Shoes

When the player visits the city in, Kicks the Shoe Shiner may be there, in front of a run down building near Shampoodle. Depending on the outfit, Kicks will change the color of the shoes. It costs 500 Bells, but if they remain the same color, Kicks will not charge the player for his services. In New Leaf, the player can take off their shoes and run around barefoot, or they may buy new ones from Kicks (shop).

Styling Shoes
Shoes can be changed depending on the option the player chooses. There are two options, by color or by style, both with different outcomes.

By Color
By selecting to match shoes by color, Kicks will shine the shoes and change their style depending on the overall color of clothing and accessories the player is wearing. For example, wearing all green will produce green shoes. If the player's hair is blue, and they are wearing pink, the shoes will usually come out as pink to match the clothing rather than the hair.

By Style
By selecting to shine shoes by style, Kicks will change the shoes which go with what the player is wearing. This can produce different shoes compared to the simple laced-shoes the player usually wears. For example, wearing a princess shirt or zebra shirt will produce white shoes with a black bow.

Real-world information
Shoes will only change color when talking to Kicks and paying 500 Bells. This means the player can change their hair color and clothing temporarily to achieve the desired results. So if the player wishes to have white shoes with a black bow, but doesn't want to always wear the princess/zebra shirt (or any other shirt that may produce these results), they can change after the shoe shine and wear different clothes, without the shoes changing style or color.

In
Shoe shining is replaced by buying shoes and socks for the player to wear that can be bought from Kicks and can help match up any outfit.

In
Shoes (and consequently, socks) are now purchased primarily from the Able Sisters' shop, as well as from Kicks, who will visit one's island periodically.

Trivia

 * There is a possible glitch where the ski mask and a black pattern will produce purple shoes, rather than black shoes as imagined.
 * After having their shoes shined about 15 or 20 times, the player can choose both male and female shoes.