I absolutely despise packing. Whether it's for something as simple as an overnight or for something as complicated and time-consuming as college, I dread packing and always wait until the last minute to do it. Last year, I struggled especially with packing shoes because I had no idea what to expect and ultimately ended up packing way too many pairs. Now with almost a year of college under my belt, I feel that I have a pretty good idea of the five types of shoes you need to bring in order to make packing as pain-free as possible and not feel like you are lacking shoes.
Walking To Class Shoes
Unfortunately, college involves a lot of walking. I made the mistake of wearing cute shoes my first day of classes and came back in pain with blisters, I never made that mistake again and began switching between my sneakers and my beat-up converse and was a lot happier as a result. Trust me your feet will thank you when you don't get blisters from attempting to wear cute sandals when walking twenty minutes to a class.
Frat Shoes
Also known as shoes that you aren't afraid to ruin. While these dirty shoes are commonly seen on the elevated surfaces of frats, I have also found that my frat shoes have come in handy when it is raining outside because they are shoes that you literally do not care about ruining. As someone who once wore white vans to a frat and spent the entire time trying to keep them clean, making the switch to my three-year-old Adidas which by some miracle I decided to pack was my best decision. Please pack a pair of shoes you are not afraid to ruin, you will need them.
Actually Cute Shoes
Now is the time where you pull out your shoes that you wouldn't dare getting dirty and pack them. These are great for when you are doing any activity that isn't going to class or frats, mainly hanging with your friends or going to dinner somewhere (on the rare occasions when that happens). My shoe of choice are my white vans that I miraculously managed to keep clean after I wore them to a frat. These shoes are used less frequently but are still important and vital to bring.
Comfy Shoes
These are shoes that rarely leave your dorm or apartment because going barefoot is not socially acceptable in a public place. After a long day of running around these are the shoes you look forward to going back to your dorm or apartment for because they are just so comfortable. I alternate between my slippers and my Crocs because they are the two pairs of shoes that make me feel like I'm walking on a cloud. Shower flip flops are also acceptable for comfy shoes.
Winter Shoes
Especially if you go to college up north, you know the dread of when it starts snowing unexpectedly and you are wearing shoes that aren't built for snow. Winter shoes become one of your essential pairs of shoes during the winter and can include winter boots or if you're like me and still own your Uggs from eighth grade, Uggs. People always forget that up north, warm weather lasts for a grand total of a month after you go to college, and pretty soon you will be saying goodbye to your flip flops and hello to your winter boots.
There you have it, the five types of shoes I consider essential when packing for college. Especially with all of the uncertainty surrounding this year, the easier you can make your life while packing, the happier you'll be. Hopefully, this was helpful and happy packing (just kidding packing is still awful).
