Best of ROI 2024: Sneakers as a fashion statement (for women) is our Slice of Life column of the year | ROI-NJ

There’s an old saying in journalism: Keep your head up and your eyes open and you’ll run into a story. Turns out, the same thing can happen when you keep your head down.

That’s what happened at the League of Municipalities this fall. I kept looking down – and kept seeing women participating in the latest fashion trend for men: Sneakers on formal occasions. The women, of course, took the practice to another level of style.

Capturing all this became one of our more talked about stories of the year.

We call them Slice of Life columns. Whether it’s on a road trip through Tennessee, or day trips to Philly or upstate New York, there are stories everywhere – if you know how to look for them.

Here are a few we enjoyed bringing to you:

No. 5: All Whitney, All the Time

This restaurant in Philly keeps the spirit of Jersey’s own, Whitney Houston, alive all day. It’s all they play.

Read about it here.

No. 4: The Trump Superstore

OK, it wasn’t a superstore. It was just a small shop by the side of a busy highway. Its popularity, however, foreshadowed an election that was still a few months away.

We captured it here.

No. 3: Total Eclipse of the Heart

Retelling a tale of driving to upstate New York to see an eclipse – and doing so while realizing it would be one of the last family moments we had before sending our fifth (and youngest) child off to college – touched the hearts of many.

It was a great day. Read about it here.

No. 2: The Attendance Business

Networking. Networking. Networking. It’s the key to the B2B world. But how much is too much? I took a fun look at my travels across the state over a one-month period. It resonated with many.

Read it here.

No. 1: Walking the Walk

High heels and 10,000 steps don’t match. That’s why more and more women are choosing comfort – while keeping the style. A look at a fashion trend.

Read it here.