https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 26 Apr 2026 05:35:34 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1345130 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 12:34:41 +0000 Glory 1345130@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What a glorious shoe farm you have. They all look quite nice and I tend to agree on both the nap and on 47 not being outrageous given climate.<br />I do like the idea of passing through one more time and asking each pair if they are comfy enough to keep. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1345121 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 12:13:52 +0000 Anonymous 1345121@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks, everyone! </p> <p>Laura, I do wear flats and sandals a lot. I love flats because they're comfy, they can cross over between seasons and between work and weekend, and it's easy to find ones in more interesting colors without feeling like it's "too much shoe." And I love sandals because I love seeing my toes in the summer. And purging things I haven't worn for 2 years probably isn't a bad rule of thumb.</p> <p>Shevia, napping wins out&nbsp;for me more than it should! And I think I'm sometimes even less likely to get rid of clothes than shoes because, with clothes, I can always tell myself that maybe I'll wear it as loungewear or as a layering piece&nbsp;or if I lose a few pounds or whatever. With shoes, there are fewer available justifications.</p> <p>Gigi, that's definitely true that there's a difference in how picky you can realistically be if you work at home vs. not at home. And I could see tracking shoe wears being useful, but I also know myself and I have a feeling it would just seem like work. What's kind of weird about me (well, one of the many things!) is that I actually think of myself as pretty analytical, but not in a way that particularly translates to a love of structure or organization. I do&nbsp;think these kinds of posts, where I'm forced to organize my thoughts about something&nbsp;and make them sound&nbsp;coherent, are good steps in that direction without feeling too much like work.</p> <p>Suz, I do love colored and patterned shoes! I especially like how the rise of&nbsp;pattern-mixing in the last few years has meant that I have more opportunities to wear patterned shoes. And I wonder if you're onto something with the idea that getting rid of some of these might make it easier to set myself to finding&nbsp;replacements.</p> <p>Laura, that does sound like a similar number! Sounds like you have more sneakers while I've got more boots and sandals, but our shoes are pretty comparable otherwise.</p> <p>Firecracker, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one hanging onto shoes I don't wear much. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344968 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 02:42:16 +0000 Firecracker (Sharan) 1344968@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting thoughts here. I like Jeanne's thinking, too. I would rather have more shoes to choose from and wear each pair less often. But Aubergine, I am probably in your pre-purge situation. I do have a lot of shoes I don't wear but for some reason can't bring myself to toss out. Gigi makes such a good point about the mental energy consumed by "skipping over" items that we don't want to wear for one reason or another! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344946 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 02:11:57 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1344946@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Way to go with the culling, and everything you have left looks really workable for your lifestyle. I've got a similar number - well, a little less because I only have 6 pairs of boots total, but I don't have the winter weather to deal with that you do. Iirc my numbers are 9 ballet flats, 3 other flats/oxfords, 6 heels/wedges, 6 sneakers (3 gear) and 6 pairs of boots (3 short, 3 tall). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344939 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 02:08:09 +0000 Suz 1344939@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Shoes are so tempting, aren't they? And they really do add fun to an outfit. I notice you have lots of patterned and coloured ones. This is something that people with teeny shoe collections probably feel afraid to try.&nbsp;</p> <p>I live in a similar climate, and have about half as many shoes. I'm neither a closet minimalist nor maximalist -- more of a moderate -- &nbsp;but I will say, I would happily add a few more pairs to my closet without following the one-in-one-out rule. I don't exactly&nbsp;<b>NEED </b>any more &nbsp;(er..except for a very casual weather proof boot or bootie)&nbsp;-- but I could use and would certainly enjoy&nbsp;a few more in several categories.&nbsp;</p> <p>I think in your situation the ones I would get rid of would be the ones that are not comfortable or the ones that make you feel unfab. I do find sometimes that getting rid of the worn out or ill fitting item mysteriously helps me find the better alternative.&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344927 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 01:54:41 +0000 Gigi 1344927@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Aubergine, I hear you on getting stressed about what will happen to a particularly functional pair! Feeling like you're on the spot to replace something right away rarely leads to good purchases. I work at home and so am more flexible with what I can do if a favorite pair is dying. But you go on-site to a workplace, and that makes a difference.</p> <p>Do you think it would be helpful to track your shoe wears throughout this coming year? I know you're not analytical (at least I think you said that on another post), but it would only be shoes and not everything you wear. Maybe that would give you additional information on how often things are being worn and would give you a better overall "snapshot" of your shoe closet. Of course, if this sounds like too much work, then forget it! We all have different ways of having fun with fashion. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344844 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 00:35:20 +0000 Jaime 1344844@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You also got an appreciative smile from me when you wrote about the appeal of napping over shoe culling. I have more shoes than you and find I go through moods and phases with them, so try to only get rid of shoes that are so uncomfortable that I will never wear. I am tougher with clothes. Somewhat. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344831 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 00:10:18 +0000 frannieb 1344831@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>love this post - learned so much and great advice in the responses. &nbsp;i am not a minimalist when it comes to shoes - i think you have a great shoe collection.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344829 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 00:07:00 +0000 Laura 1344829@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><div><br /> <a href="http://youlookfab.com/member/aubergine/" rel="nofollow"></a> </div></p> <p> <div></p> <p> &lt;span class="watch"&gt;</p> <p> </div></p> <p> Aubergine, I have to congratulate you for your courage to purge what you don't need to make closet space for new things you need / want! I also envy you, having such a huge collection of shoes :)</p> <p>I do notice you have a lot of flats and sandals, are those the category of shoes you tend to wear the most? ...... Do you have a rule, where if there is a pair you haven't worn for over 2 years, you purge?</p> <p>I have the same problem as you! If i see a pretty shoe, I tend to buy buy buy and now, without counting, I suspect I have over 40 pairs that are taking up a lot of my closet space. I need to start my cull soon too but I usually get sentimental and end up not throwing out enough, thus i admire your will to purge and clean house </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344821 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 23:57:11 +0000 Anonymous 1344821@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Gigi and Caro, I was replying to earlier posts&nbsp;while you posted!</p> <p>Gigi, I think, for me,&nbsp;having only a single pair of shoes in a niche and constantly having to worry about whether it's wearing out and whether I'll have to either replace it RIGHT NOW or not wear a big chunk of my wardrobe would be more stressful than having pairs I don't love as much. I do like the idea of trying to find categories and replace based on that.</p> <p>Caro, the holding zone is a good idea too! That way they're there if I really need them, but I can see if I can get by without them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344818 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 23:53:03 +0000 jackiec 1344818@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great advice given so far. Good for you for going through this exercise. I have a bit of shoe-culling to do myself, so this is inspirational. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344817 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 23:52:14 +0000 Anonymous 1344817@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lisa, I do have lots of flats, don't I? And I hadn't realized that all of my pumps are black or gray. I think part of my issue might be that I like variety in my shoes, both for its own sake and so I'm not constantly replacing the same few pairs,&nbsp;but I also tend to wear clothes in a fairly limited palette and set of silhouettes. So I end up with a lot of similar-looking shoes because that's what goes best with my clothes. Is this a good way of balancing my love of variety with practicality, or is it just buying the same thing over and over? I'm honestly not sure.</p> <p>Trying to think&nbsp;which of the flats and pumps&nbsp;I'd give up if I were more disciplined. The plain black flats are probably a good candidate. (But I like having them as insurance since I wear black flats so often!) As are the blue cap-toe ones and the orange ones. (But they're so fun! And they take up so little space!) And I could maybe get rid of the gray suede pair, since they're similar to the gray snakeskin wedges but feel a little less stylish. (But they're so comfy for heels! And that's hard to find!) You can see why it's hard….</p> <p>Jeanne, I like the way you think! I'm a big shoe bargain shopper too.&nbsp;And I like having enough variety that I can handle something wearing out too. Especially since I don't have a car, so my shoes, even the nicer pairs,&nbsp;get a lot of wear. As I touched on in my response to Lisa, though, I'm not sure where having a lot of variety to make things easier/more interesting turns into having too many shoes I'm not wearing enough. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344810 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 23:46:16 +0000 Caro in Oz 1344810@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ah shoes with issues - I hear you I have bitten the bullet &amp; donated all of mine. A second (&amp; third) sweep is a great idea. So is working out <b>why </b>they don't work - for me it was mainly&nbsp;heel height &amp; stiff leather,&nbsp;<br />Maybe you could separate any duplicates. You could put the&nbsp;ones that you know you won't wear because you prefer another into a holding zone. If you don't reach for them in a season then it may be easier to let them go. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344800 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 23:36:34 +0000 Gigi 1344800@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm with the others, that I think you will be happier in the long run if you could cull more of the shoes that aren't really making you happy. I think that if a shoe has issues, you should purge it. It's really a lot of emotional work to have to "skip over" all the extraneous shoes every time you're getting dressed. Clutter in the closet, or even a well-organized closet that is full of stuff that we don't wear, is exhausting mentally.</p> <p>I am not a wardrobe minimalist OR maximalist: I think we should all have the right number of clothing for our needs, emotional and physical. I feel like maybe you are not as happy with your shoe collection as you could be? (I just felt like you weren't excited when I read the post; sorry if I'm assuming something that's not there.)</p> <p>I'm wondering if you could group your less-than-stellar shoes into categories and then replace, for instance, three pairs of less-than-stellar shoes with one pair of great shoes. To do this, you'd have to be able to see that various pairs of shoes are really performing the same function. For instance, maybe you have three pairs of black flats/wedges/sandals that really are interchangeable when it comes to making outfits, and you aren't really excited about any of the three options. In that case, you would look for a single black shoe that makes you really happy that you could use to replace all three. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344761 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 22:50:11 +0000 Jjsloane 1344761@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm pretty sure I could top your numbers, but I'm in denial and will likely never post my entire shoe collection. I enjoy a shoe bargain. I don't spend over $100 on 95% of my shoes (most average about $35 but were originally much more). I just ordered 7 pair at end of year sales (will probably return more than half).&nbsp;I like having an assortment and therefore they don't wear out too quickly. I purge any that cause pain or are beyond repair.&nbsp;I do have a few favorites but these can change seasonally. If you don't have a storage issue and are able to access the ones you need then no worries.<br />I do admire those who can tackle these purging projects.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344756 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 22:43:47 +0000 Anonymous 1344756@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow - what a collection, and what a job you've tackled! &nbsp;I'm trying to get rid of the shoes that have issues. &nbsp;Why bother having them? &nbsp;This is me talking to me:) &nbsp;Unworn, or not great shoes only serve to remind us of purchasing mistakes and out of date looks. &nbsp;I've become quite ruthless and having a collection similar to yours, have culled it down to what I wear, plus the few pairs that are for special occasions. If they don't get worn, they don't need to be in my closet. Donate the wearable pieces, and toss the rest! &nbsp;</p> <p>Just looking through your photos, and playing devil's advocate here&nbsp;, you have a lot of flats in picture 1 of similar styles - and again in picture 4. &nbsp;Do you really need all those versions of the same thing? &nbsp;I realize that the flats are in a variety of colours, but ..... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344753 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 22:29:25 +0000 Anonymous 1344753@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks, Alasse and Deb! Another pass may not be a bad idea. Deb, I wore both pairs of&nbsp;the boots a lot last year. But I wear lots of skirts and dresses and get cold easily, so there was kind of no avoiding them. With these, I don't want to get rid of them unless I have replacements because they're so useful, but finding replacements would probably be a huge pain because most boots come up way too high for my short legs. Also, there's the cost issue, where&nbsp;buying two new pairs of tall boots would probably mean it would be harder to justify other things I need/want. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344745 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 22:05:45 +0000 Anonymous 1344745@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Now for the shoes:</p> <p>#1: <b>Flats: 12 pairs.</b>&nbsp;Most of&nbsp;these go to work and to things like dinners out, as well as to casual weekend things,&nbsp;while a few are just for really casual wear. In terms of shoes with "issues," the animal print with the bow&nbsp;and the black glitter slipper flats are on their last legs, the black ballet flats at the top of the next-to-last row&nbsp;are mostly held onto&nbsp;as backup if I'm between "better" pairs of black flats or want to preserve a pair that's starting to wear, the blue pair with the turquoise toe and the orange pair are older and are mostly there for occasional casual wear because the colors are fun, and the black/cream slipper flats are cute but can rub if I wear them to walk a lot.</p> <p>#2: <b>Summer casual shoes: 6 pairs.&nbsp;</b>There are 7 in the picture, but I decided to get rid of the metallic cork wedge heels in the middle (which I think I've talked about in threads on whether shoes like these are dated)&nbsp;afterwards. I mostly wear the rose gold&nbsp;Birk-style pair of sandals next to them, as well as&nbsp;the three more delicate pairs on the left. The snakeskin pair in the front left corner is close to wearing out.</p> <p>#3: <b>Summer work-ish shoes: 4 pairs.</b> The cognac pair are my favorites and, after two years of heavy wear, I'm not sure they'll make it through a third. I'm kind of sick of the plain black pair and may look for a replacement next year. I'd forgotten about the gray/turquoise pair, but I like them and should wear them more.</p> <p>#4: <b>Work pumps and wedges: 6 pairs.</b> The black and animal-print wedges are all-year workhorses, although the black pair might be starting to wear out, and the black lace-up pair are workhorses once it's cool enough for tights.</p> <p>#5: <b>Dressy shoes: 5 pairs.</b> I don't need these often, so none get much wear, and that's fine. I actually culled the black pair with the bows in the middle (dated) and the black pumps at the bottom right (beautiful, but can barely walk in them) after taking the picture.</p> <p>#6: <b>Short boots: 7 pairs.</b> The two black pairs get a lot of casual wear. The gray pair is older and mostly comes out for semi-icy weather when I'm wearing boot-cut pants and want something stable with enough of a heel for them. The navy pair comes out pretty rarely, when I'm bored of black or brown shoes in the winter and want to wear something that goes with navy tights and shoes. Not pictured but collected below&nbsp;are black and cognac heeled booties (at the cobbler now) and new flat black booties from NAS, which I'm probably going to keep.</p> <p>#7: <b>Tall brown boots: 3 pairs.</b> Love the Fryes, and love the cowboy boots even if they're not the most practical shoes ever. The heeled pair on the left is comfy and useful and short enough to fit my calves, but I think they're maybe a little frumpy.</p> <p>#8: <b>Tall black boots: 4 pairs.</b> I wear the flat black pair a lot and, even though I'm really sick of the heeled La Canadiennes on the right, they're so perfect for work in lousy winter weather that I know they'll be with me until they wear out. The other heeled pair is the same style as the cognac heeled pair, so same deal.&nbsp;I counted my snow boots (for the few days where the La Canadiennes aren't enough)&nbsp;here instead of as gear because I purposefully bought a pair that can just about pass for&nbsp;boots I'd wear anyway. There's only one of them in the pic because I couldn't find the other.</p> <p>Wow, that took longer than I expected to write up!&nbsp;Any comments, identification of other shoes I could cull, or purchase suggestions are welcome!&nbsp;</p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344740 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 21:49:40 +0000 deb 1344740@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Good job. I had to laugh at your comment, <i>"Even the idea of going through all my clothing at once makes me want to take a nap". </i>I agree with going through again. You should love to wear every pair you own. Did you purge the boots? How often did you wear them last year?&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344734 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 21:38:04 +0000 Alassë 1344734@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Good job purging, and good analysis, Aubergine! I'd try another pass in a bit to reduce the number of your "issue" shoes, since half seems too high. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shoe-inventory-and-shoe-blather---long#post-1344730 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 21:33:52 +0000 Anonymous 1344730@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>All of the inventories and clean outs here have gotten me -- maybe the least organized, least disciplined, least list-making person ever -- to want to get in on the action. Even the <i>idea</i> of going through all my clothing at once makes me want to take a nap, but I figured I could at least tackle my shoes.</p> <p>So yesterday I dumped out all my shoes in a pile, got rid of maybe 10 or 12 pairs that didn't seem worth holding on to, and counted everything that was left. I've never gotten into the&nbsp;minimalist urge to keep everything below a certain number or to have only things that are the Most Perfect Thing Ever, so I mostly did this out of curiosity and to get a sense of what I have and what I should concentrate on looking for.</p> <p>It turns out I have … <b>47</b> pairs, not counting rain shoes/boots, a pair of plastic&nbsp;flip-flops, gear sneakers,&nbsp;and one or two pairs of shoes&nbsp;I think of as "slippers that can technically go outside." I was honestly expecting it to be much higher, and I don't think this is unreasonable for someone who lives somewhere with four seasons, works full-time in an office, and walks a lot. So I feel pretty good about that.</p> <p>However, I feel like about half of my shoes have one issue or another. I've got a few workhorse&nbsp;pairs that are due for replacement, but that I keep wearing because they're still technically&nbsp;wearable. Most of these are just getting worn down, but there are a few in perfectly good condition that I just don't like much (yup, tall heeled black and cognac boots, that's you).&nbsp;In addition, I have a lot of shoes that don't get worn that often for one reason or another. Sometimes they're something I bought because they seemed fun or different&nbsp;and didn't expect to necessarily wear super-often (hello, summer sneakers), sometimes they're useful in specific circumstances&nbsp;(hello, gray wedge boots with thick rubber soles that are good when it's a little icy but not enough to need snow boots), and sometimes they're older shoes that I wouldn't buy now but&nbsp;still like enough to hold onto for now&nbsp;(hello, bright-colored round-toe flats). </p> <p>I don't have a problem keeping these, although there's probably one or two more I could cull. As I said, these do get worn, and I do have the space for them. But I feel like my ratio of shoes I want to mentally&nbsp;stick an asterisk next to vs. shoes I don't is a little high. So maybe I just need to be a little more strategic about buying in the future. When I'm shoe shopping,&nbsp;I think I might over-rely on having enough shoes that I never <i>need</i> to buy any one thing. So maybe I could focus more on identifying holes or buying replacements for workhorses rather than just assuming that I'll always be able to cobble something together from my existing shoe wardrobe to fit any real needs I face&nbsp;and using that as justification for buying something more random.</p> <p>This is getting really long, so I'll put pictures of my shoes in a reply to this. Thanks for reading, and any advice about other shoes I can think about culling, or advice/insight in general are welcome! </p>