2010 shoes

So, guess what? I totally forgot about a pair I bought in 2010, but by deductive reasoning, them checking my stash of receipts, I was able to pinpoint I had indeed bought a pair of shoes in February 2010. I've edited below, and numbers that were edited are marked with an *.

So in addition to cataloging my shoe collection, I'm simultaneously exposing my buying habits. I bought 22* pairs of shoes in 2010. I've shown you 19 pairs - still have three* to reveal.

In 2010, including the two pairs I haven't yet documented, I spent $617.50* on shoes, or $28.07* per pair, or roughly $50/month. Yikes. Wow. I had no idea. Seriously, if someone asked me how many shoes I bought a year I'd say maybe 10-12. Twice that is a surprise. I don't know how this year really compares with other years, because I can usually pinpoint my purchases to within a season or a span of 1-2 years, but I don't have perfect memory. Friends have asked me how I remember the dates I bought shoes, and it's because I've changed jobs or just been in different life stages over the past ten years or so. So I remember I bought shoes before or after I met Rich, before or after the wedding, with colleagues from my long-term non profit job, from my communications job, from maternity leave, from freelancing etc. But it's not a perfect memory. I'd say I've probably bought more these past few years because I've had more opportunity, but even when working I had a fair amount of shopping time. So who knows.

The good news is I am a bargain shopper, and for less than the price of a pair of fancy designer shoes, I've been able to buy 22* pretty darn good pairs! Where I keep them all is more of the problem, though.

I've already semi-reviewed my purchases, and I don't have many purchase regrets.

So what's on tap for 2011? Well, I'm going to get some wear out of the three* from 2010 I haven't yet worn. I have to take my now-beloved gray ankle boots to the cobbler, though, because I've worn them so much they already need new heel taps! Love them.

I do have a few shoes I'd like to purchase. I really need hiking boots, and missed out on buying some for super cheap in the Lands End winter sale - deliberated too long and they sold out of my size. Hiking boots can then double as snow boots, but if I see some cheap snow boots on sale I'm going to grab them, although we probably won't get much more snow (I hope not at least - on average we only get one >6 inch snow storm a year, though of course anything is possible). I am still longing for gray shooties, but that's another post. I've been cyber stalking a pair I think I love, but they're $165, and that's too rich for my blood. I've been cyber stalking two other pairs of shoes - these in teal/gray and red/taupe - but again too pricey for me. I really, really covet the teal ones.

More realistically, this challenge showed me just how beat up most of my dressy black sandals are, so I'll be on the lookout for a good buy. My athletic shoes are pretty worn, too, so again I've keep a lookout.

And that's about it. I think you'll all agree I don't really need any other kinds of shoes. Maybe I should institute a one in/one out rule from here on out. That would be a good rule - because if I buy black dressy sandals, I certainly have some to toss. Hmm.

So I've purchased two pairs already in 2011. One pair I'll write about soon follows the one in/one out rule. The other pair I'm really not sure about, so they might go back. We'll see what you all think. I'd like to limit my purchases to no more than 10-12 (and this of course assumes I am gainfully employed soon!). We'll see what 2011 brings!

*edited numbers from original post to account for a forgotten pair