treasure trove of shoey goodness.

[verbminx]

I have approximately 40 pairs of shoes and boots, give or take a few (are we counting ballet slippers? No. Might we have missed something? Yep.)

I think only 2 of these are boots - a pair of 8-hole Docs and a pair of knee-high Fluevogs. (oops, no, I just thought of two more. Both suede granny boot style.)

am I alone in this? I have a couple of friends who I know like shoes a lot, or who I guess that if you met them casually, you wouldn't think that they were the shoehounds that they are. (ahem jeca_pereca ahem - but not just her.) But I'm always surprised when people don't see a need to have more than two or three pair....

How many pairs of shoes do you have? Do you like shoes, in varietal terms, or are they just a means to an end, something you have to wear to leave the house, etc?

Some of mine:

Pink/maroon/grey/white vinyl pseudo-Prada novelty sneakers by Wanted
2 pairs Børn slides (rusty brown nubuck open toe, black pebble leather closed toe)
2 pairs identical BCBG MaxAzria open-toe mule wedges - one brown, one black
1 pair black and white Chucks in the weird mule style (these are cute but not comfy)
1 pair Mizuno running shoes, white with lime accents
1 pair TUK kitty maryjanes (black with pink cat)
1 pair Docs laceup brogues
1 pair very cheap (kmart) velcro-strap plastic platform maryjanes - a fave, so comfy
1 pair black nubuck Docs maryjanes
1 pair Speedo neoprene beach sandals (worn around the house for their cushyness)
1 pair Aerosoles wedge sandals
1 pair weird scandanavian-looking flat mules, NineWest, in red leather with a stripey insole!
1 pair Skechers sneakers with open back and padded ankle-strap
1 pair black suede Vans sneakers
1 pair glossy red chunky maryjanes, NineWest
1 pair strappy Steve Madden platform sandals, worn to a wedding
1 pair similarly strappy totally uncomfortable NineWest sandal HEELS
1 pair chinese-style burgundy satin shoes with rubber bottoms (from WalMart!)
1 pair tacky, tacky, tacky clear strap / lucite heel mule pumps (ditto)
1 pair totally mod flats from Target (the newest ones) - pointy toes, instep buckle
1 pair Delia's flame-decorated Docs-style oxfords
1 pair black and white platform spectator oxfords of uncertain provenance
1 pair Enzo Angiolini black leather knockoffs of Marc Jacobs mouse shoe mules
1 pair Fluevog Unity Sheena shoes in purple with hot pink
1 pair Banana Republic black superpointy flats with delicate strap, snipped toe
2+ pair flimsy quilted satin slippers, never worn (the Target "Swell" ones with the winking eye, and a chinese brocade style from Victoria's Secret a few years ago.)

if I don't stop here I'll have to really torture my brain to remember anything more and that's probably not worth it.
how many of these do I NEED, probably?
I think I can make an argument for up to 10 pairs, and specific pairs that are special-occasion matches with special-occasion outfits.
The other thirty? Oh, hell, I don't know. "I like shoes." ?

(But I know people who have around 100 pairs....)

and oh, yeah, I just got back from the magazine recycling bin a few blocks away. a whole box of magazines. i feel a little better about that.