In a town where conformity is king, standing out can make you a target.

When one school tried to squash the style of this proud teen, he stepped up to the challenge in a pair of boots that no rule could contain.

You’ll want to read on for this empowering story!

No fashion boots allowed

A few years back, when I was in high school, I lived in a small country town.

I was a very flamboyant teenage boy, without even needing to say anything.

His identity didn’t win him many friends in a small, close-minded town.

Needless to say, I was definitely the most popular kid in school and everyone was totally supportive….

Even the staff at the school wasn’t the biggest fan of me, unfortunately, even though I was a (not so) straight-A student who never caused any trouble.

Thankfully, his family was much more supportive of him and his interests.

Luckily being raised on a very liberal farm, my family was, and continues to be, really supportive.

They knew how interested I am in fashion and my parents surprised me on my birthday with this pair of heeled doc marten Chelsea boots I had been saving up for.

The school, however, wasn’t pleased with his latest wardrobe addition.

Obviously, I was ecstatic and wore them constantly both in and out of school for about a week before I was dress coded for them.

Unfortunately, this was not my first time being dress coded because of my tendency to wear more “feminine” clothing.

He tried his best to fight the rule.

So I had developed the habit of carrying the dress code pamphlet on me in my bag to prove my innocence because I really was never breaking any rules.

They just happened to not like what I was wearing.

I pointed out that there was nothing about boots or heels, and my teacher just sort of scoffed at me and told me to go the front office.

But he was bested yet again by the school administrators.

Apparently they had updated it and if I, “Had read the newsletter that morning I would’ve known that.”

I went up to the front office and, true to what she had said, they had added a rule to the effect of work boots were allowed, but no fashion boots.

Unfortunately, it was very obviously targeted because no one male or female was wearing anything like that except for me.

Together with his family, they hatched a plan to outsmart the dress code.

My parents knew that too.

When I got home and told them about it, they they were furious for me.

My dad took me out the very next day after school to a boot store and quite literally bought me a $300 pair of women’s black “work” boots that were completed with even some sparkly rhinestones on them.

Quite frankly, these boots made me look more myself than the first pair ever did and I loved them.

The school tried to dress code him yet again.

I wore these proudly with a black sparkly hat I already own to school the next day and didn’t even make to to second period before I was called to the front office for violating dress code.

The assistant principal told me these were obviously violating dress code.

I insisted that these were work boots and practically every other kid work cowboy boots to school every single day so there couldn’t possibly be a problem with mine.

She wouldn’t budge and neither would I, so my parents were called and it was escalated to the principal.

But this time, his dad got involved.

Luckily we expected this and were prepared, my dad showed up in all of his fresh off the farm dirt covered glory to my principal office.

The conversation went to the effect of her sitting there telling my father, “Those are very obviously for fashion and are violating dress code,” and my father would respond something to the effect of, “How do you know what my kid chooses to wear to work in. Since when is wearing boots breaking dress code? Look at everyone else.”

Finally, he was victorious over the discriminatory dress code.

This went back and forth for quite frankly an embarrassing amount of the time, but by the end, I was allowed to wear my boots.

Much to the annoyance of my old high school’s staff, I wore those black sparkly boots practically every day for the rest of my high school experience.

The school may have thought they were rid of the boots after his graduation, but they were so wrong.

Three years later, when I was long gone in college, my little sister (an open and proud lesbian by the way), entered high school.

We just happen to have the same shoe size and I didn’t mind loaning her the boots.

She is a junior now and continuing my legacy of terrorizing the homophobic teachers and staff by wearing those same shoes to school (which held up amazing, by the way) to this day.

These sparkly boots have become somewhat of a family legacy!

Redditors chime in.

From the outside looking in, it’s obvious how rigged it all was.

The empowering effect of a great pair of boots is well documented in popular culture.

This story goes way beyond just a pair of boots.

What started as a bold fashion choice has turned into a symbol of resilience, passed down through a family.

These boots weren’t just made for walking — they were made for breaking down barriers.

If you liked that post, check this one about a guy who got revenge on his condo by making his own Christmas light rules.