Love them or hate them, most people have a pretty strong opinion on the Birkenstock, aka the “Jesus sandal.” I wear them pretty much everywhere, even places where it is objectively inappropriate to wear orthotic shoes. Over the time I’ve been a Birk aficionado, I’ve received dozens of unsolicited comments on my shoe choice. While there's a lot of variation in how people approach this fashion intervention, here are the five basic reasons people tell me not to wear Birkenstocks.

1. “They’re not cute.”

Do you think that I roll out of bed at 8 a.m. and walk a mile to class every morning to be cute? Nah, son, I’m here to learn in comfort. College women across America aren’t hopping on the train to Birkville because they’re the cutest things since Louboutins, they’re wearing them because they’re a comfy pair of shoes to throw on and go anywhere. Airports? Beaches? Formals? Classes? Hikes? Football games? All places I have worn Birkenstocks. Call me dedicated.

2. “Boys don’t like them.”

Since when have I cared what boys like? If the frat boy in my night class is swiping left because of my sardonic footwear choices, then quite frankly, I don’t care about him. Too much emphasis is placed on fashion as a means of attracting men rather than expressing oneself. Feeling comfortable and confident in one’s own sartorial choices is all that should really matter.

3. “Birkenstocks are essentially the same thing as Crocs/Uggs/platform sneakers; they’ll go out of fashion in a few months.”

Here’s the thing about Birkenstocks: they’ve been around since 1774. Birkenstocks are literally older than America. And, unlike that revolution, Birkenstocks have the support of the British.

I’m pretty confident that they’ll stick around in one form or another for a while. Plus, you know what never goes out of style? Arch support, healthy joints, and happy feet.

4. “Birkenstocks are only for hippies/tree-huggers/lesbians/vegans.”

See, when people say things like this, what I really hear is “I am personally prejudiced against at least one of the aforementioned groups and assume that you, as a straight college girl, share this prejudice and agree that Birkenstocks are only for people I find objectionable on one or more level.” Well, guess what? I don’t share your prejudice, so please get your bigotry away from my Birks. I'm careful about stains.

5. “They make you look like my aging hippie professor”

Yeah... okay... but is this a bad thing?