The father commonly performs the ceremonial shoe change at a quinceañera.
In the familiar version of the ritual, the celebrant begins in flat shoes and her father replaces them with high heels or other formal footwear. The father’s participation connects the moment to family support and recognition as the celebrant enters a new stage of life.
The custom is not practiced identically by every family. A mother, grandparent, guardian, or another loved one may perform the change, especially when the father is absent or when the family prefers a different arrangement. Some celebrations do not include the ritual at all.
The ceremony should therefore be understood as a customary role, not an obligation. It also does not make the celebrant legally adult or establish a formal religious status. The shoe change is one of many symbolic traditions that families may retain, revise, or combine with newer practices while preserving the central birthday celebration.