I love shoes, especially pretty, cute, impractical ones, but despite attending a medium sized university, I do a lot of walking in a day. You see, my school was build in the 1960’s and, therefore, was build like a maze to aid in riot control – seriously – this, coupled with the fact that I am cheap enough to park half a kilometre further away to save a hundred dollars, equates to a rough day for my feet. However, do to a possible personality flaw, I am not willing to sacrifice my style to wear comfortable skate shoes or flip-flops everyday. For everyone else who is in the same boat as me, hopefully one that comes with a first mate who isn’t stingy with the foot rubs, here are my recommendations for back to university footwear.

Flats

Flats will be your most versatile and dependable shoes at university. They are pretty enough to be worn with skirts and dresses, yet casual enough to be worn with jeans and don’t require the heroics involved with wear stilettos all day. They can also be thrown in your purse for a quick winter boot exchange in the snowy months, my mother did teach me to never drive in the winter wearing something I couldn’t walk several stormy kilometres in, after all. I recommend several pairs of flats, at least two in basic, neutral colours like black, brown or metallic with at least one fun colour.

Wedges

Wedges walk the line between fashion and comfort; they provide the long and lean look of heels but are easy to walk in and, therefore, easy on your feet like flats. I find that wedges with a bit of a platform are more comfortable than those without because they have that little extra bit of cushioning between your foot and the ground. Closed-toe wedges, though less cute, are a better purchase as they can be worn longer into the colder months.

Vintage Heels

Vintage heels, though having a tendency to be more expensive, also tend to have shorter and wider heels on them making them easier to wear to school. They are frequently well made, well balanced, classically styled and comfortable enough for all day wear, making them a good investment. Luckily, vintage-inspired heels also posses many of these terrific qualities.

Oxford Heels

Oxford heels generally have a closed-foot construction that makes them more comfortable and walk-able than other high heeled shoes and with a name like Oxford, how could you resist the cliché. As they continue to gain fashion popularity, they become available in a wider array of fun colours. I would defiantly recommend picking up a pair this year.

High Top Converse

Though I have many male friends who insist otherwise, I find that high top converse shoes don’t winter-over well and are, alternatively, best suited for fall and spring. The canvas fabric that these classic shoes are made with make them ideal for wet weather but it takes some pretty thick socks to make these unlined shoes warm enough for snow. Once properly broken-in these durable shoes will be some of the most comfortable you’ve ever worn, you’ll put holes in your socks before you’ll put holes in these shoes. Converse, or Chuck Taylors as our American friends call them, are available in a kaleidoscope of colours, pick your favourite.

 

Life’s too short to wear boring running shoes everyday, spice things up by throwing some flats, wedges, vintage heels, oxford heels or high top converses into your wardrobe rotation. Running shoes should only be worn when running, and yes, in University, running late counts.