The Sneakers Symbol in Play Along by Liz Tomforde

What the Sneakers Are

The sneakers are a pair of black high-top Vans with a single white stripe and a platform base that Isaiah Rhodes buys for Kennedy Kay during their first night together in Las Vegas. The purchase happens in Chapter 2, when Kennedy has agreed to leave her stepsister's bachelorette party with Isaiah. Her feet hurt from her heels and she is cold, so Isaiah insists on buying her sneakers, socks, and a denim jacket. He refuses to let her pay, snagging her credit card and slipping it into his back pocket before paying for everything himself.

The shoes are practical—they replace her uncomfortable Louboutin heels—but they are also a deliberate choice. Isaiah asks her shoe size, considers options (red, then checkered like his nephew Max's), and settles on black high tops with a platform base. He notes that she wears neutrals unless she is in team colors, and the platform gives her height. Kennedy reflects that being 5'3" is difficult when you work with a bunch of giant men and already feel like your boss is looking down on you—metaphorically, but still.

Where the Sneakers Recur

The sneakers appear at pivotal moments throughout the novel:

The Las Vegas wedding (Chapter 4): Drunk and impulsive, Kennedy thinks "These shoes are comfy" and "My new shoes are so cute" as she watches her feet take steps down a red carpet runner. The sneakers are literally what she is wearing when she says "I do."
The morning after (Chapter 5): As Kennedy leaves for her flight, she thanks Isaiah for keeping her sneakers, taking the marriage certificate with her.
The dugout (Chapter 11): Kennedy wears "those shoes I bought and married her in" at a game. Isaiah compliments them with a simple "Nice shoes."
The airport (Chapter 25): When Isaiah retrieves his fallen hat, he taps her platform Vans, silently teasing her for constantly wearing the shoes they got married in.
The second wedding (Epilogue): Two years later, Kennedy walks down the aisle in the same sneakers, the toe peeking out from the hem of her white dress. At the reception, she wears the full original outfit—white mini dress, platform Vans, and denim jacket—now embroidered with "Mrs. Rhodes" in white thread.

How the Meaning Changes

Initially, the sneakers are a practical gift—Isaiah's way of making Kennedy comfortable enough to spend time with him. He frames it as part of his "one shot": "This is part of the drink. This is my one shot, and if you're uncomfortable the whole time you're never going to want to have a drink with me again." The shoes are a means to an end, a way to extend their evening together.

But they quickly become something more. In Chapter 4, the shoes are what Kennedy is wearing when she marries him, so they become a marker of the impulsive, unconventional start to their relationship. They are the opposite of her expensive heels—the opposite of the arranged, business-like engagement she had with Connor. The sneakers are comfortable, practical, and chosen for her needs rather than for appearances.

By the epilogue, the sneakers have transformed into a symbol of their authentic love. Kennedy deliberately chooses to wear them at her second, intentional wedding—the one where she is sober, sure, and freely choosing Isaiah. The sneakers represent the comfort and authenticity of their relationship versus the performative luxury of her old life. Isaiah's reaction in the epilogue makes this clear: he laughs to himself when he sees the toe of her shoe peek out from her dress, remembering he bought them "when I was desperate for her to be comfortable enough that she might be willing to spend a bit of time with me."

Character and Theme Connections

Kennedy Kay: The sneakers mark her journey from a woman who followed rules and wore expensive heels to someone who embraces comfort and spontaneity. Her old engagement ring was gaudy and eight carats; the sneakers are practical and chosen for her comfort. They represent her growing autonomy and her willingness to step outside the expectations her family placed on her.

Isaiah Rhodes: The sneakers show his attentiveness. He remembers her shoe size, her color preferences, and her height concerns. He insists on paying, framing the gift as part of his "one shot" to spend time with her, which reveals his long-standing care and his understanding that she needs to feel comfortable to open up.

Performance vs. authenticity: The sneakers contrast sharply with the performative aspects of Kennedy's old life—the arranged engagement, the family expectations, the expensive clothes. They are authentic and comfortable, and wearing them at her second wedding signals that her relationship with Isaiah is genuine rather than performative. This connects to the broader performance vs. authenticity theme in the novel.

Gender discrimination in professional sports: The platform gives Kennedy height in a male-dominated field, and the sneakers are practical for her work as an athletic trainer. They are a small but meaningful counter to the way Dr. Fredrick and others dismiss her because she is a woman. See the gender discrimination theme for more.

Family expectations vs. personal autonomy: Kennedy's family wanted her to marry Connor for business reasons. The sneakers, worn at her Vegas wedding and again at her real wedding, represent her choosing her own path. This connects to the family expectations theme.

Learning intimacy and vulnerability: Isaiah's gift is an act of care that Kennedy initially resists ("I can pay for my own shoes"). Learning to accept his care is part of her journey toward intimacy, which is explored in the learning intimacy and vulnerability theme.

Study Questions

1. Why does Isaiah buy Kennedy sneakers instead of just offering to take her somewhere she can sit?

The sneakers are a practical solution to her immediate discomfort—her feet hurt and she is cold—but they are also a gesture of care that shows he has been paying attention to her. He knows her shoe size, her color preferences, and her height concerns. He frames the gift as part of his "one shot" to spend time with her, so the sneakers are also a way to extend their evening and make her comfortable enough to stay. The gift is both practical and strategic, revealing his long-standing interest in her.

2. How do the sneakers function differently at the first wedding versus the second?

At the first wedding, the sneakers are a recent gift Kennedy is wearing because her heels hurt; she is drunk and impulsive, and the shoes are incidental to the marriage. At the second wedding, she deliberately chooses to wear them, walking down the aisle in them and later wearing the full original outfit embroidered with "Mrs. Rhodes." The choice is intentional, signaling that she embraces the unconventional start of their relationship and wants to honor it. The sneakers shift from a practical accident to a deliberate symbol of their authentic love.

3. What do the sneakers reveal about Isaiah's character?

They show his attentiveness and care. He remembers details about Kennedy—her shoe size, her preference for neutrals and team colors, her height. He insists on paying, framing it as part of his "one shot" to spend time with her. The sneakers also show his playfulness and his willingness to meet her where she is, literally making her more comfortable. His teasing about the shoes at the airport and in the dugout shows that he values the shared history they represent.

4. How do the sneakers connect to the theme of performance vs. authenticity?

The sneakers are the opposite of Kennedy's expensive Louboutin heels, which represent the performative, arranged life her family wanted for her. The sneakers are comfortable, practical, and chosen for her needs rather than for appearances. By wearing them at her second wedding, she signals that her relationship with Isaiah is authentic rather than performative—she is choosing comfort and genuine connection over the appearance of luxury. The sneakers become a visual shorthand for the difference between the life she was expected to live and the life she chooses for herself.

The Sneakers as a Through-Line

The sneakers are one of the most consistent physical objects in the novel, appearing from the first night in Las Vegas through the epilogue two years later. They anchor the story's emotional arc: what begins as a practical gift from a man trying to get a woman to stay becomes a cherished symbol of their unconventional marriage and, finally, a deliberate choice at their real wedding. The sneakers tie together the novel's concerns with comfort, authenticity, and the freedom to choose one's own path, making them a fitting symbol for a relationship that begins as a drunken mistake and becomes a genuine love story.

For more context, see the book overview, the character analysis of Isaiah Rhodes, and the character analysis of Kennedy Kay.