buy them, and they look good when you’re wearing them. My parents don’t trip on the shoes that I buy, because I get my own money. Like any parents, they only ask that I spend my money wisely. If I were to go out and spend all my money on shoes, I’d probably have a whole closet of K-Swiss. I’d have a pair of shoes to go with every outfit and two pairs of shoes for Sunday. If I didn’t have any money to buy shoes, I’d have someone else buy the shoes for me. I’d never wear a pair of red Chuck Taylor Converse. Where I live, you can’t wear red Chuck Taylor; it’d be too dangerous. I’m a big baller, so I buy whatever shoes I want, but you couldn’t pay me to wear a pair of red shoes.

Mark Gwen
17
San Diego, San Diego High School
K-Swiss, $60

I got some white K-Swiss. I bought them about a month ago at Foot Locker in Fashion Valley. I’m not afraid of wearing white shoes. Just take a look at these shoes. After a month, they still look new. I’m too clean with it. My other boys wear B-Boots, and we don’t mess around with too many other shoes unless they’re basketball shoes. I have bought some low-top B-Boots in the past that I regret. They looked all right with, like, one outfit, but with everything else I had they were played out. That’s why I like to stay with the K-Swiss. As long as my shoes match my outfits and I look tight, my parents are cool with it. They’d buy other shoes if I wanted them to, but I only ask my parents to set me up with K-Swiss. I’m lucky that I got my mom, because I don’t know what I’d do if I was on too tight of a budget that I couldn’t roll out in the K-Swiss.

Brieanna Yamomara
16
Clairemont, Charter School of San Diego
Nike, $40

The brand that I’m wearing is a Nike tennis shoe. It’s a pretty basic-looking shoe; it kind of has an older-school look to it. When I got them, I was looking for something simple, and these worked out. Puma, Nike, and Reebok are popular with my friends, because they like the casual kind of tennis shoe. It goes along with the hip-hop and rap music crowd. I had a pair of the big, foamy flip-flop shoes that a lot of girls wear, but I don’t like those anymore. I felt fake when I wore those kind. Girls that try to impress guys wear those shoes, and that’s just not for me. My parents don’t have much to say about the shoes that I wear. My dad wears similar shoes, so I guess he’s fine with my choice in shoes. If I were to buy more shoes, I think I’d probably buy more pairs of Nike or maybe some Adidas shoes. If I didn’t have money to buy good shoes, I’d just steal the same kind of shoes that I would buy if I had money. I would never wear those girlie shoes that are platform tennis shoes, because I think that they just look silly.

Azadeh Ansari
23
La Jolla
Connie, $25

These are Connie shoes that I’m wearing. The style is similar to a ballet slipper. I like them because they’re flats. It’s usually hard to find women’s shoes that look all right and fit well. For women, image ranks really high in our society, and the type of shoe that a person wears reflects how they carry themselves. I know that my friends and I don’t always look for particular brands, as long as the style of the shoe fits. I could never wear a pair of high-heeled sandals, because that would be too painful. I have a pair of mary jane shoes with a Velcro strap across the top, and I really love them; I’ve had them for a couple of years. I think my parents are more concerned with what kind of clothes I wear instead of what shoes I wear. I would never wear a pair of red high heels that look like the kind of thing that a stripper would wear.

Chris Adams
22
Solana Beach
Skechers, $20

I’m wearing Skechers. About three weeks ago, I purchased them at a fine Ross store. I would have to say that they are aesthetically pleasing, plus they were only 20 bucks. With the square toe, I think they have a certain European air about them. Some might say that they look like bowling shoes, but I dig them. Once I bought a pair of Nike from Ross, and there was a piece of plastic that kept poking me and I was let down by those shoes. The only time that I paid full price for a pair of shoes was for a pair of Adidas cross trainers that I’ve had forever. If I had all the money in the world, I’d get a pair of gold-plated shoes. Really though, I think I would still shop at Ross. I’m pretty poor right now, but if I had no money to buy shoes, I wouldn’t steal shoes, because I don’t want to go to jail. I saw this pair of shoes the other day on the basketball court that blinded me because they were so flashy, and I told myself that I would never wear a pair of shoes like that. Someone gave me a pair of Air Jordan and I wore them, but normally I’m pretty frugal and would never spend more than 40 bucks on a pair of shoes.

Cassidy
22
Encinitas
Nine West, $70

Nine West is the brand of heel that I am wearing. I have a lot of heels in my closet, because I’m short. I bought these a while ago at the Nine West in UTC. Even though I’ve had them for a year, I don’t wear them that often because they’re not very good for walking around in. These are strictly for appearance; most of the time that I wear them, I have to sit down. My friends and I like every kind of shoe. I love shoes. I’ve never spent too much for a pair of shoes, because there’s no such thing as paying too much for shoes. I’ve paid as much as $150 for a pair of shoes, but I’ve kept pairs of shoes for, like, five years. My favorite pair of shoes is a pair of red Converse with black-and-white checkered shoelaces. Even though they’re red, they still go with everything. My parents think that I buy too many shoes. I buy at least two pairs a month. If I don’t want to spend a lot on shoes, I’ll buy shoes at Target or Payless. Sometimes they hurt, but you just need to wear them enough and break them in and they’re okay.

Brian Johnson
23
Coronado
Reef, $69

These are Joey by Reef. I got them two weeks ago at Sport Chalet because a friend of mine has the same pair. If my friends aren’t wearing these, they’re wearing sandals. I don’t buy too many shoes, so I’ve never bought a pair that I didn’t like. My favorite pair of shoes has to be a pair of wing-tip Dr. Martens. I’ve had them for, like, four or five years. I paid more than $100 for them, but they’ve been well worth their value. It doesn’t really matter to me how much money I have to buy shoes. If I had more money to spend on shoes, I’d probably buy the same shoes. If I were real short on money, I’d wear sandals. I still would never wear a pair of Teva sandals; those are a big no-no in my book. You usually see hippies wearing those kind of sandals, and I’m not down with that.

Jason
21
Peñasquitos
Etnies, $55

These are Etnies Callicuts. I actually bought them because I thought they were slip-proof, but they turned out to be slippery as soon as you get them wet. My friends like Globes a lot. Globes are another brand of skate shoe. I have a friend with weird-shaped feet, and he likes Globes because the fit of the shoe is wider. Most skate shoes are pretty interchangeable. I had a pair of Dakine skate shoes, but I can’t say that they were much different from the Etnies shoes that I’m wearing. Journeys has a good selection of shoes, so I’d buy my next pair of shoes there. If I had all the money I wanted to spend on shoes, I would change my entire style. I like the dressier leather shoes that you can find at Aldo, or maybe the kind of shoes that are put out by Armani. The thing is, once I wore a pair of shoes like that, then I’d have to completely change the clothes I wear. I don’t think I’d ever wear the Euro bowling shoe with the square toes. Some of my friends wear them, and I don’t understand why.

Shaun
23
Peñasquitos
Skechers, $50

I have on a pair of low-cut Skechers. I got them on sale a couple months ago at the Marine base. When you go to the Skecher store, they can be pretty expensive. I particularly like the shoes I’m wearing because they are roomy and good for walking. My friends also wear Skechers and Steve Madden. Steve Madden is good because they have a casual line, but they also have dressier shoes. I don’t feel bad about any shoes that I’ve bought in the past, not even my Payless shoes. Maybe I don’t wear them too often, so they hold up. My first pair of Skechers are still holding up, and that’s part of the reason that I bought this pair. I’ve had my first pair of Skechers for years. My dad is retired military, and I happened to be on the base when I saw this pair. My mom really liked them; she bought them for me. I think she wanted to buy herself a pair too.