Shoes may often be the last piece of one’s outfit-cultivating process… the forgotten accessory, a thoughtless decision. While the average American owns 19 pairs of shoes, it’s probable that a good third is used for athletic wear, a few boots that get dusted off about once a year, dress shoes, and maybe only a couple of casual sneakers that are worn day after day. But for junior Julia Taylor, her shoe game is central to her style. Julia has been collecting them ever since she was a little kid when her sister Mercedes started collecting shoes and often gifting them to Taylor at discounted prices. “[Mercedes is] really stylish and so I think I kind of got inspired by her style and started incorporating that,” Taylor said.
Primarily, Taylor looks out for Nike and Reebok shoes and she always loves her classic Jordans. Jordans are known for being durable, comfortable, constructed with high quality, and long-lasting. Not only do they physically stay in shape, but the trend has spanned over decades. Even though they were released in 1985, they have come back in style recently. Jordan is now one of the most well-known sneaker brands in the United States, and across generations.
“[Jordans go] with anything I wear right now… I’m literally wearing fuzzy pajamas,” Taylor said. Taylor feels that she can wear them both formally and casually. She doesn’t limit herself to one color either, as she has the sneakers in yellow, blue, green, and many other colors.
Sometimes, Taylor will buy customized sneakers from her sister: “One of the shoes I have has charms on the air forces,” Taylor said.

However, Taylor also acknowledges that shoe collecting isn’t exactly a cheap hobby. For Taylor, she can purchase shoes affordably from her sister who goes through the effort to buy them discounted. Not everyone has that luxury, though. Taylor recommends looking at sites like Brokenrobots to find good prices. Taylor suggests “finding ways to find discounts or knowing someone who knows how to do that …don’t be lazy,” she said.
After the school day, Taylor doesn’t find much maintenance needed for the shoes. She treats them thoughtfully throughout the day, avoiding activities that can dirty them, and keeps them in good condition. “But once a month, maybe every couple of months, I’ll clean them with some shoe clean,” Taylor said.
Taylor urges those looking to expand their shoe collection to experiment with different colors and wear them confidently. “If you wear it confidently then it looks cool to other people,” she said.