Shoes
Back to school in the fall means an influx of trends from around the world with St Andrews’ international student body. After a long four month break, everyone’s style is back and better than ever. This semester there have been clear trends in the footwear choices of students around town. Among the girlies, we’ve seen ballet flats and Adidas trainers. These are both perfect colorful shoe options that, with a matching bag, can spice up an all black outfit. The rebrand that ballet flats have gone through in the past few years has been key in their success recently. Shoes of business casual no longer, the flat is back and here to stay. The classic ballet flat would be the Repetto, but other brands have been stepping up to not only imitate but put their own twist on the flat. Take the GANNI sling backs for example. What a beautiful example that marries the daintiness of a ballet flat with the edginess of the eyelet belt, platforms and a pointed toe.
Personally, I wear a pair of ballet flats from Steve Madden that have a little block heel; definitely a Repetto dupe but as someone who lives in white sneakers I have to make sure I am going to wear something before committing to the $350 price tag. I chose red because I tend to wear a lot of white and black, and with red being the color of this fall it just seemed fitting. The Repettos come in a ton of colors, too - red, black, white, tan, a bunch of styles, flat, heeled, velvet, straps, laces; you name it, Repetto makes it. But, this is not a Repetto ad, there are many more affordable versions like my beloved Steve Maddens that execute the trend perfectly and elicit a ton of compliments! No matter your style there is a flat out there for you!
Next up are the Adidas trainers. These have become a STAPLE in St. Andrews, namely the gazelles and sambas. Coming in all sorts of colors it is so easy to find the perfect pair for your style. They are definitely a more round shoe with a very flat bottom. Adidas has also struck genius in rebranding from the superstars that peaked in 2016. I am still scarred from that era and because of that I haven’t snagged a pair yet. However, I have been eyeing up the Speziales in the navy blue/light blue color combo. One of the reasons these shoes are so popular is because of the endless possibilities in customizing them. All over TikTok there are videos replacing laces with ribbons, adding charms and more that add to the appeal of owning adidas. Casey loves her green trainers and wears them almost everyday. Additionally, every fashion influencer from Matilda Djerf to Victoria Paris has been wearing them for so long regardless of aesthetic. These sneakers have taken a hold of the white sneaker trend and thrown it out the window.
This fall’s shoe selection has been absolutely fantastic. With both the ballet flat trend and Adidas rebranding themselves, they have taken a chokehold on the fashion in St Andrews and around the world.