When thinking about what to pack and bring to school, be sure to keep in mind all of the different scenarios you may be in, and specifically, what kinds of shoes will work best for each.
1. Rain Boots
In the last year, on average I would spend between eight- and ten-minutes walking to class. On rainy days, that is a recipe for disaster which includes wet hair, wet clothes, and worst of all, wet socks. Don't make the mistakes I did. Do yourself a favor and make sure you have rain boots.
2. Running Shoes
Being in college means you have free access to multiple gyms. Bring your running shoes and utilize that gym in order to work off all of the cookies and ice cream you'll be eating in the dining hall.
3. Casual Shoes
It's always a good idea to have one staple pair of casual shoes to wear to class. Personally, I rely on my white vans. I recommend shoes that are easy to slip on and that go with everything, especially for those days where you sleep through your alarm and have to run out the door in four minutes.
4. Going-Out Shoes
Trust me on this, it is a horrible idea to wear your favorite shoes when you're going out. There are all kinds of mud and sludge on the floor and your shoes will never fully recover. Bring the shoes you were thinking of throwing out before leaving for school and use them as your party shoes. They are going to get ruined, so you might as well wear the shoes you don't care about anymore. (Plus they're already broken in so you don't have to worry about being uncomfortable while you're dancing!)
5. Heels
You never know when you may have a need to wear nice heels, whether it be recruitment, formal, or a fashion show in your dorm room. Expect the unexpected and bring a versatile pair of heels that can go with anything.
6. Professional Shoes
In high school, dressing up for presentations was usually only required if you wanted extra credit. However, in my experience, for college, it's pretty consistently been mandatory to wear something business casual for presentations. Not to mention all of the times you may need to dress up for interviews, job fairs, etc. It is in your best interest to bring a pair of shoes which look professional for all of these occasions.
7. Shower Shoes
The most important shoes you can bring to college is… shower shoes. If you are living in a dorm, you will not survive without shower shoes. The showers are disgusting and shared between your whole floor, so let me reiterate this again- BRING. SHOWER. SHOES.
