Old dirty All Star snickers are the norm of the day.

Seeing somebody wearing snickers seemingly dirty and old around the townships of Bloemfontein is not surprising but seeing a University of the Free State student walking around the Bloemfontein Campus with dirty All Star snickers is quite surprising. One would ask themselves whether these people do not realise that wearing something dirty puts their health at risk. Are these people not in a position to know better? Well, wearing one’s old snickers as dirty as they may be with shoes laces not tightened is today’s norm around campus.

Black, brown, white and red are the common colours seemed to be preferred by majority with many referring to them as “Chuck Taylors”, “Converse” or simply All Stars.

Throughout the years All Stars shifted from athletic sportswear to casual wear with students wearing them both in a casual and semi-formal dressing. They developed into the shoe of choice for many subcultures such as the Pantsula and hip hop culture.

Some students regard a pair of All Star snickers as a “must-have” item in one’s closet and how one prefers to wear it depends on their preference and style of dressing. Due to all the positive and negative connotations attached to how one chooses to wear their All Star snickers. It could be regarded as a form of self expression. Whilst for some it’s only a matter of wearing what is considered to be affordable.

Students’ voices:

# fifi Mphirime, I like All Stars because you can basically wear them with anything and they give you a certain look.

# Kgau Dioke, I wear All Stars but preferably not dirty.

# Tshwaro, “chuck Taylor” Is my number one choice; even international celebrities wear them like we do here on campus.