How many pairs is enough?

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I thought I had something like 10 pairs after selling/donating a bunch I never wore b/c they hurt my feet (even though some of them were so beautiful! oh manolos I will always think of you fondly) but in actuality, I have somewhere around 25 pairs. :sweatdrop: This includes flats, some of which I have multiple pairs of since they are simply too comfy and too necessary for my lifestyle, but i think 25ish is the limit for me. Aside from 1 pair of booties, and 1 pair of sneakers, the rest are casual flats/loafers, 2 or 3 work pumps, and special event - car/taxi only heels. Can't justify any more 'special occasion' shoes, though if a well priced givenchy pump shows up this holiday season...I'll call it a work expense ;) Maybe a manolo carolyne slingback too...heh revising my limit already :laugh:
 
I thought I had something like 10 pairs after selling/donating a bunch I never wore b/c they hurt my feet (even though some of them were so beautiful! oh manolos I will always think of you fondly) but in actuality, I have somewhere around 25 pairs. :sweatdrop: This includes flats, some of which I have multiple pairs of since they are simply too comfy and too necessary for my lifestyle, but i think 25ish is the limit for me. Aside from 1 pair of booties, and 1 pair of sneakers, the rest are casual flats/loafers, 2 or 3 work pumps, and special event - car/taxi only heels. Can't justify any more 'special occasion' shoes, though if a well priced givenchy pump shows up this holiday season...I'll call it a work expense ;) Maybe a manolo carolyne slingback too...heh revising my limit already :laugh:

Haha!! Oh gosh. Think of how I must feel, a girl with no money and 10 pairs of designer boots. Aiiii.
 
awww nah elisian, I like to give shoes a pass since even if you only wear them one day, that's still a good number of hours :p Our feet work so hard everyday, they deserve some fine shoes ;)! Bags in comparison seem...not as completely necessary? I could go a few days with only a wallet or clutch...but shoes - never! Shoes are also the only thing i feel okay buying in multiples, especially flats/loafers. You never know when that brand will discontinue the style or change something that just doesn't work for your feet anymore
 
That's a question i ask myself every week! I wouldn't say i'm a shoe person but I really do like buying the same styles over and over again. I would say right now, I have a lot of flats and I'm really trying to branch out towards heels but I think i'll know when i have enough:graucho:
 
awww nah elisian, I like to give shoes a pass since even if you only wear them one day, that's still a good number of hours :p Our feet work so hard everyday, they deserve some fine shoes ;)! Bags in comparison seem...not as completely necessary? I could go a few days with only a wallet or clutch...but shoes - never! Shoes are also the only thing i feel okay buying in multiples, especially flats/loafers. You never know when that brand will discontinue the style or change something that just doesn't work for your feet anymore

this is so, so true. we get bored of bags but shoes just freaking wear out. if I could go back and re-buy favorite shoes that got wrecked from overuse, I would probably pay twice as much just to have them back in my life. when bags get too junky, i'm all too excited by the prospect of changing things up. but i'm forever regretting not having multiples of two things: shoes and earrings.
 
I have 20 pairs of designer heels, 4 pairs of designer boots/booties, and 10 pairs of contemporary designer (around $200-$300/pair) flats and sandals. Not counting flip flops, uggs, or tennis shoes. I definitely need more lol! 😂
 
I'm also downsizing at the moment because yes, I physically ran out of space. I'm selling/donating anything that doesn't fit me properly, hurts my feet too much, is a duplicate of something else or simply doesn't suit my lifestyle anymore. I just hate the feeling of having tons of shoes just sitting in my closet, barely getting worn.

To answer the question "what amount is enough?", besides having the physical space to store your shoes, I think that depends a lot on your lifestyle and the climate you live in. I personally own quite a few pairs of non-platform pumps in different colours (mostly patent leather), because they suit my lifestyle and they get lots of wear. Same with knee-high boots, since I live in a moderate, sometimes rainy climate - so I feel it's definitely ok to have quite a few pairs.
 
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I'm really enjoying reading everyone's responses!
Now that is winter here in MN, I've packed away almost everything but my boots. I sold a lot of boots this fall due to fit/style issues, and I've been restocking... as long as they fit in the shelving I have, I'm not going to worry about the number :)
 
I'm really enjoying reading everyone's responses!
Now that is winter here in MN, I've packed away almost everything but my boots. I sold a lot of boots this fall due to fit/style issues, and I've been restocking... as long as they fit in the shelving I have, I'm not going to worry about the number :)

Go you! Woo!

I guess my argument-to-self is: Anytime in the past I've bought good-quality boots, I've worn them out from love/abuse. Anytime I've bought crappy cheap boots, I've let them rot in the closet (and no one even wants them for resale!) ... so the solution is to overspend on tons of awesome boots! :cool:

I'm now at 8 pairs of mixed styles + two to sell (come on, eBay!)... Strict no-buy until those find new homes.

As for flats and shoes, though... I think I own 3 pairs of flats in the world. So those I can definitely justify. ;p
 
I hate to bump an old thread, but I just had a conversation with a friend of mine and she says she has 30 pairs, and I think I have twice that... :( I feel pretty guilty having so many pairs of shoes that I need to stop buying them and also need to get rid of some older ones! Although to make myself feel a bit better, I usually pay around $30/pair, and $50/boots, so I don't feel that bad... but still that adds up! I have no luxury shoes, just luxury handbags. But still, ugh! :hrmm:
 
I like shoes a lot and have quite an collection, maybe 50-60 pairs total. I have a weakness for sneakers and heels... I think I get it from my mom who is always buying shoes. She has a secret collection at the house, with shoes in the closets and the garage. She gets most of them from thrift stores, but has found some very nice designer shoes in her size in very good condition (Salvatore Ferragamo, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch).

I don't think my love of shoes will cease, but I'm going to be more conscientious about the quality of them. I also don't wear most of my shoes, sometimes not until years later!
 
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I hate to bump an old thread, but I just had a conversation with a friend of mine and she says she has 30 pairs, and I think I have twice that... :sad: I feel pretty guilty having so many pairs of shoes that I need to stop buying them and also need to get rid of some older ones! Although to make myself feel a bit better, I usually pay around $30/pair, and $50/boots, so I don't feel that bad... but still that adds up! I have no luxury shoes, just luxury handbags. But still, ugh! :hrmm:

Please try not to feel guilty and don't measure yourself against anyone else. What is a lot for one person is not many to another. If you've never had a problem with your shoe collection before don't worry about it.

If you want to 'relieve' yourself of some of your shoes then either get rid of any one pair you know you'll never use again (and then perhaps repeat). One pair isn't a big deal so long as it makes you feel better. OR for a major clear out designate a day when you have time to the job and try on any shoes/boots you haven't been wearing for a while and think about if there are any reasons why you don't. Any uncomfortable, too-high, too-low, shabby, need-repairing or ill-fitting shoes in a line and go through each pair to see if any are not worth keeping or what you'd have to do to make them useable again.

I have plenty of shoes and boots (even a few multiples) but only a couple for somewhere I don't have to walk far and only 1 pair (Roger Vivier pour Christian Dior 1956) I can't wear at all as they are teeny tiny and bought just to look at.

Having lots of shoes is not a problem. Having lots of shoes that are unwearable is another thing altogether
 
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