Casual Sportswear Shoes

          Shoes are probably my favorite article in the fashion world, as is with most girls. I can’t even begin to count how many shoes I have in general, not just sporty shoes. As you know, I have a great collection of Nike tennis shoes from my previous blog posts, but I also like to wear what I would describe as the casual shoes in sportswear.

Galaxy Authentic Low Pro Vans

          I am in love with Vans. I don’t know what it is about them, but I probably wear them 4 out of the 7 days during the week. I like how simple all their styles are. But, even those they have simple styles, they have every pattern or color imaginable when it comes to the designs of the shoes, and that's what makes them stand out from the rest. I’ve seen floral, galaxy, tribal, and rainbow tie-dye designs just to name a few. I myself own four pairs of the Authentic Low Pro Vans, but I only have them in the basic colors like white, black, gray, and navy. But, this summer I am really looking to expand my collection to the more vibrant colors like pink and bright yellow!

White Low-Top Converse

          Another type of casual shoes that have definitely made their comeback in the fashion world these past few years would be Converse. The most popular color among a lot of my friends and teenage girls in general is the classic white. I also have black and dark gray pairs as well. Converse are a classic shoe that will probably never go out of style and they come in both low and high tops. I mean, when you think of any old shoes the first image that pops into my mind would be the original black Converse.

          There are numerous different types of casual shoes that fit into the sportswear category like Sperry’s, but Vans and Converse are the ones I am most familiar with. Lately I have been wearing them a lot more than my beloved Nike Running tennis shoes. Crazy right?!?! But, if you are seriously looking for a reliable pair of shoes that you can wear with literally anything, I would definitely check out what Vans and Converse have to offer.

 

Images Courtesy of www.zappos.com and www.conversehighsneakersoutlet.com

Are Labels and Brand Names really that Important?

            I know I am guilty of this all the time. Just go read my blog posts and it is evident that brand labels are an important part of my posts, whether it’s Nike, Adidas, etc. But, I want to make a point that they are not everything. They don’t define who you are. They don’t determine whether you are worthy enough. They aren’t the end all be all of any type of fashion. Clothes are clothes.
            The brands you wear do not define or determine who you are as a person. Just because you wear knock off Nike sweatshirts, it doesn’t mean you are good enough to fit in with the people who wear the actual Nike brand clothes. If you were to find a knock off of an equal or better quality than the actual sweatshirt that I was wearing for example, I would be more impressed with you than myself, because you found a cheaper a more effective way to spend your money. Sometimes when buying certain types of sportswear, it’s all about how smart and efficiently you use your money, because the total cost can add up quickly when you are only looking for brand name stuff.
            Another point I want to make about labels and clothes is that they don’t define your worth. I remember back in middle school when I played AAU basketball, my team was at a regional tournament in Chicago. When we got on the court for one of our games, my team and I thought we were about to have an easy win because we were playing this small town team, with old reversible $5 jerseys, and we thought, “Oh, this won’t even be a game, they don’t know how to play basketball,” and boy were we wrong. We ended up losing a close game with them because we had underestimated them. This is just one example of how the saying, you can’t judge and book by its cover, is true with anything. You can’t judge or stereotype somebody just because they aren’t wearing the brand name, up to date clothing. If you want to get to know somebody, you have to talk to them and figure out their personality.

           This post that was supposed to be about sportswear and labels, turned in to a life lesson that I was not expecting. And I think that is what the main point in this post is really about, even though I didn’t realize it when I first began writing the post. I think what really needs to be remembered from this post is that spending more money for name brand clothes, doesn’t define you and determine your personal wealth. Yes, there are some people in the world who will judge you based on the brands you wear (and sometimes I even catch myself doing this) but a good person will judge you based on your genuine self and personality.



***NOTE: I just wanted to let you know that even though I did make this blog post about how labels aren't everything, that doesn't mean I will no longer post about name brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour because they are an integral part of my blog. When I review products or talk about the up and coming news in sports fashion, a lot of it will be centered on these name brands because they have such a wide array of topics to cover. I just wanted to write this post for those who may not be able to afford name brand clothes and let them know that they are no less of a person because of it.