I love shoes as much as any girl. While I would go barefoot everywhere if it was socially acceptable, I love footwear. Shoes are an easy way to change any outfit from day to night, summer to fall, girly to edgy, etcetera. Just as importantly, it's so much easier to shop for shoes than it is to shop for clothes. It takes longer to find a pair of jeans that fit perfectly than it does to play Monopoly. Finding shoes that fit takes about 98% less time. That's my scientific estimate. 

The disheartening fact of the matter, though, is how much shoes can affect how you are perceived. That little bit of material covering your feet can pin you as preppy, sratty, outdoorsy, hippie, high maintenance, you name it. A girl's choice of shoe is obviously influenced by her personal style, but it is intensely shallow to judge her based on her footwear of choice. 

A sorority girl (or any girl for that matter) should not be labeled as "basic" for wearing Jack Rogers sandals or brightly colored Nikes with her running shorts. She should not be shamed for wearing Uggs in the freezing cold or high heels whenever she wants to--even to class. No one should be bothered about their tendency to wear Chacos for any occasion or for their preference for short combat-style boots over tall riding boots. Short heels, high heels, no heels at all, your formal shoes are your choice and no one else's. In fact, I commend you for braving Charleston's infamously uneven bricks and cobblestones in your patent leather stilettos.

My best friend and I could not have more opposing styles. She is Vineyard Vines, Lilly, pink and navy blue while I am Urban Outfitters, comfort, neutrals and green. She loves her Rainbows and Uggs and I love my Chacos (even if I'm not conquering a mountain that day, although I honestly might be) and short grey boots. I don't care what shoes she wears because, regardless, she is still my best friend. 

We are taught not to judge a book by its cover, a person by their skin color, or anything at all by its appearance. It is ridiculous to me how various shoes and shoe trends are stereotyped so ruthlessly. Your choice to wear or not wear a certain type of shoe is your own, and everyone else's choice is their own. Stop the shoe shaming.