By Shivali Shah, Staff Writer
On March 20th of 2024 at 12:31 pm, the Howard County Board of Education voted on a ban of open-toed shoes in school environments due to many safety concerns. The results were 5-2, successfully implementing the ban for the 2024-2025 school year and adding to Policy 9210, the Howard County dress code.
The legislation specifically states that “any shoe or footwear that does not include a fully covered vamp and heel backing is prohibited.” This includes the popular Crocs, Birkenstocks, and Ugg Slippers. Many students have written letters to the board of education protesting the ban, but the board has not swayed in their decision.
The Board believes that safety is a huge concern and they “will not compromise student welfare for fashionability.” The Board brought up a specific study done by CrocsSuck in 2021 during the vote, which said open toed shoes increase the risk of foot injury by 70%. In the event of an accident in school, these shoes would not protect the foot due to their flimsy and exposing nature.
This new addition to the policy has many students upset, as these shoes are quite popular for their comfort, trendiness, and convenience. One student explains their concerns, “I just don’t understand why there are safety concerns. People wear open-toed shoes everywhere… And it’s not like we’re handling sharp or heavy objects on a daily basis.” Another especially upset student explains, “I wear Crocs because they are comfortable. As a high school student, I’m always exhausted after having to get up early and sit through hard classes for 6 hours straight. If I have the option to wear something comfy that’ll brighten my day and make it easier to get through school, then I’ll pick that option.”
Recently, the ban on Crocs specifically, is being rethought. Compared to the other shoes that have been banned, Crocs have more coverage and stability as brought up by high school students across the county. They believe that putting Crocs in “Sport-Mode” should be sufficient for the safety concerns. This would mean that students would be allowed to wear Crocs only if the heel strap on the shoe is pulled down as it would provide more support to the foot and ankle. The Board will vote on adding this to the policy on April 4th, 2024 at 4:30 pm. The hearing is open to the public and students as well as community members are welcome to speak about their questions and concerns.
Recently, students have reached out to the companies of the shoes that were banned, explaining their situation, In response, Crocs is planning to ship thousands of Jibbitz to Howard County High Schools to commemorate and support the students who are trying to fight this change.
The Board’s decision to implement the ban reflects their prioritization of student safety over fashion trends, and raises the concern of whether the Board takes the opinions of their students into consideration when making alterations to major policies.