Socks and Sandals

When walking through campus you would be hard pressed to not pass at least a few students wearing socks and sandals. From Birkenstocks to Nike slides, the sandal is represented heavily in the university setting. Personally, when I see someone sporting them I assume that they have some time in here at Ambrose. Meaning that they have foregone the freshman ideals of looking nice for classes and have chosen to be comfortable. I respect it. Yesterday I saw a guy in class wearing Birkenstocks with high white socks and I didn't even bat an eye. In any other formal setting they may be looked down upon, but there seems to be an unspoken acceptance of them here on campus. We have agreed, though not explicitly, that comfort is preferred over a certain look. Some may see it as lazy and that's understandable because they are basically the sweatpants of shoes. However, who doesn't love wearing their favorite sweatpants? Socks and sandals allow you to be physically comfortable and therefore confident in what you are wearing. They also are seen as gender neutral, allowing students greater freedom in their shoe choice. Whether it is a guy in Birkenstocks or a girl in Jordan slides, though they may be branded to the opposite gender, it doesn't seem to make a difference to university shoe culture. I love it and I hope the trend of comfort over signaling permeates more into our overall culture.