Shoe obsession taken too far?

BY BEATRICE MCQUISTON Staff Writer

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but in my roommate’s case, Nike, Under Armour and Reebok are her best friends. You would never have guessed at first glance, that she was obsessed with anything, especially when it comes to fashion. If you are thinking of all of the girls at Cabrini who dress up for class on a daily basis with up-to-date fashion accessories, my roommate, sophomore Ali May, is not the person that first comes to mind.

May’s obsession started when she was 16-years-old and got her first pair of sneakers in her favorite color, bright orange. Over a four-year time span, she went from having one bright pair of sneakers to having almost 20.

The best part about May is that she only wears her shoes “when the weather is perfect, not one drop of rain.” If you look at her shoes and ask her how old they are, you might expect to hear that they are brand new when in reality they are about three years old. Not one shoe has a speck of dirt on them and if they do, she is the first one in line for the laundry machine. But don’t worry, she washes them on delicate.

“I don’t care what I look like, as long as my feet look good,” is May’s motto when she talks about her fashion sense. She is the typical athlete that wears sweatpants and a sweatshirt but when you notice her feet, she has some crazy neon shoes on that somehow coordinate to her outfits. May is not only particular when it comes to what her shoes look like, she also cares about if the shoes she is wearing match her outfit, including her socks.

The obsession with shoes has gotten to the point where May does not even walk into any footwear store in the mall. If she sees a pair that she likes, there is no doubt she will own them before even walking into the store. To me, it is almost like the shoe clerks know her by name. We walk in, they know her size, color, style and brand.

May is the type of person to own any pair of shoes and love them. For example, everyone makes fun of Crocs, no worries, May has four pairs; each is a different color. No matter how many people make fun of her, she will still wear them.

When it comes to fashion, she may look like she is not concerned with how she looks. But on nights where we want to look good, May is the go-to girl for putting outfits together.

From the beginning, May’s dad has always told her, “At least your obsession is with shoes and not with diamonds. That would be rough.”

JENAY SMITH / PHOTO EDITOR