From Nike to Adidas, sports shoes have become a phenomenon beyond just equipment people wear on their feet; they’re symbolic of a player’s character. Senior Ellen Kendall, representing the Basketball LadyPack, says, “I wear Lebron shoes, because I’m as good as Lebron.” Although the comment is satirical, it raises how a certain brand of shoes can be associated with a high skill level. This presents the idea that there are more to shoes than meets the eye.
None other than Junior Colette Martinez, 2025 CIF Wrestling 170 Champion, says her wrestling shoes are bright because, “my shoes do reflect my personality since there are bright colors but still some neutral black to balance it out.” Similar to a color palette of an animal like a Poison Dart Frog, bright neon colors symbolize warnings for predators to stay away. Martinez’s shoes are a warning for opponents she encounters on the mat. For an elite athlete like Martinez, she relays those subtle skills, “if they have Ex-eos or Rulons [both highly accredited wrestling shoes] … they must have been wrestling for a while.” Martinez proves that these skills aren’t found on CIF ranking lists but in the colors on their feet.
As athletes grow older, so do their needs; some prefer traction or height in basketball, while in soccer, qualities of durability and the addition of padding. Kaileen Miranda, a junior, who has been playing on the Wolfpack Girls soccer team for the past three years, says, “Cleats with ankle support come with older priorities.”
The needs of a player can be reflected by their equipment, even though it might not be as obvious as bright colors and laces, the needs of a player demonstrate what qualities of an athlete, like lightweight shoes for speed and thick soles for height. For basketball, Carmen Lilly, a sophomore, who has been playing basketball for 11 years, says, “they do kind of give me a height boost.” This one or two inch boost is crucial to the varsity point guard, especially in a position where she can often find herself undersized.
A sports team uniform is a key identifier to who’s playing, whether it’s recreational, school, or another source, these uniforms are meant to represent a team, Kendall says, “Shoes are very different because the uniforms can be boring,” Shoes are able to provide a unique identity to the player. Characteristics like color, shape, style, and brand reflect emotion, morals, priorities, and everything that makes a player who they are.
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