I’m very conflicted over how many pairs of shoes I should bring with me to school. (Yes I’m aware this is a very insignificant and pathetic thing to give more than five minutes of thought to).
I LOVE sneakers and tennis shoes.
Currently in my box to bring I have
-shower shoes
-comfy walking sandals
-flip flops for the dorm or just going to class
-3 pairs of Converse
-3 pairs of running shoes (which I wear to work out and to go places in)
-pair of Uggs
-I’m probably waiting until Thanksgiving to trade out my sandals for my winter boots
I’m confident I’d wear all the shoes if I brought them, but I just want to know what others are doing or if anyone has any advice.
I’m going to school at the University of Wisconsin so I will have plenty of walking to do and also will have a chiller fall semester than most. When fall/winter comes it comes fast so I want to be prepared.
I have a lot of shoes because I’d rather wear more than just wear one pair and completely wear them out.
1 pair of converse as my dailies
1 pair of free runs for working out
1 pair of jordans as dailies and basketball
1 pair of slides for comfort
2 pairs of sperrys, 1 as a daily, 1 for clubbing/bar hopping
1 pair of dress shoes for formal ocassions
The only thing I had that I don’t see similar to something in your post are the dress shoes. There will be times in college where you have to dress nice so bring a suit/dress and dress shoes just in case.
I never had a community bath so I didn’t need shower shoes.
I’m also a male and I consider my shoe amount to be minimal. Many female students in college, including several of my friends, have like 20 pairs of sandals/flats and 10 pairs of heels.
@silmaril shoe racks are a common thing to have, especially when you’re living with roommates and people tend to remove their shoes when inside the room. I lived with 1 guy and 3 girls so our shoe rack was 5 feet tall. But I’ve also seen people just have their shoes cover the floor of their closet.
I’m going to be a freshman too this fall, so I don’t really have any sage advice, but the running shoes + converse seem a little excessive. Maybe you can cut it down to 2 pairs each?
It might be a good idea to bring a pair of dressy/formal-ish shoes, just in case there’s an event, meeting, interview, etc.
I don’t know if people usually bring shoe racks or not… can anyone answer that question?
I made it with boots, one pair of converse, one pair of running shoes, and one pair of boat shoes (along with shower shoes, of course) for the most part. I ended up bring a few extra, but you definitely don’t NEED that much. If it fits, though, I wouldn’t say that you’re being excessive.
I’ve definitely seen a few people with shoe racks. It’s not super common, but I’ve seen them around.
And yes, I forgot to mention I have formal shoes packed! Idk why I didn’t put those on my list. Thanks though! Also for shoe racks I’d maybe get an over the door or under the bed one. I’m in Chadbourne so I know I won’t have space for one but that’s what I’d recommend.
I’m bringing two or three pairs of casual sneakers, 1 pair of athletic sneakers, two pairs of sandals, three pairs of boots, and two pairs of oxfords. I’m in a snowy climate and I’m already tall so I don’t wear heels like ever, but I might buy a pair.
Last year I brought probably 15 or so different pairs of shoes. I don’t even like shoes. I was just so worried an occasion would arise when I would wish that I had a certain pair of shoes and I wouldn’t have brought them. So I just brought a bunch. I only ever wore like 4 of the pairs on a regular basis. This year I told myself it would be different…I just packed 12 pairs of shoes. Sigh.
I am definitely not a huge shoe person but I won’t have the chance to switch out winter for summer stuff. I brought:
-1 pair winter boots
-1 pair knee boots (good for fall)
-1 pair steel toed boots (for lab work)
-2 pair athletic shoes, one for fencing the other for running
-2 pair sport sandals (my summer go-to)
-2 pair dress shoes (I’m doing music so I need more dress clothes than average for performances)
-1 pair casual sneakers
shower shoes
All fit in the bottom of my dorm closet.
I’m a male, and this is what I brought. Seems pretty reasonable, but I’m not a big shoe person:
1 pair of flip flops/shower shoes
1 pair of Jordans for daily use
1 pair of Nike Slides
1 pair of dress shoes
1 pair of sperrys for daily use
1 pair of snow boots
Just bring what you need, and trade in your summer stuff when you come home. Quick tip: You might not want to wait until Thanksgiving to bring winter boots if you’re going to school in Wisconsin.
Thanks for the response! I’m actually a Wisconsin resident, so I know I’ll be able to get by with Uggs and sneakers until I go home in November since the bulk of winter doesn’t hit until mid-December and so forth.
That’s more than I’m bringing, but if you can fit it, go for it! I’m bringing:
1 pair of white toms
1 pair of black flats with cushy bottoms
1 pair of dress shoes
1 pair of running shoes
1 pair of shoes to go with an alternative fashion that I enjoy
I thought that’d be about normal, but I guess I’m going minimal on the shoes. I’m not a big shoe person, anyway. I guess I’m making up for that by bringing pettiskirts, which aren’t on most people’s packing list…
I don’t think it’s risky to wait until Thanksgiving to bring up winter boots. Most years there isn’t much snow in Madison before Thanksgiving, maybe an inch or two. The sidewalks are plowed or packed down pretty fast too, until you get off campus and landlords/students have to do it.
I guess I’m making up for that by bringing pettiskirts, which aren’t on most people’s packing list…