Is somebody higher up in your chain of command allowed to tell you what you should support or not support?

I completely agree SFC. As I was telling the SSgt that commented prior I can only assume that was the situation I didn’t hear the entire conversation but what I did catch did not seem right.

It's always filtered through several layers when we hear about it. I've seen both happen. Times when a squad leader or PSG tells a Soldier to come in to do some work or layout, and times when a commander has revoked someone off of leave.

Roger. I agree. I felt like shit for not saying anything but I didn’t know what the entire situation was nor what the shoes looked like. I could be assuming this had to do with the protest. I had a similar situation like this happen to me but I stood up for myself and told them that I wasn’t violating any regulation and not to force his political opinions on me. He was pissed but what can he say or do?

It's only opinion for as long as they're not abusing their authority by exercising influence in an inappropriate manner.

I agree. If the shoes are not out of regulation, the Soldier has all rights to wear them. Look at the number of Soldiers that wear Nike shoes all the time. As a NCO, we are here to enforce the standards not our personal opinions. This NCO needs to spend time reading our Creed, and make sure he or she is following it. A lower enlisted Soldier doesn't lose his or her rights, because he or she becomes a Soldier. What I wonder is how many other things has this NCO been forcing Soldiers to do that follows his way of thinking. Total abuse of his position and bringing shame to the NCO Corps.