Believe it or not shoes are pretty important.
But there is good news.
It is hard to go wrong..
The basic rules with shoes are that they must be unique. When In doubt buy a pair of low-slung converse chucks. If you have a little more balls then check out some high top sneaks like Nike, in day-glo or pastels. Black, white or red checker pattern is ok too. It's also considered stylish not to match. Most men can't anyways and lucky for you in Indie style it only looks more chic. The tousled-thrown-together look is very popular on college campuses because it requires very little effort.
This means shoes become very much statement pieces. Very loud shoes are best off set by simple clothing. If you do match then make sure black is the dominant color in your clothes. You wouldn't want to look like an Easter egg.
More Guidelines for Men:
- Look for sleek narrow shoes, you don't want big and clunky like commando boots. The skinny jeans are best matched with sleek pumas and low-top converse for the pencil thin look.
- Old shoes from the goodwill or your granpa's closet are popular and coveted. These will give you automatic street cred.
- Puma, Nike, Converse, Kangaroo are some popular brands you can find in most retail stores. Loud, artsy high tops also are matched well with skinny jeans and also emphasize the thinness of the legs helping achieve that popular malnourished look.
- If you want truly "Indie" shoes then look around at the small boutiques and online to find shoes made by local artists and shoe makers.
- When in doubt you can art up your own pair with sharpie markers or highlighter for an instantly cool look.
More Guidelines for Women:
- Women's shoe styles can be exactly like men's. It's pretty popular for the women to wear men's shoes or styles that look identical. Pumas and Converse are made very similar for men and women.
- Ballet flats are also very popular in Indie style. A whole spectrum of colors are acceptable but black is the easiest to coordinate and look fresh longer.
- Vintage heels and boots are very popular in Indie style for women. The best place to find shoes like these are boutiques and thrift shops.
- Handmade sandals are the Indie alternative to the ever popular flip flops