Each day before leaving their dorms or houses, Batesies finish their outfits by putting on shoes. A seemingly simple step may have larger motivations and implications. The shoes we wear from Commons to the Quad to class can define our personal style and send a message to the larger Bates community about who we are. Shoes are more than a mode of transportation; they represent an understanding of current trends, and self-expression, and serve as a nod to one’s carefully cultivated aesthetic.
The fashion industry has made a shift in the past few seasons from uniformity to originality and minimalism to maximalism. Displaying one’s persona through fashion never went out of style, but for a few years, it seemed that everyone had a similar wardrobe of neutral colors, plain tops and skinny(ish) jeans. Of course, there was uniformity in 2019 with the VSCO girl trend. During and post-Covid the rise of fast fashion in the form of companies, like Shein, brought a homogenous style but with an expanded color palette. Chunky, white sneakers, such as Filas and Nike Air Force 1’s, were common then.
While not fully “out”, Nike Air Force 1’s are certainly not the hottest shoe on the market anymore. The same can be said for Adidas Superstars and Stan Smiths. While each model has multiple colorways, the classic white sneakers do not seem to be on trend anymore. In June of 2024, Style Magazine published an article officially declaring that “White Sneakers Are Out.” Along with the obituary, author Natalie McGowan provided readers with an extensive list of trendy alternatives, many of which have been new staples of Bates students this past year.
The Adidas Samba has been having its moment in the sun for over a year now. By elevating the white sneaker with its multitude of color options, the Samba allows for personalization that several styles of the Air Force 1s may not have. Adidas Gazelle, Campus, Forum and Spezial have all gained popularity as well. The classic Adidas look lends itself to each of the previously mentioned styles. “They [Gazelle Bolds] are the perfect shoe to wear with jeans,” junior Kylee Fuller reported. But she urged the importance of wearing quarter-length socks. “Never ankle socks!”
The sleek appearance and small build oppose the chunky, large white sneakers of the late 2010s and early 2020s, another reference to turnover in the fashion industry.
The Adidas craze has certainly been accepted by those at Bates. It seems like everywhere on campus a pair of bright shoes with the characteristic three stripes can be observed. Each colorway provides for a semblance of identity to shine through. Whether it is the favorite or most worn color by the wearer, the style and shade picked allow personal connections to be perceived by the general public.
First-year Sasha Walker has a history with the brand.
“When I was younger, I used to wear the original soccer Sambas,” she said. “Junior year of high school, my friend had a green pair, so I decided to get one. I also have a black pair.”
The shoe never fully went out of style, but other looks from the brand took its place for a while. Now that the Samba is back, is it here to stay? Or is it another temporary trend, like that of chunky white sneakers? Nevertheless, Walker excitedly said that she may order a navy one to accompany her green and black pairs.
Beyond Adidas other shoe companies are aiming for similar adoration and profit. Brands like Gola, Dolce Vita, Onitsuka, and Reebok have become main players in the competition for the shoe of the season. All styles seem to deviate from one main source: the Samba. The shoe is a blueprint for others to understand consumer desires.
The cheetah/leopard print is another recent trend that has hit the streets in both fashion and footwear. Adidas, in collaboration with Wales Bonner, utilized the print in their more upscale style of the Samba with a distinct fold-over tongue. Steve Madden (and others) have similar shoes but at a discounted price. Though Steve Madden is not a cheap brand, the “name brand quality” of Adidas elevates the desire for the product, allowing a higher cost not to be out of the question.
Hot metals like silver and gold are an additional pattern that have been gaining traction. The alloy-like design returned to the runway beginning in 2022 and continued as a staple the past few seasons.
The new trends are certainly participated in at Bates. That being said, comfort is still a priority for most. While sneakers tend to be the top choice for footwear now, as the weather cools, Ugg season is soon to be underway. There has been a rise in popularity of the Ugg Classic Mini and Classic Ultra
Mini over the last few years. The iconic brand is ever-evolving to meet the consumer market. Worn by supermodels, influencers, and Bates students alike, Mini Uggs are truly all the rage. In 2023, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue deemed them some of the hottest shoes of the year. The brand never seems to go out of style as it changes with the fashion seasons to meet the next generation of Ugg-wearers’ needs.
On the note of comfort, finding a pair of athletic shoes that are cushy and easy to run in is another task Bates students have taken upon themselves. The new running shoes that are gaining popularity are On Clouds and Hoka. Though these companies have noticeable differences in the look of their shoes, both tote the idea of cushioning. The thick soles of the Hoka can be seen in many other athletic shoes from brands such as Nike, Adidas and Asics.
Other classic shoes donned by Bates students include Birkenstocks (two-strap sandals and the Bostons), Converse and running shoes of all brands. The hottest shoes on the market are still in competition with timeless brands. With the “crunchy” lifestyle participated in by many Batesies, footwear for hiking, biking and wearing Patagonia are closet essentials here. Those may be sandals, like Chacos or Tevas, or shoes that can access all terrains like Blundstones.
The cyclical nature of the fashion industry churns out new and reinvented styles constantly. As the world makes progress in new technologies, it becomes increasingly easy to create more design options at a faster rate. The rise of “microtrends” has emphasized this. The word is truly the sum of its parts, micro meaning very small, and trend is a current style or fashion, according to Meriam-Webster. The short-lived trends are “out” almost as quickly as they were “in.” They last between 3-5 years but now may only be popular for a few months at a time. They are not limited to fashion but often are understood as such.
Recently, microtrends have been heavily associated with Gen Z. Is our eye for style great? Or do we not know what we want yet?
Cheap, fast fashion brands, like Shein, design and produce merchandise at a constant pace to keep up with the quick-moving trends. The ease of this process is conducive to the ever-changing fashion world. Additionally, these brands have major environmental impacts. People often buy inexpensive clothing from these sites and throw them away after they leave the spotlight. Upcycling or donating does not happen as much as it should. Many of the items are made with materials such as polyester or nylon, which are not quick to decompose.
Microtrends have been around for a long time but with fast fashion and social media, they are rising and falling faster than ever before. TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest are often the avenues that microtrends use to take off and are three platforms that people utilize to show off their outfits.
Trends help to define fashion in the era. Macrotrends are longer lasting and oftentimes associated with specific decades. With the number of microtrends in the past 5 years, we cannot fully guess precisely what will be associated with the 2020s. Cinnamon cookie butter hair, blueberry milk nails, the “mob wife aesthetic,” and Barbie pink were all microtrends from the past year and a half.
The usage of bows and the bow pattern was huge this past year. All of a sudden, every article of clothing had the design on it. It was a part of the “coquette aesthetic” that gained popularity. Adorning furniture, shoes and hair with bows was a common occurrence in 2023. The trend seems to be dying down, but it is in no sense gone.
It is no secret that trends are often “out” just as the masses begin to understand them, a theme perfectly encapsulated by the iconic Miranda Priestly monologue in The Devil Wears Prada.
We cannot say what the fashion executives have picked out for 2026, but we can rest easy knowing they have already decided what is in and out for the next few seasons. Will colorful sneakers and Mini Uggs still be out? Only time will tell how people will be getting around in the future.
