Shoes

We are what we wear.

Or perhaps, when it comes to our shoes, we wear the symbols of who we are. One look at our shoes, and others can imagine how we like to see ourselves.

Following are some multimedia glimpses that tell the stories of people we’ve come to know according to the materials the skins and soles and synthetics they wrap around their feet. (If they wear shoes at all.)

Ankle Deep in Old Glory

By Daniel Temple

“There’s an awful lot you can tell about a person’s shoes…Where they’re going, where they’ve been.”
- Forrest Gump

Ryan Mihajlov has some pretty big shoes to fill.  Though they’re only a size 8, but they represent an enormous amount of pride for the Elon senior, as well as millions of Americans.  Because stretched across Mihajlov’s comfortable New Balance sneakers are perhaps one of the most recognized symbols worldwide, the stars and stripes of the American flag.

Mihajlov's shoes hanging over the flag on his front porch.

Surrounded by the Stars and Stripes

Don’t be fooled by his diminutive stature, Mihajlov is perhaps one of the biggest patriots you will ever come across and he’s not afraid to show it.  The entrance of his off-campus house is graced by a fluttering flag.  His room is adorned with numerous pro-America signs and posters.  Even his credit and business cards feature patriotic symbols.

“I’ve been obsessed with America for years now,” says Mihajlov, “I love everything about this country, it’s definitely the best in the world.”

Mihajlov’s shoes are a testament to this love.  They feature a deep blue stripe across the front with the classic stars and red stripes over the tongue and back.  He wears them every day, unless of course the weather is bad, in which case he wouldn’t dare disgrace our nation’s glory with the chance of mud.

“The first time I saw these shoes, I knew right away I had to have them,” says Mihajlov, “they’re extremely comfortable and they show everyone how much I love America.”

Leaving the land he called home

Around the dawn of the new millennium, when Mihajlov was making the giant leap from 5th to 6th grade, his family packed up their things and made an even bigger leap across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving their life in Ohio for a new job in London, England.  The move was especially hard for young Ryan, who left behind his friends and the life he had always known.

“Moving to England was awful, I hated it,” says Mihajlov, “it was probably the worst two years of my life, I didn’t fit in at all.”

When the family moved back to the States, Ryan was overjoyed.  He says that his experience overseas helped reinforce his love for America and showed him how different, and sometimes uncomfortable, other places can be.

“I like visiting other places but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” says Mihajlov, “This is my country and this is where I want to live.”

Every year Mihajlov dresses American themed for Halloween. Last year he was a bald eagle

Dreaming in color of the red, white and blue

Although an accounting major, Mihajlov says his dream would be to one day work for the federal government.  He understands that he could probably earn more money working for a major financial firm but he says he would be willing to take a pay cut if it meant working for Uncle Sam. The current political and economic state has many across the country concerned but Mihajlov is confident that the nation will bounce back and resume its place as a dominant global power.

“Times are tough but the U.S is known for getting it done when we need to,” says Mihajlov, “we’ll get through this and become even stronger because of it.”

A dancer’s ballet shoe roots lead to modern dance dreams

By Julia Jacobs

When 8-year-old Rachael Fine visited the foot doctor to see if her feet were developed enough to start wearing a dancer’s coveted point shoes, she left in tears.

“The doctor told me my feet weren’t finished growing, so I cried and my mom took me for ice cream,” she explained through giggles.

Little did Rachael know that her first pair of point shoes would be at the sole origin of her life-long passion for dance. And through the years, she has never let minor obstacles stand in the way.

“ I’m only 5 ‘3… the stereotypical ballerina is 5’ 6’’, stick thin… I just don’t have the right body for it.”

Rachael got her start in ballet, but she now relates more to modern dance which she says, “is more expressive in her mind” and gives her a theatrical outlet.

Rachael’s ballet shoes have taken her from a dance studio in Virginia to Elon, and post-graduation, she hopes that they will take her  just a smidge further.

“I’m going to move to Los Angeles and try out for a modern dance company,” she says jovially as she taps her slippers from side to side.

Don’t stop; won’t stop

by Samantha Miller

Like for most students, four years of college was simply not enough for Zibby McBride; so she came back, but only for a semester.

“I’ve got some things I still need to do,” McBride said.  “Who wouldn’t want to stay in college a little longer?”

Most dance majors at Elon don’t choose to tackle another major along with the strenuous 68 required hours in the dance program.  McBride added another 40 hours with a French double major and even squeezed in a semester abroad in Paris.

But even abroad, McBride found time for the studio.

“I probably spend as much time in the studios as I do in my apartment.  Maybe more,” McBride laughed.  “I’m in dance shoes or barefoot all the time.”

But most often, McBride is in her pedinis.  She’s had a pair since she started dancing almost 20 years ago.  The flexible, open shoes are used for anything from modern to jazz, but they are McBride’s favorite for a different reason.

“I like a little heel!”

McBride is spending a lot more time in her pedinis now that she’s choreographing her senior seminar piece, which will be performed in the spring.

“It’s based on Rodin’s sculpture “The Gates of Hell,” McBride said.  “I want to use the sculpture as a catalyst for movement.”

The dance will be 12 to 15 minutes long with six people dancing to Phillip Glass’ Violin Concerto Number 2.  But after this semester, McBride will be saying goodbye to college and moving on, but she’ll be taking her pedinis with her.  She wants to give other girls an opportunity she didn’t have during high school.

“Ideally, I would love to teach at a boarding school that has a dance program that isn’t too big as of right now but make it something that’s almost conservatory quality dance,” McBride says.  “I really feel like a well-rounded academic education is really important, but so is the dance part if you really want to dance.”

McBride has a while to perfect the piece.  Dance majors currently taking their senior seminar will perform their pieces from the 11th through the 13th in April.  After that, McBride will be carrying her shoes, her diploma and her dreams up to Boston.

“Dance has always been such a big part of my life that I just really can’t do without it,” McBride says.  “It’s just something I need to have in my future forever.”

Click here to watch the beginnings of McBride’s choreography.

The “Death” of a Shoe Salesman

By Tim Barber

Steven Ross works 5-days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at a shoe store in Burlington– and he hates it.  His burning passion is to become a firefighter.

He wears a pair of the once in vogue Crocs.  When I bring it up he even laughs, “Yeah, I know man, but they are comfortable when I work.”

Ross explained that he does not wear the shoes that often and that he never wears them when he goes out.  He admits that they sum up his personality in the way that Ross is laid back and likes to be comfortable, like the Crocs.

He also added that they are practical– and durable.  “Durability reflects me more,” he said laughfing.

Ross grew up in Burlington and went to Southern High School in Graham before attending Alamance Community College (ACC).  After 2-years he decided it wasn’t for him– so he quit.

4-years later he is working at this shoe store (the manager asked us to leave out the name) and has been using money from the job to pay for EMT classes during the week, which ironically he takes at ACC.   He says EMT classes are the first steps to achieving his goal to save lives and put out fires.

“Eventually I want to leave Burlington and go to Chappell Hill because I have some friends over there,” Ross said.  The 24-year old said that the sooner he can trade those black Crocs in for a pair of fire boots, the better.

Finding Direction in Black Moccasins

By Alison Hydrick

Heather Smith appears to be a quiet Elon University senior, but a pair of simple black moccasins tells the story of Heather’s international adventure which enabled her to discover her passion and direction in life.

Since she is studying Spanish and international studies, Heather was required to spend a semester abroad.  She chose to spend last spring in Ecuador after doing a project on the country.

“It’s ironic because I had to go to Ecuador in order to get those shoes,” says Heather. “And that symbolizes how I had to go Ecuador in order to find out who I am as a person.”

The Journey to the Shoes

Heather says she took several pairs of shoes to Ecuador, not knowing what she would need.  She quickly discovered she would be taking public transportation frequently and needed a pair of shoes appropriate for the busses.

“Public transportation in Ecuador can be quite treacherous,” says Heather. “So I decided I needed to get something that I could wear on the bus and still be safe; something that wouldn’t allow me to fall down while the bus is moving quickly and I’m moving around.”

Voyages in the Moccasins

During her time in Ecuador, Heather volunteered with the El Inca Women’s Prison Ministry through the Assemblies of God.  It was her experiences at the prison that made Heather want to return to Ecuador after graduation.

“Working in the prison just really opened my eyes,” says Heather.  “You begin to see those women, those individuals, truly as people.  It gives you a different perspective.”

Heather was supposed to be teaching while in the prisons, but in the end she turned out to be the student.

“It teaches love and compassion for those people,” says Heather.   “It just makes you want to help them all the more and help them turn their lives around and get to a place where they can have the opportunity to do good things again to make good choices again.”

The Shoes Next Adventure

Heather says she’s having trouble adjusting back to American culture and cannot wait to move to Ecuador this summer.  However, her shoes remind her of all the good memories from her last Ecuadorian adventure.

“Those shoes were my constant companion while I was there,” says Heather.  “And it’s like I was able to bring a piece of Ecuador back with me.  So, even though I’m sad that I’m here and not able to be in that environment still have that part of Ecuador with me. They’re a reminder of what’s yet to come when I go back.”

Heather now has a passion for serving Hispanic people and is currently searching for non-profit jobs and affordable housing in Ecuador.  She plans to permanently return following Elon’s 2010 commencement activities.

Pictures courtsey of Heather Smith and video courtesy of El Inca Prison Ministry.

Elon ROTC Cadet Matt Dinwiddie proves to be as tough as an old boot

By Lesley Cowie

Cadet Matt Dinwiddie groans and rises, as his alarm reverberates through his room at 4:30 a.m. His classmates remain fast asleep, not having to wake for a couple hours.

As per his Tuesday/Thursday routine, Dinwiddie showers and throws on his comfortable olive green, black and tan uniform. He reaches for his matching socks and boots. The Indiana native will meet the other junior cadets at Target and carpool 30 minutes to North Carolina A&T University, the Elon ROTC’s battalion headquarters, for assessment training.

“For Tuesdays, for class, I guess it’s a personal preference [to wear your uniform all day],” Dinwiddie said. “For a lot of us, we’re going from 5 a.m. to whenever class is over. If you go and change…it’s not really worth it for a lot of people, so we just prefer to stay in uniform all day. As long as it’s not really hot or really cold, it [the uniform] is actually pretty comfortable.”

According to Dinwiddie, comfort is essential. It’s really important in the Army, he says, because you’re always on your feet.

Breaking in the boots

Having not been a so-called “military brat,” Cadet Dinwiddie had to pick up a few tricks about comfort from his war veteran counterparts while he was training at Fort Knox in the summer.

“When you first get your boots, they don’t fit at all,” he said. “You have to go through this whole process. You have to soak your boots in water, then you have to walk around in them to get the feel right in them, then you have to let them sit and completely dry. The next time you wear them, they’re broken in. Some of the guys who had been to Iraq, and to Afghanistan as well, that’s what they used to break in their boots.”

Dinwiddie went on to say that he wears custom orthopedic boots to take care of his feet. Some cadets wear gel insoles inside their boots to maximize comfort. Even Dinwiddie’s Under Armour socks play a strategic role.

“Socks that are too thin or too thick will actually cause blisters, and that’s a whole other world of problems,” he said. “One of the things about socks is that you kind of figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. I prefer the Under Armour socks because they work the moisture away.”

Breaking in the man

According to Dinwiddie, a cadet’s boots can tell a lot about his or her job in the military.

“These boots aren’t polished at all,” he said. “You can clean them, but they’ll never get quite to the same level. People who are actually in the field the most are the people with the dirtiest boots….People who have the new boots are the ones who sit in the office.”

In addition, he said, if someone’s laces are not tied very tightly, it shows that the cadet does not do much work in the field. If someone’s laces are tied tighter, it shows he or she is in the field more often and is a go-getter.

Dinwiddie will become a 2nd Lt. in the US Army upon graduation from Elon. Watch this video for more information about Dinwiddie and his boots:

It doesn’t matter what cleats or level baseball, it’s all the same to Aaron Moger

By Russell Varner
It is a cold, dreary Tuesday in September. Right outside Elon, an optional practice is held for Elon’s club baseball team on its home field, a baseball field that doesn’t even have an outfield fence. Though it is optional, over half of the team shows up in a light drizzle for the practice. Among them is Aaron Moger, a sophomore pitcher for the team.

He shows up, like many of the others, in a t-shirt and athletic shorts, a far cry from the practice uniforms worn by the varsity team. He ties up his cleats, and realizes something about them he didn’t notice before: these were the Nike cleats that had Alex Rodriguez’s nickname, A-Rod, on them. Moger, an avid Red Sox fan, couldn’t believe his eyes.

“I’ve had these cleats just before I got to Elon and never noticed,” said Moger. “I never really cared that much. As long as they are comfortable, then I don’t mind. Just wish these could’ve been Youkilis cleats instead.”

In middle school, he would go through a pair of cleats each year because of his growth spurt. Now though, his shoes usually last him up to six years.

“The old ones I had had holes in them, so I decided I should probably get some new ones before college,” said Moger. “I chose these ones because they sorta match Elon’s colors. I thought I’d be pretty clever doing that. They are by far the most comfortable, nicest cleats [I’ve ever had] and I really like them.”

Moger, who has been playing baseball since he was a little boy, is glad that he is playing club baseball instead of varsity. It fits his style better, he said.

“[It’s] lots of fun and it’s perfect for me. I think I am at the talent level where if I did make varsity, I’d be on the bench a lot. Being on club, I get to play a lot, I’m successful and I’m against/with guys around my skill level, which I really enjoy. It’s a lot more laid back than a varsity baseball team.”

On top of this, playing on a club team has allowed Moger to participate in many other clubs and aspects of college that he feels he wouldn’t get to if he was on the varsity team.

“There’s just more I want out of my college experience than selling my life to a single sport,” he said. “I’ve been able to get involved in a lot of other stuff with club baseball, TV shows; it’s definitely been the right choice for me.”

After some warm up throws with teammates, Moger knocks a little grass off his cleats as the team huddles up to go over what they’ll practice today. The team breaks the huddle and runs out to the field, Moger at the pitcher’s mound. After a few warm up tosses, they have a live at bat. Moger toes the rubber three times, and each pitch is a strike. Moger looks down at his cleats.

“That was definitely more like Papelbon. I’m gonna have to write Papelbon on these cleats after practice.”

To view a slideshow from the practice, visit http://voicethread.com/share/626250/.

Stepping onto a new field

By Lauren Wisniewski

Ask any soccer player to tell you why their cleats are important to them, and you’ll probably hear a variety of answers.  Some might say they scored their first goal while wearing a particular pair of cleats, made their first save, or won their first championship.  For Elon Women’s Soccer goalkeeper, Sydney Little, her cleats hold importance on a different level.

Sydney Little

Not exactly a “walk in the park”

Sydney Little isn’t exactly your average Elon soccer player.  Almost all of the members of Elon’s team started their collegiate soccer careers at Elon as freshmen.  Making the transition from high school soccer to college soccer at the small Division I school wasn’t a drastic change.  But what is it like to transition from an ACC powerhouse team to a small team making a name for itself in the Southern Conference?  Just ask Little.

“My soccer cleats brought me to Elon”, Little exclaims.  The senior goalkeeper from Raleigh, NC, made the transfer to Elon from NC State her junior year.  “I knew I wanted to make the switch and come play soccer here.  I knew I’d have a great soccer experience, but I never realized all the other amazing opportunities soccer would give me.”  One of those opportunities was being able to meet new friends right off the bat.

Giant leap of faith

Entering college as a freshman is intimidating.  It’s an uneasy feeling to walk onto campus in the end of August and not know a single soul.  Then again, once you stop and think about it, you realize every other freshman is in the same boat as you are.  For Little, however, transferring to an entirely new campus as a junior posed a different set of challenges, but challenges that her soccer cleats made easier to solve.

“The first day of preseason, I met my first friends at Elon and I was wearing my cleats,” says Little.  “The girls on the team turned out to be not only my first friends here but also my best friends and the girls I do everything with”.  Little says that without her cleats and soccer, she probably wouldn’t be where she is today.

Little warms up before a regular season match

Still running strong

For Little, her cleats not only define her as Elon’s starting goalkeeper, but they also remind her of the great opportunities she has been lucky to have while wearing her cleats.  “My soccer cleats have taken me to all different places and have helped me meet all different kinds of people throughout my life”, exclaims Little.  “They brought me to all the amazing friends I’ve made throughout this past year”.

For more quotes from Little, click here for a short video, hosted by Flickr.

The Chinatown Quest for the Perfect Pair of Shoes

What brings a man to his perfect pair of shoes? For Elon freshman Connor Stirland, it was the work of fate that brought him to his beloved multi-colored Adidas sneakers more than a year ago.

“It had to have been destiny that brought me to these shoes,” Stirland said.

Stirland's sneakers in all their red, neon green, blue and yellow glory.

The journey

“It was May of 2008 and I went into New York City with one of my real
good friends for the specific journey of finding some sweet kicks,” Stirland said.

For being the largest city in the United States, Stirland was disappointed in the city’s shoe selection.

“My quandary that I came to was that I couldn’t find them anywhere,”
Stirland said. “They make nice girls shoes but all the guys shoes looked stupid.”

Discouraged with the hunt for his perfect shoes, Stirland and his friend decided to take a risk and follow their intuition.

“I saw this really cool black woman with some of the coolest shoes I have ever seen,” Stirland said.

After following the woman for some time, Stirland and his friend found themselves on Canal Street, the hub of New York City’s Chinatown where bargain hunters can find anything from fish and exotic fruits to
counterfeited handbags.

“We followed her for about seven blocks and find this hole in the wall store with a sticker on it that said 50 percent off,” Stirland said.

At first glance, Stirland was disappointed in the selection of this tiny store on Canal Street.

“We get inside and there is this little tiny Asian women in front of a wall with three pairs of sneakers,” Stirland said. “We asked if she had more, so she goes to the back and pulls out these sneakers.”

The shoes were a size nine, which wouldn’t fit Stirland’s size 11 and a half feet. But they were the most promising option he had found so far that day. Encouraged, he asked if she had any other shoes in his size.

The moment

“So I asked if she had anything in 11 and a half and she goes to the back,” Stirland said. “I’m hearing these weird noises and she comes back out and hands me these shoes, not even in a box.”

In a city known for being the cultural hub of the United States, Stirland was united with his feet’s perfect match.

“Since then, I have worn these shoes everyday of my life,” Stirland said. “They have seen many a concert and festival.“

Speaking volumes in every step

Like many footwear enthusiasts, Stirland said he believes a quality shoe speak for the person who is wearing them.

Stirland, an Elon freshman, with his "flashy kicks" on campus

“[Shoes] show personality, they show exactly what that person is all about,” Stirland said. “If you see someone wearing strappy shoes it means they care more about looks. If you see shoes that are flashy you know that person is flashy.”

While Stirland’s shoes weigh in more on the flashy side, he said the
comfort of the shoes is their greatest asset.

“These shoes are sweet looking and comfy as hell,” Stirland said.
“Every time you put them on you feel like you are wearing amazing
socks that caress every arch.”

Walking a Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes

Her shoes have taken her to work on a farm in Maine.  They have taken her to Tango dance lessons and have taken her on hiking trips with her family.  They have taken her to harvet grapes on a vineyard, and they have even taken her Ireland; but Lauren Wood isn’t the only person to walk a mile in her shoes, and she probably won’t be the last.

Hand-me-Down Shoes

“I am the second owner of all the shoes I showed you…they are all from thrift stores or they have been given to me or left with me,” is what Wood had to say when she was asked about her shoe collection.  She has accumulated over thirty pairs of shoes over the last few years, and she says she has never paid more than twenty dollars for a pair, “I get a lot of my shoes from Goodwill…I usually pay about three dollars for them.”  Most of her shoes were bought at thrift stores, but several of her shoes had been left with her in various situations.  She was given a pair of boots when she apprenticed on an organic farm in Maine, and her sister left behind a few pairs before she moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.

Wood has collected everything from red suede cowboy boots to hand embroidered ballet flats.  She has hand-me-down high heels and secondhand tennis shoes.  For Wood, shoes are not only both functional and stylish; they can be souvenirs and they are a way to hold onto memories, “I tend to keep my shoes for a long as I can; they remind me of all my adventures in the past, so I don’t really like to get rid of them.”

Past Paths and Future Footsteps

Her shoes have taken her to live in Wilmington, Maine, Asheville and back to her hometown where she is studying viticulture.  Sometimes she imagines where else her shoes could have been before they found her, “I’m the kind of person who can look at a total stranger and come up with some story about what their life has been like so far…it’s kind of fun to think about.”

While Wood has done a lot in her shoes, she says the real story is that the shoes just keep gathering more stories.  Wood says if her shoes could talk they could tell the stories of several people…and she hopes they will collect even more stories in years to come, “someone else has already made memories in all these shoes…I think maybe, when I’m through with them I’ll pass them on to someone else and they can make more memories in my shoes.”

To see more, click here.

Running a Mile in his Shoes: David Wells and Running Cross Country

Running to Escape

Some people pick up a pen and write, some grab a brush and paint, some even pocket their wallets and shop, David Wells just puts on his shoes and lets them carry him away.

“My shoes mean a lot to me because they give me an outlet to put my energy into,” Wells said.  “They allow me to get away from things.”

Wells got his first pair of running shoes when he was in the sixth grade after he started running competitively.

“My passion for running started when I was pretty young,” he said. “I was always the fastest on my soccer team growing up and so I started running cross country when I was a freshman in high school and I’ve grown to love it more ever since.”

Wells and the Cross Country Team

As part of the Elon cross country team Wells spends at least six hours a day in his running shoes with practices two, sometimes three, times a day.  On top of daily practices the cross country team travels almost every weekend for meets.

“It adds up to about 30 hours a week so it is kind of like having a job that I don’t get paid for,” he said, “but pushing myself through running is really great.”

Despite the lack of free time, Wells said that he is constantly driven to compete through running.

“I run for the competition and to reach goals that I set for myself,” he said. “I run for my teammates because they mean a lot to me.”

Exhausted Shoes, Exhausted Runner

The number of miles Wells puts on his feet is no small feat for his shoes.  Most running shoes are built to last a maximum of 400 miles, a distance Wells and his teammates cover in a matter of weeks.

“I go through at least one pair of running shoes a month,” said Wells. “I also have another pair of shoes I race in, called spikes that I replace every season.”

Wells's racing cleats

Wells’s shoes are not the only thing that is exhausted, the amount of running and the long hours required for cross country take their toll on the runners as well.  Practices start at seven every day and for races the runners have to get up as early as five in the morning.
“What I don’t like about cross country is never getting to sleep,” said Wells.  “Just being tired all of the time is really a struggle.”

The exhaustion, the commitment and the idea of running almost 16 miles a day might seem like too much for some people, but Wells has no intention of putting up his running shoes anytime soon.

“Why do I run? There are so many reasons,” he said, “but I do it because I love it.”

“Walking the Walk,” Sole Searching with Rev. David R. Williams

Sophie Duensing

BURLINGTON, N.C. – You’d need a sturdy pair of shoes to walk the length of Front Street.  Along the way you’d pass many Christian churches, and if you made it to the end of the street you could stop to rest your feet in the welcoming doors of Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter, just a bit up the road to the left.

Rev. Williams holding two newly baptized members of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter

Thankfully today we have cars, so getting to Holy Comforter won’t be the same challenge it would have been in the days of Jesus Christ.  “He must have worn a lot of sandals,” said Revered David R. Williams, Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter.

The Rev. opts for a cordovan lace-up leather shoe.  “During the summer, however, I wear white bucks – a bit on the fashionable side, but the white brings out the ‘Easter’,” said Williams.

Williams was raised in a “newspaper” family.  Every summer he would work in various departments for a local newspaper, and even took a year out of seminary to intern as a reporter with United Press International in Washington, D.C.   Williams also spent threeyears working for a newspaper in Cape Coral, Fla.

While at college through the turmoil of the 1960’s Williams was trying to find his calling.   “I contemplated going into the armed service and/or attending seminary (Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Va.),” said Williams.  “Either one of which would have been helpful as I figured out what to do with my education.” His calling was seminary school.  “The Episcopal Church was my background, and represented stability, tradition, mystery, and beauty,” said Williams.  “I chose seminary – and found it to be the most exhilarating four years of my education. I eventually chose to beordained.”

He strolled through college campus as a student, and trekked through towns as a reporter.  Now Williams walks through life to serve God and his church as a reverend. His shoes guided him to Elon, N.C. where he found home with his wife Sarah, and a place as the loved and respected Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter, in Burlington.  “Every time I lace up these shoes, I contemplate where they will take me,” said Williams.  “This Sunday morning the shoes enabled me to walk a newly baptized baby (actually two babies) up the nave of the church…into the congregation.”

Williams recognizes life is not always as cheerful as welcoming two babies as new members into church.  His continued devotion and faith in Jesus Christ gets him through the darker days, which he sees as essential steps in our journey.  “The shoes are on for the quiet contemplation of Lent and the drama of Holy Week – truly our own dark seasons and periods of drama as I know from the lives of the people of Holy Comforter, “ he said.  “The shoes are worn as I walk down the aisle leading the casket of a departed loved one – saying the words of Scripture.  Each worship service, each moment becomes a spiritual memory.”

Williams’ duties as reverend change each day with what the wind blows.  “Everything about the ordained ministry in the church has some level of enthusiasm, hope, and promise,” he said.   “There also are moments of despair, challenge, and sadness.  However, the journey goes on.”  His faith in Jesus Christ; intertwined with all aspects of his life inspires Williams to keep on walking the walk.  “Jesus’ journey continued and continues – from story telling to healing, from preaching to dying, from feeling abandoned to realizing light and new life.  Jesus’ journey is our journey.  His sandals are our sandals,” Williams said.  “There is not one dull or boring day in the ministry I have had in over 37 years.”

A Professor and his Birkenstocks

One might find this shoe selection odd for a college professor, but David Copeland, the man in the shoes, doesn't seem to mind.

Non-traditional shoes for a non-traditional professor

by David Koontz

Traditional closed-toe business shoes are something you’d be hard-pressed to find on David Copeland’s feet. The Elon University professor prides himself on his shoe of choice: Birkenstocks, which he claims to wear for comfort.

The shoes have much more of a story to them than that, though.

“I started doing it because they were comfortable, but also because someone told me I couldn’t,” Copeland said.

Before joining the Elon faculty, Copeland worked in the public school system. At the time, Copeland wore flip-flops regularly. “One day, the superindendant called me to his office where I was berated and told the next day to come to school and I better have closed-toes shoes on,” Copeland said.

He made the switch to closed-toes shoes out of fear of being fired. “I was intimidated and I could have probably lost my job had I not done it,” Copeland said.

Wrestling with the administration over the shoes issue and other instances of rebellion against the administrators, Copeland came very close to getting fired. “But the school board overruled the administrators and I kept my job” Copeland said, citing positive performance reviews as the reason he kept his job.

“It’s a way to be an individual in a situation where sometimes individualism isn’t necessarily visual,” Copeland said, adding that if you lined up himself and several fellow male professors, from the waist up they would look very similar and generic.

“If you took a picture of us from the waist down,” Copeland said, “I would be different, because none of the others would have these on. I like that.”