Did you see this survey released yesterday?
Women Spend $25,000 on Shoes Over Lifetime
Aha! I am nowhere near that amount! A British insurance company called gocompare.com (though I could not find the original survey on the website) surveyed 3,000 British women. The average number of pairs of shoes is ~ 19: three with heels; six flip flops, flats, sandals or wedges; three pairs of boots; four pairs of sexy shoes; two pairs of sensible work shoes; and roughly two random purchases.
The lifetime tally of shoes is about 469 pairs, at roughly $53 per pair. The women surveyed buy about 7 pairs of shoes a year, starting at 14 (first purchase without mom).
So, what I don't get is 469 pairs over a lifetime, but only owning 19! Well, mathematically they surveyed women of all ages, and you acquire more shoes as you age - it would be more interesting to me to know how many pairs of shoes the average 40 year old owned. This makes my 150+ seem right in the norm! Especially considering I never discard any and my average price is ~$35.
I've been meaning to write about the (intentionally) shoe deprived among us. One of my non blogging friends, Helen, told me she had only 5 pairs. This caused me a lot of anxiety. So much so that I told her I had to blog about her and she said it was ok. Look, if you have 5 pairs of shoes, this is what you own: one pair athletic shoes, one pair outdoorsy sandals (tevas and the like), and one pair of work shoes, probably black, that are overworn and because they must match everything they actually match nothing. The other two pairs I hope are a pair of heels (again, black to match everything), and....I don't even know. What would your 5th pair be? Hopefully something else for daily wear, just to give your feet (and your co-workers) a break.
In 30 days of shoe note-taking, I've not worn one of those standard pairs!
I used to work with a woman who had 8 pairs. *shudder* The shoes she wore to work were quite possibly among the ugliest shoes I have ever seen.
It's not that I think everyone should own 150 pairs. I think an ideal number, for my age group, is more like 40 or so, to add in some fun shoes, to allow brown and blue into your wardrobe, to celebrate seasons, to own at least one pair of tall boots for pete's sake!
Ultimately, look, I'm no fashion plate, fashion snob, or shallow image is everything person. I try to write here, with varying degrees of success, in a faux mock-umentary style, recognizing the absurdity of my various collections. When it comes to shoes, you are more than physical appearance, without a doubt. But yet, we live in a visual society, where appearances do matter to some degree. So ultimately I think there are two sides to paying attention to your shoes. First, in thinking about the image it projects - what do you want your attire to say about you? I think it's fine if you want it to say: I do not care about spending time or money on my attire, I have loftier pursuits. But there are different ways to do that. And second, and even as important - what level of pleasure do you want to receive from looking put together, in clothes and shoes and accessories that are flattering?
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And so my June wrap up:
29 pairs of shoes, 1 barefoot day, 1 repeat day, 1 day with two shoes
total price: $684.75
For an average cost of $23.61 (woot!)
One pair in donation pile (I am going to have a scar!)
2 pairs in repair pile (reheeled and evaluated to be resewn)
2 undecided (too small sneaks and out of date chunky heels)
8 from Talbots, 5 from Naturalizer, 3 from LOFT, 3 Bandolino, 2 Coach
7 with high heels, 14 low heels, 8 flats
5 black, 5 brown, 19 various colors
0 purchases
2 under consideration. Yes, now cyber stalking two pairs. The brown polka dots, and these. Don't you love them? (cyber stalking means I look at them online every day (or almost every day) and think about buying them. Under $35 and free shipping is my typical threshhold, which both of these meet, but it's hard to buy shoes with you all watching). It is hard to buy shoes knowing I've already bought 9 pairs in 2010, you all are watching and my budget is tight. And yet we head into massive sale season. I might not be able to hold out in July.
Oh, also, there was a peek at the mountain of shoes in the house.
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5 comments:
Helen and I are on the same page. Here's my entire collection:
1 pair of rain boots. Essential for any Waldorf mama who will find herself on lots of rain walks.
1 pair running shoes. Super good. Replaced pair that died after training for and completing a tri-athalon. Sadly, very little wear.
1 pair biking shoes. Essential for bike commuter.
2 pairs black sandals with small heels. One at the office, one at home.
1 pair light brown flats - at office.
1 pair dark brown clogs - at office.
1 pair black semi-chunky heel. Super comfortable - at office. Can wear with jeans of black pants.
1 pair golf shoes. This could last forever, seeing as how I never play golf.
1 pair Chocos. Needs repair.
1 pair flip flops. I hate them, but they sit by my front door. TLC gave them to me at a blogger event, or I wouldn't have them.
1 pair of sneakers that literally have no traction on them anymore, but I can't find another pair of freakishly narrow shoes to replace them, so they sit.
What's missing: My beloved black boots. They literally fell apart and I had to force myself to throw them away before I dared to wear them again thinking my skirt MIGHT be long enough to cover them up where they were really bad off.
My hiking boots. Died over ski vacation last year, haven't been able to replace them.
So...I guess I have a few more - but not that many more. I've never felt shoe deprived, but maybe I'm just kidding myself because I don't have an easy to find sized foot.
This is really interesting. Visual appearance is important sure but what you notice and what other people notice are not the same. I once sat beside one of my friends for hours and did not notice that she had a whoppin' big shiny engagement ring on her finger. Another friend came in and spotted it immediately. The ring, the finger was just not in my radar. I love shoes but I don't think shoes and clothes are either. Or are they? I have to think about this.
You know my shoe wardrobe is as limited as Helen's too. A few work heels, sneakers, sandles, flip flops purchased at an outlet at the beach last summer, slippers given as a gift to me one holiday...
I splurged and bought a beautiful pair of cream and brown heels to match a new work suit a few years ago. As I walked to a meeting in Canada one afternoon the heel and the entire bottom peeled off and began flapping sadly against the ground. I had to rip off the other heel so I was the same height and then secure the bottom of the shoe, and walk very carefully in my new flats during the rest of the meeting until I could change.
I know I have more shoes than Helen, but not by much. I am limited in what I can wear by the facts--I walk at least 2 miles a day, even when I take public transport; I need orthotics and therefore can't wear heels or most sandals. Also, am very cheap--I can't spend more than $30 on a pair of shoes. My threshold used to be higher when I could only wear Earth Shoes, but with my orthotics I can wear any brand as long as I can remove the insole.
I have:
2 pairs of boots, one for rain and one for winter.
1 new pair of running shoes (New Balance, and it cost me $7 because someone had stolen the insoles, but that made it perfect for me). I got rid of my new Rykas ($22) because the front pinched the top edge of my foot.
I have 2 earth shoes purchased in 2008 that I can wear with my orthotics.
I have 1 pair of cute flats that are a little tight with the inserts, but meant for dressing up and going places without kids.
I have 1 pair of Earth sandals that I can actually walk in for about a mile or so.
I love shoes but rarely notice what other people wear. I think that happened when I moved to the US and comfort became the supreme consideration.
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