Can A Woman Own Too Many Shoes?

Too Many Shoes

I think this is a trick question, one that was undoubtedly posed by a man who lacks closet space due to his partner’s shoes. Of course, it is not possible for a woman to own too many pairs of shoes. It is possible, perhaps, for a woman to own too many of the same shoe; even this is a stretch though. Consider that we find the perfect stiletto, on sale no less; the only answer is to buy at least three pairs in our size especially if we have a hard-to-fit foot.

Just today I realized the year was coming to an end and it was time for me to do my annual closet cleaning. Woe is me; time to give away shoes that I will not wear again. Shoes that some other woman will enjoy and hopefully cherish. I do this each year not because I am particularly altruistic; rather I am selfish and realize that I must make space in my closet for future purchases.

There is only so much space after all, despite my over and under shoe racks by the end of each year, my closet requires clearing. There are always those regrettable purchases, the ones that fit in the store but after a night of dancing or a day at the office I know I will never wear them again.

I do plan to keep all of my comfortable pairs of shoes that I wear a lot though. After reading a Rothys review (or two or a dozen reviews), I am definitely keeping Rothy’s in my shoe collection. 

I am really not sure what too many pairs of shoes mean. Is there a saturation point? A happy medium? Is there a secret cut-off at which point a woman has crossed the line from the right number of shoes to over the edge? It was said that Imelda Marcos owned over 3,000 pairs of shoes; was she over the top?

IMELDA MARCOS LOOKS AT HER FAMOUS SHOE COLLECTION AT THE MARIKINA SHOE MUSEUM IN FEBRUARY 2001. PHOTO BY JOEL NITO/AFP.
IMELDA MARCOS LOOKS AT HER FAMOUS SHOE COLLECTION AT THE MARIKINA SHOE MUSEUM IN FEBRUARY 2001. PHOTO BY JOEL NITO/AFP.

Fashion catalogs and magazines and gossip rags occasionally show us the insides of celerity closets; I admit to closet envy when I see them in their room size closets with shoes in every color, heel size, stacked floor to ceiling and sorted by style and designer. Some even have floating ladders so they can reach the shoes on the top shelves; I am green with envy. I often consider the idea of transforming my spare room into a closet of similar proportion and style; my guests can stay at a hotel I will even pay.

I buy hot shoes and then find outfits to go with them at times. Shoes speak to me from store displays; calling my name. I may not have a single thing in my wardrobe that is red, yellow, and purple like the shoes I recently bought but I will now diligently find a dress or suit to wear my latest find with.

Shoes claim my imagination and remind me that I am a woman first and an executive second. Shoes pump up the volume of even the most boring black suit. Shoes make me giddy. How can there be too many a thing that brings such happiness to a person? I ask this question in all seriousness of the course.

I think, really that this is a trick question. Only if shoes become an uncontrollable addiction could a woman have too many. If the bills weren’t being paid, the children weren’t fed; the house wasn’t cleaned all in the name of buying shoes then a person could say that there was a problem.

But simply saying that a woman has too many shoes, no I don’t think this is possible. So long as I have space in my closet, my husband has not stepped on my stiletto puncturing his foot and required stitches; well I can honestly say that my shoe fetish is likely under control.

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