Stilettos, Platform Shoes and Sneakers, Oh My!

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This is a reblog from one of my first posts. Since then I have learned how to add photos and to moderate my shoe fetish!

This blog is dedicated to my friend Bettie, who has even more shoes than I do! (and she still does!)

According to my mother, I flew out of the womb, yelling, “Shoes, I need shoes!” That may be a slight exaggeration but my fascination with shoes started early. I refused to walk barefoot as a child. I liked my feet covered. Some would say adorned. A little sparkle always caught my eye.  I was also attracted to red shoes. For school – a stodgy parochial school where I wore uniforms — my practical mother tried to put me in Maryjanes but I clamored for really cool penny loafers with a shiny new penny. Then I had to have red sneakers for play.

When I went to high school, sneakers were the rage. I had them in several different colors including a pink plaid pair that I just loved.  I believe that is the only shoe I ever wore out.  As a younger woman, I wore what we called “spikes.” I am guessing they were about 3 inches high with pointy toes. And don’t forget the beloved platform shoes.  What I love best is that they come back every ten years or so.  I never throw mine out!

They make the best styles for women who can wear really high heels. Today, I see actresses wear “stilettos.” Descriptions have them at 5 inches or higher. How can anyone walk on those? My feet just aren’t long enough! I have enough trouble with a 2 inch heel which is the absolute highest I can go.  Somehow they always have an orthopedic look to them — something my mother would wear. That doesn’t stop me from buying lots of them! Last year the beloved husband made a 6 foot high cabinet to house my fabulous collection (of mostly orthopedic looking footwear). To be sure the cabinet was the correct size, I inventoried my “collection,” measured and sketched out what the cabinet dimensions would need to be.  Oops! Too big for my enormous walk-in closet! We could buy another house or…….

I settled on a cabinet for the “in-season” shoes which numbered fairly close to 70.  I would need to box and store the out-of-season treasures.

Now keep in mind that, like most people, I only have two feet. If summer is from April until the end of September that is 183 days. Simple math says that I would only wear each pair 2.6 days. At that rate it would take me three decades to “wear out” a pair.

For comparison, my beloved husband has about four pair. Six, if you count his ratty gardening shoes. He actually has been known to wear out a pair and NEED to replace them.  Needing shoes isn’t in my vocabulary.  I just WANT them. Red ones (which never match anything because they are too orange or too blue), purple ones, the standards and of course the funky ones that are never comfortable.  Why is it that the most beautiful shoes hurt?  It must be written in a book somewhere!

I think I buy shoes to soothe myself after a hard day or maybe in place of a spa day. It always does the trick. My problem is not that I have too many pair; it’s that the year doesn’t have enough days!

31 thoughts on “Stilettos, Platform Shoes and Sneakers, Oh My!”

  3. Great shoe closet! I have to show this post to my hubby – he thinks I have too many shoes. (Maybe 15 pairs) And of course, I do, but it could be worse! And like you say, it is a harmless vice!

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  4. I am amazed by your incredible selection of shoes. A very practical spot for them.
    To me, shoes are for comfort. I do recall coming close to seriously injuring myself when I taught my daughter how to ride a bike. I was wearing clogs at the time. Dangerous.
    But, the 5-inch heel? I never wore the 3-inch heel. They seem impractical and I suspect they lead to back pain.

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    • You are a very practical person. When I was in my 20s and 30s, I wore high heels. I worked in a large corporation and it was way before business casual. I wore suits and dresses and yes, high heels. I am a klutz with flip flops and clogs although a good fitting slide or mule will work. Clogs are always too big for my skinny feet.

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  5. I will never understand shoes. I know I don’t need so many of them, but I want more and more!
    I love your shoe collection! What I love most is that there are only half of them in the picture!

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  8. Can’t say I’m quite the same “shoe” person as you. Me, I like my hiking boots. My poor mother sigh’s. I do have a lot of shoes in my cupboard, though but it mostly consists of old ones that are broken and need to be thrown out. Fear not, though, hubby will always be willing to go shopping and get me shoes and bling and all sorts of things I would never previously have worn.

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  12. I am retired from the compulsory shoe stage of my life, now i wear boots everyday and everywhere, nature photography can take you to many prickly places :), so lace em up and get outdoors!, MJ

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    • I am also retired from the beautiful heels phase. While I do miss it, in some ways I love being comfortable. My go-to shoes are slides, sneakers or sandals depending on the weather and what I am doing.

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  14. I don’t like shoes. Don’t like buying them or wearing them. I am happiest barefoot or with just socks if it’s cold. If they aren’t comfortable I won’t wear them. If they are comfortable I don’t care if they are ugly old lady shoes I wear them, and yes, I wear them until they fall apart. I will stop now–this is becoming a rant…

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  15. I don’t know what it is about shoes, but maybe it’s that we can actually see them on our feet and admire them throughout the day. Unless we live to look at ourselves in mirrors, and that would be the last thing I want to do, we don’t really see our clothing much. If I had your nice shelving I would own more shoes, too. I have a space issue, and that does keep me in check! I did put on a pair of very high heels I have held onto and I couldn’t walk! I’m sort of sad those days are probably over! 😦 Debra

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