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40 pairs of shoes

Irina

Veteran

Here. I said it. I have 40 pairs of shoes. 10 or so years ago, I had a goal of having 5 pairs of shoes per season plus one or two for special occasions. 20 to 22 pairs. I had a smaller number of shoes. I walk everywhere and at that time my shoes lasted for 2-3 years before becoming beyond repair. I struggled to replace them. And had no use for sneakers since they were not appropriate for an office.

This is the most shoes I ever had. I edit out 2-3 pais per year, mostly because they are uncomfortable and it became apparent only with use.

40 pairs is a lot, I recognize it. Finally new, simple styles available and fit me so comfortably after the years of disappointing searches for such shoes. Also, I prepare to pay more and it widens possibilities.

I wonder how many others have a sizable collection of shoes. Do you know your total?

Shopping

88 replies

Latest reply was from Sal

Kate

Veteran

I don’t, but I’m going to go home & count and will report back. I figure my number is likely close to yours. My feet are increasingly fussy, and hard to fit, so I often struggle to find shoes that fit. When I find such a pair, I will sometimes duplicate in another color.

Lisa

Veteran

My number is very close to yours, I currently have 39. This includes all my shoes: boots, sandals, sneakers (fashion and athletic), gear, special occasion heels, and beach wear like flip flops and water shoes.

Of these I have 5 pairs I may edit out soon. That will bring my number down to 34.

I rotate shoes I wear (ie boots in winter, sandals in summer). My business/business casual shoes, special occasion heels, and beach wear are worn the least. My gear is worn once a week (hiking, horseback riding). Sandals are worn in summer only and sneakers are worn year round.

I certainly don't need 34 pairs of shoes, but I enjoy the variety I have. I prefer to match shoes to my outfits which has me swapping often, usually every day or every couple of days.

Years ago I tried to own less shoes (one black and one brown boot in winter, etc). Yes it was less decisions to make, but I was also bored and uninspired with my wardrobe. Maybe at some point this will change and I'll own less shoes in the future, but for now, I'm okay with a higher number of shoes and greater variety across the seasons.

Kate

Veteran

Well, it seems I have 41 pairs! In my defense, 2 pairs are high heels that I rarely wear, but useful on those occasions when I need such a thing. They are at least 10 years old. I've included all my shoes, excepting flip flops.

My number also includes a pair of Everlane's day glove flats that I duplicated in another color because they fit so well. Of course, I have ended up wearing the first pair but not the second. I'll probably sell that pair.

A lot of my boots and oxfords get more or less wear in their seasons depending on what I wear and what I feel like. My shoes tend to last a long time, and I baby them.

I have amassed a pretty large wardrobe of sneakers, as my feet have gotten more fussy over time, and they work well with my casual lifestyle. We haven't had a car in over 25 years, and I walk everywhere.

Like Lisa, I'm pretty okay with my numbers, since I love all my shoes, as they have been painstakingly selected for fit over time. I enjoy having options!

What I don't enjoy is shopping for shoes. With my feet, it's sometimes hard to tell whether a shoe that seems a perfect fit in the store can end up feeling terrible on first or second outing. I don't like eating that cost, I can tell you, nor do I like having to resell something.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Of course I know, since I have been counting since 2016! The highest I ever got to was 50. I gradually winnowed them down after joining the forum in 2017. It was difficult getting rid of uncomfortable ones that I loved the look of but I eventually managed.
I currently have 34 counted ones.
2 more are in the dress-up cupboard, they are Art Deco dress-ups which I do occasionally. And one pair of slippers are not counted either. So if they are added, 37.
About 2 of these are really too high but still able to be worn very occasionally so I am holding on to them. My current numbers seem about right for giving me the variety I crave. I adore shoes.

LJP

Veteran

Oh I have a lot. I’m not going to count as out-of-season shoes and boots are stored away but I know the number is much higher than 40 . I still work almost full time and do not wear any shoe or boot two days in a row . Which doesn’t mean I need as many as I have , but here we are . The reasons why are complex and varied - and do I wear them all regularly ? No , but I don’t often make footwear mistakes . I just unpacked my summer collection and there are too many duplicates ( black sandals ) and if I have any energy tomorrow I may address this issue . I lack the storage for what I own and it’s a frustrating mess a lot of the time . With this many pair , I almost never wear them out ( except for exercise runners ). Writing this has made me think it’s time to thin the herd . I will say too , that as prices are increasing so dramatically lately , my purchasing power is diminishing , which isn’t a bad thing for me .

Val MN

My number is 18. I wouldn’t call it a sizeable collection. For one thing it includes 5 pairs that are worn only in my house or backyard, plus 4 pairs that I’m supposed to get rid of but haven’t yet, so there are only 9 pairs for regular wear to cover all seasons. I live in an extreme 4-season climate and walk most places. My shoes are good and I have enough, but that could change at any time when a pair wears out.

Irina, I am curious if your goal from 10 years ago was an upper limit, or were you trying to increase your shoe collection at the time?

Dee

Veteran

I have around 32 shoes, sneakers, sandals and various boots in total and I think that’s not too unreasonable given that I live in a true 4 season climate. Sadly, some of these shoes/boots are now giving my aging feet some trouble, so I’ll probably have to let them go, which is a shame because footwear can really make or break an outfit..

Sloper

Veteran

I don’t know my total but I do have many. Most of which I’ll probably never wear again for many reasons - mostly practicality. I’m in sneakers all the time now.

I think quite a few can be resold, I just need to get motivated.

JAileen

Veteran

I don’t know how many I have, but they are flowing out of my closet like lava.

Sal

Veteran

I have 20 pairs of casual and dress shoes PLUS five pairs of athletics, hiking, pickleball sneakers, EVA birks. I also have slippers.

I have no more storager room and I rotate around. I could downsize heels but have a collection that works so have not done so. I also rarely wear shoes out except for athletic sneakers which I constantly wear out.

I tend to add in 3 pairs a year. This year I will be looking for walking sandals and a new pair of sneakers,

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Irina, soooo glad you've found a larger assortment of comfy shoes! I know how hard that is - especially when you walk everywhere. Well done!

Yes! I know my total. Between 28 and 30. That is ample for me across all seasons and dress codes. Includes snow boots and sneakers.

I do not swap out my shoes. All the shoes I wear across the seasons are stored in one place. I love to see EVERYTHING at once. No holding zones and no seasonal swap outs. I keep duplicated new footwear in the pantry, along with snow boots.

karen23

27. We have four seasons, so this includes winter boots, hiking boots, flip-flops, sandals, dressy flats, walking shoes, sneakers. But I will probably be giving away 3 or 4 pairs, tossing 1 or 2, and the old walking shoes I wear while mowing the lawn are about worn out.

Irina

Veteran

Lisa, my count doesn’t include 2 pairs of beach flip flops, gym sneakers, walking sneakers ( is it cheating on my part?). On unrelated note - every time you mention horse riding, makes me want to invite myself to visit you! I rode a horse once and loved it! ❤️
Kate, I had the same experience with Everlane’s Day Glove - wear my cherry red once often, duplicated in cream and had to sell it - never got around to wear it much.

Jenni NZ, you have some pretty shoes. I often admire your sandals , something I struggle with.

LJP, yes, organization is a challenge for a sizable collection shoes. My purchasing power might diminish soon, too. So, I enjoy while I can

Irina

Veteran

Val MN, 10 years ago my goal was to increase my collection. I had 1 pair of thin boots and 1 pair of warm ones. Finding a second pairs that met my requirements in my price range, was not an easy task. Walking to and back from an office 5 days a week was hard on any shoes.

Dee, I understand. Aging and post injury changes made me part with some of my shoes and even sneakers.
Slopper, reselling is a good option. I do it with my mistakes.

JAileen, LOL
Sal, I think 20 pairs is a magic number for me, too. I just have to deal with FOMO, which is deep rooted in me.

Angie, thanks! I would love to display all my shoes, too!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I’ll make you feel better. I don’t know exact numbers but I know I definitely have more than 40 pairs. There is almost no crossover between my summer and winter footwear (boots vs sandals), so the collection does span seasons and purposes. Some I’ve had for many years, and there are a couple of brand new pairs as well. I have 10 pairs of just fashion sneakers (that does not count my workout sneakers). So yeah, I have a lot. I wear most of them, but there are definitely some with very limited wear that I’m reluctant to let go. Fortunately I have good closet space for them, so I’m not feeling a pressing need to thin the collection, other than letting go of the ones I definitely do not want to wear anymore.

Irina

Veteran

Karen23, it means you will bring your number down to low 20s. Sounds reasonable.

Janet, some of your shoes are so beautiful! And enviable. And desirable

Lisa

Veteran

Irina - *high five for horseback riding* If I'm ever in your area we'll have to go riding together.

Cookie

I’m not sure I want to know how many shoes I have. But I have pretty much put a moratorium on new shoes I can’t walk 2-3 miles in. I’m not getting rid of the less comfy ones though because I love them. Or most of them.

Irina

Veteran

Lisa, that would be nice but unlikely since I live in downtown of a large city

Aquamarine

Veteran

Without looking, just from memory, close to 40 pairs for sure. Shoes have *always* been my weakness.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Irina I have at least 100 pairs of shoes and I am not ashamed. Yes most of them are second hand but that is not the point - I enjoy shoes, I like how I can manipulate the mood of an outfit, and even my own mood, by switching them around, and I don't see why we have to feel that collecting shoes or bags or clothing or whatever has to be a source of shame.
Yes I recognize that too much stuff can be stressful but there is a sort of theme of embarrassment running through this thread that I don't think collectors of baseball cards, records or whatever feel. So I am trying to gently push back a bit .

RobinF

Veteran

Haha I am with Jaime! Never too many shoes!

I love shoes and probably have a similar number to you. Some are very old and not often worn and TBH I should probably donate. But if I still love them and they still fit then you never know when I might want to wear them, so they are still in my closet. I do swap out my sandals and boots off season but loafers and sneakers stay year round.

Cookie

Thank you for saying that, Jaime. I remember when I was a child my grandmother had a small walk-in closet with a high shelf FULL of handbags running around all three sides and I was absolutely BAFFLED as to why anyone would want all these. Now … well, I still don’t have as many as she did (I do have one of hers, and one that belonged to her MIL, but they are for the fanciest occasions). But I get it a lot more.

LJP

Veteran

I've moved twice in 6 years, and that's when it's embarrassing: the packing up and number of bins needed to move my things . Otherwise I love my collection and find that shoes really make an outfit for me. They also can change the look of a simple outfit - and i'm really a uniform dresser at heart so the footwear change takes me from athletic to polished to dressy and back to casual while wearing the same clothing .

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Jaime, good points!

I believe: If you can manage your collection of many items, don't feel overwhelmed by it, can store it, afford it, use it, and enjoy it - WHY NOT!!! You have my blessing!

Personally, I wouldn't want more shoes even if I could store them because shoes aren't my thing. BAGS are my thing I have around 25 bags. I use them all, swap them out frequently, store them beautifully, and thoroughly enjoy them daily! Looking at, and using my collection of bags makes me very happy!

AndiB

Veteran

(note to self: count shoes after work tonight). I bet I have more than 40, including all but say workout shoes and flip flops for pedis. I do swap out seasons (Michigan! Smallish closet!) and have actually culled a great many recently, mostly comfort related. I do love shoes. The exact right pair (just like the exact right word) simply finishes an outfit (or a sentence) and takes it from okay to phenomenal.

I do probably have some more that I simply never reach for, or no longer align with my style preferences, that could be culled. When I make my winter to summer show swap I will do just that. I don't think I'll find many.

cat2

Veteran

Thanks for the true confessions post. I am not home to count, but am certain I still have a higher count. I have been wearing an old pair out each month and not buying much new, so the overall count is headed down, but I will never be a shoe minimalist! I tend to focus on relatively few colors, and have multiple styles in that color: I have army green loafers, ballet flats and boots that I wear with my army green purses. That helps ground outfits year round. I also have feet that like variety and switching between different retailers’ cuts and different styles really helps them stay happy. I check bags for travel so I can bring enough variety.

Bonnie

Veteran

I just donated 7 pair that didn't work so I now have 25 pair. My closet has space for 24 pair so one pair is in a holding zone. This number doesn't include one pair slippers, one pair gardening which stays on the back porch, and 3 hiking shoes (one pair on a bench near the back door, and two pair in car - have to be ready for a hike anytime). I've just realized/found out that I have plantar fasciitis so I donated the flat sandals and a couple pair that were a tighter fit and wouldn't work with a footbed. If I had the space, I would definitely have more shoes because I think they add a lot to an outfit.

karen23

It sounds bad that I still think about going shoe shopping. I'm hoping I can find a pair of comfortable everyday leather shoes. The casual leather shoes I have are too wide & have to be worn with heavy socks.

It is about 3 hours drive each way to the shoe stores I'd want to shop at, two that actually carry narrow sizes, and a big New Balance store (and some New Balance sneakers come in narrow.) Or I'd have to order something.

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