This Girl Made Paper Sandals After Her Shoes Were Stolen at School

School dynamics may have changed thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic but one thing that has remained consistent is adolescent behavior. It’s immature, unpredictable, and sometimes a bit cruel. While I’ve had my fair share of mean girl moments (me being the victim) at school, I never had my shoes stolen. Sadly, the same can’t be said for all kids.

In a TikTok video that has now garnered more than 2.5 million likes and 9 million views, @poxndtxwn captures the aftermath of having her shoes stolen at school — and it isn’t pretty. Here’s how she responded.

TikToker @poxndtxwn’s bus ride home on Sept. 7, 2023, was quite different from how (I presume) it normally is. In the video, which she captioned “smb stole my shoes at school so I had to make some,” the TikToker directs the camera toward her feet, which only bear a pair of black socks and what look like paper sandals.

While the video’s creator didn’t provide much context as to who stole her shoes or how the incident played out (were they taken off her feet?), her facial expressions let us know she isn’t happy about what went down that day. That, or she’s a really good actor or was merely performing a skit for her followers.

These days, it isn’t uncommon for TikTokers to create scripted controversial videos like those with staged Karens running amok. But, if that isn’t the case, well then I feel for you @poxndtxwn and hope you get a replacement pair soon!

While plenty of people were sympathetic to the TikToker’s shoe debacle, others took it as an opportunity to crack jokes or ask how they were made. One person wrote, “Can I buy them at Nike?,” while another chimed in, “Let me borrow demm.”

While the comments were more or less supportive, commenters also shed light on the other things people have had stolen from them while at school.

One TikToker admitted that she had her backpack stolen just a few days after the now-viral video was uploaded. Unfortunately, I can recall a similar incident happening to me.

I was in middle school and set my bookbag on the bathroom floor. Within seconds of me setting it down, a girl reached under the door with the hopes of stealing it. Lucky for me, I’m a multi-tasker and was able to grab my bag before she could get a good grip on it.

Teenagers, in general, are bold and fearless. While these qualities are admirable, they can be quite dangerous when coupled with the wrong type of teen. And this next TikTok is a testament to that. In @pearls0nlyfans’s TikTok, she recollects back to (probably) one of her least favorite memories of high school.

“I’ll never forget the time in high school one of the seniors stole my sports shoes and miss girl boldly wore them to soccer practice the next day,” the video’s text overlay reads. The audacity of this girl to not only steal someone else’s shoes but then proceed to put them on display the next day at practice. Now that’s bold (and even a little risky).

What I’m gathering from these viral TikToks is that high school hasn’t changed much and there are still plenty of people walking this earth that have yet to understand that you aren’t supposed to take what doesn’t belong to you.