Every incoming college freshman will soon come to learn some of the major differences between college and high school. One of the biggest differences is that in college, comfort is typically a bigger priority than looking your absolute best.
Some shoes on this list are strictly for comfort, some are a good balance of comfortable and cute, and others are strictly for functionality purposes. At the end of the day, you can have peace of mind that you will be prepared for all college occasions with these shoes in your closet.
1. Chacos
This may seem very basic, but my life has changed not just as a college student, but as a human being since purchasing my Chacos. They are durable, easy to slip on and off, and are acceptable to wear anywhere on campus. You can't truly appreciate Chacos until you have had them for yourself.
2. A good pair of rain boots
If you ever get caught walking to class in the pouring rain, I promise you'll be wishing you had rain boots on instead of your tennis shoes that will be drenched by the time you reach your destination.
3. A pair of tennis shoes for walking to class
With all of the walking you will be doing your first semester of college, you'll need some good walking shoes to make sure that your comfortable and your feet aren't killing you at the end of the day. I also use mine as workout shoes, if you're into that sort of thing.
4. A pair of tennis shoes not for walking to class
These are those shoes that you want to keep looking nice since the ones that you use to walk to class are going to wear out quickly. These are the ones that you could spend a bit more money on for looks purposes.
5. Booties
A lot of us may already own a good pair of booties, but if you don't already know, booties can literally go with almost any outfit. They pretty much make your life a lot easier if you ever have to get dressed up and go out even if you don't want to.
6. Crocs
Don't let their bad reputation fool you, these shoes are a gift to mother earth and will give you the comfort you need when times become very stressful.
7. A dingy pair of flip flops or slides
If you have to leave your dorm room to go to your car or simply make a Taco Bell run at midnight, you don't want to have to sit there and take the time to put shoes on. Flip flops are the easiest shoes to just slip on and off when you just have to leave your dorm room for a minute or two and don't care about messing up/wearing out.
8. Birkenstocks
These are basically the opposite of your "dingy flip-flipflops." They easily slide on and off, are comfortable, but are cute at the same time. You also may take a bit better care of these since we all know Birkenstocks are not the cheapest shoes to own.
9. Converse
The reason for having Converse in college is pretty simple; they can be worn for almost any occasion. You can dress them down when wearing your Nike shorts to class or the library, or you can dress them up with denim shorts or skinny jeans when going out with friends. Every boy, girl, and living human being should own converse. Even my 50-year-old math teacher in middle school wore converses; its just a no-brainer.
10. UGGs or some variation of them
If you live in a place where it gets pretty cold in the winter time, you will thank me later. They're warm and cozy, simple as that.
11. Nice Sandals
This is similar to owning booties, except sandals are best suited for the summer time. They basically just make your life easier when having to dress up and go out even when you don't want to.
12. Comfy Slippers
The floor of your dorm room is probably not the cleanest at all times, so keeping some slippers to wear around is perhaps a good idea. Also, who doesn't love a good pair of fluffy slippers?
13. A pair of 'grownup' high heels
You are now entering into the world of adult, despite popular opinion amongst freshman girls, OTBT's just don't cut it in the real world. Simple nude or black heels is a necessity, and you will need to get them at some point.
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