You’ve all seen them. Danskos--the shoes that changed my life. Now you’re probably not familiar with the brand name so I’ll refresh your memory. Your mom probably has a pair, they’re the comfortable, versatile, and, in my opinion, adorable shoes that are fit for just about every occasion. Now, surprisingly I get made fun of for my beautiful black patent leather Danskos, but you know—haters gonna hate. So here’s why I’m obsessed with my Danskos and you should be too.
When I purchased my first pair of Danskos at the age of 14, I was thrilled. I got a navy blue patent leather “professional” pair that rocked my world. I wore them pretty much constantly those first few months. I mainly wore them at my work which was a local bookstore. They made me feel all grown up since my mom and my grandma both had the same style.
Then the day came that changed how I viewed my new favorite shoes. It was the first day of high school. I loved these shoes and planned to wear them as a major fashion statement to that all-important first day of school. I had made a few friends on the volleyball team at my new high school and we were all hanging out at a little back-to-school party the day before classes began. We were bragging about our back-to-school outfits. Finally, it was my turn and I was CONVINCED that my outfit would be the winner. I start off with my super cute V-neck (it was a black V-neck, so I have no idea why I thought it was so cool). Then I move on to my brown peace sign belt from the one and only Aeropostale. I tell them about my super cute, brand new, boot-cut Miss Me jeans. Eventually, I get to the best part, my Danskos, and every girl turns their head and looks confused. I can still hear their reactions, “You mean mom shoes?” The next 20 minutes were devoted to them mocking my choice of shoes for the very, very, very important first day of high school.
That doomed the first pair of Dankos. They never saw the light of day again. Luckily my mom was the same size and took over the shoes because I was far too embarrassed to wear them. I continued throughout high school waiting tables at a local diner in my highly uncomfortable sneakers, too embarrassed to even contemplate buying another pair of “hideous mom shoes.”
My senior year, my lovely aunt got a pair of red leather Danskos and I was too envious for words. I decided that I needed another pair, so I bought some. They’re my babies, as I write this article they’re on my feet. The style of choice, yet again, was black patent leather “professional” Danskos. I wore them to work just about every single day all summer. I waited tables at a pizza place, and I was considered the most stylish server in my shiny black shoes. I scolded myself for ever thinking that these shoes were anything but perfection.
Then comes college. I got a job doing PR on campus. Working in an office definitely requires a professional dress code. This has made them my favorite shoe once again. I wear them all the time, and even though I still get some mom jokes now and again, I’m confidently in love with my patent leather babies.
So while this may be a silly article about how I look like a mom when I wear my Danskos, it's a little more than that. My Danskos are a marker for me to see how I grew, changed and matured. Instead of stressing and worrying about what others thought of me or how I looked, I grew up and now I like wearing comfy shoes. I don't care if people think they're ugly or that I'm weird for wearing them. My Danskos are something that show growth for me. So what's your thing? Something you've always loved but never been confident in. Be confident and embrace what you love, even if it's a pair of clogs.
