One of the first lessons I learned as a fledgling b-boy training under BMW Crew/Ballz Deep of Birmingham, Alabama, was a simple one: color matters.

Well, maybe not in terms of skin color, but definitely for shoes. As it was explained to me, light colored shoes will “speed up” your moves, while dark shoes will make your moves seem slower and smoother. It’s part of the reason why Cros1 warned competitors of this year’s Freestyle Session (check out Eye of the Cypher’s flicks from this year’s event here) in advance that the main floor would be black.

A black floor can swallow up a b-boys intricate footwork and transitions the same way a dark club can. And, while this may not be of concern to b-boys who still think b-boying should happen exclusively at battles and talent shows, the general consensus of a lot of experienced b-boys seems to be that A) it’s okay to dance styles other than b-boying and B) it’s okay to dance with girls (if they got it printed on t-shirts, it has to be true, right?).

So, what can you do? You can be that person who does a run that no one sees because you dance “for yourself.” You can be that person who self-consciously holds a flashlight or phone up to illuminate the cypher. Or you can get some glow in the dark shoes, light up shoes or the glowing laces pictured above.

Eh, dunno if I’d rock them, but you should probably jump on this bandwagon before it takes off. Don’t hate.