Can you put yourself into the “Imelda Marcos” category of owning hundreds of pairs of shoes or are you in the “Sandie Shaw” category of bare foot when ever possible? I have to admit to being rather patial to shoes and would buy more if funds and my husband would let me! Equally I love to walk bare foot through the sand and in the summer, at home, I am often shoeless. It isn’t that straight forward. Many women in the western world don’t just buy shoes for practically reasons, in fact for quite the opposite reason. a practicality. Shoes are a way of expressing our characters.   Some of Georgina Goodman’s shoes are impractical to wear, but beautiful pieces of contemporary art.
Think of the woman in the film “In her Shoesâ€. She has rows and rows of beautiful shoes at the back of her closet. They are virtually all un-worn but she buys them to cheer herself up when she is down. She enjoys the pleasure of ownership!
We need shoes for many different occasions. Smart shoes for work, hiking boots for walking the dog, wellies for gardening, trainers for running or going to the gym, slippers to keep our feet warm at home, flip flops for the summer, fashion boots for the winter…..and so on. Then we may need a pair of black shoes and a pair of brown shoes for work.  The list is endless. So even if you put yourself down as a “SandieShawâ€, I am certain you have at least 6 different items of footwear.
The style of shoe you wear can either make or break and outfit. Even if everything else is perfect, wearing an inappropriate shoe or one that doesn’t suit the wearer can ruin the overall look.  There are a few basic rules to consider when choosing shoes.
If you have short legs or wide ankles, try and avoid a loafer shape or ankle straps, it will only draw attention to an area you may wish to disguise. A heel of some description will elongate legs and make calves and ankles look slimmer. Try and match your shoes to your hemline and hosiery. Â
When buying boots, try and avoid the top of the boot finishing on the widest part of your leg unless you are wearing them with a long skirt or trousers.
If you find walking in high heels difficult, either practise or don’t wear them! It is not a good look, hobbling along in heels you cannot cope with.
Match your shoe to the occasion. Simple but elegant for work, flip flops for the beach, casual shoes for the weekend, a really good quality pair of trainers for running or for going to the gym, not for wearing with jeans.Â
Leather is better than synthetic material if you have a problem with foot odour.  Alternate shoes so you give them time to air in between wearing them and look after them with good quality polish.
According to figures I found on the internet, the average American woman owns 40 pairs of shoes. Which ever way we try to justify the number of shoes we need, 40 is way over the top. I would say that women buy shoes not only for reasons of necessity but for the pure pleasure of owning a beautiful pair of shoes.