If you have an obscene amount of shoes, come on in!

[JuneHawk]

Of course, "obscene amount" is relative and subjective.

Anyhow, if you have a lot of shoes, how do you rotate them? I wear the same few on a daily basis and so most of my shoes are in their boxes, still unworn.
How do you rotate them so that you wear them all (or at least most)?

 

[Pishi]

Hi June,

My closet allows me to stack most of the boxes so that I can see all of my shoes. The problem is, even though I can see most of the shoes, I still have my "favorites" that I wear continuously. So I'm kind of in the same boat as you.

Since I work outside of the house, I try and wear a different pair of shoes or boots every day to work. I feel guilty if I don't wear my shoes, and I don't have a pair in my closet that I have not worn. However, there are shoes that I wear *very* infrequently. So I am thinking of culling those shoes.

I would suggest if you have a great deal of shoes to go through and pick out a pair or two that you will wear that week, and plan your outfits around them. If they are glamorous shoes (and I know you have some gorgeous shoes), then wear them with jeans.

My problem is that I have a lot of very lovely "going out" shoes but I don't go out much these days, and I cannot wear them to work. How in the world do you wear Dior Extremes to work? Or Tributes? But if I was just running around, I might decide to wear them with jeans. If I wasn't living in Chicago in cold, rainy weather, of course. =)

 

[ColdSteel]

My name is ColdSteel, and I am addicted to flats.
For the longest time, I could NOT find a pair of flats that I didn't walk right out of. One memorable day, I went to Gap where they had cute little leather ballet flats. I rushed right over to the wall of shoeboxes with my mind screaming "FLAAAAAAATS!" I grabbed my size, kicked off my sandals, and attempted to put one flat on while standing up. The next thing I know, the store is turning at a 45 degree angle and I land with an enormous BANG that made the entire store stop and look. I didn't bother to try the other one on. I just put the shoe back in the box, straightened it up on the shelf, and pretended to be very interested in a rack of belts.
Well, that all changed when I found that flats CAN fit! I wear them everywhere with everything. My Louboutin Graffiti Ballerines can go with anything, as far as I'm concerned. I like to rotate my shoes so that I don't wear them more than two days in a row. It makes me wear something else for a change (If I had to wear one pair the rest of my life, it would be the Graffiti Ballerines) and to give my poor shoes a rest. It's tough to gravitate away from favorites, but by rotating them out, you might make them all favorites!

 

[seattleista]

I have over 150 pairs of shoes and I used to store them in their original boxes, but I found that I forgot the ones I didn't wear often and so a good number of shoes never got worn. I finally moved into a bigger place and got racks where I could display the shoes...this way when selecting I can see everything at once and am more likely to grab a pair I didn't even remember I had! I try to arrange them by style...work pump, maryjane, slingback, evening stiletto, etc. because I usually know what I want based on what clothes I am wearing that day.

That being said, I of course have my favorites that I wear often because I know they are comfortable and look great.

 

[Pishi]

My name is ColdSteel, and I am addicted to flats.
For the longest time, I could NOT find a pair of flats that I didn't walk right out of. One memorable day, I went to Gap where they had cute little leather ballet flats. I rushed right over to the wall of shoeboxes with my mind screaming "FLAAAAAAATS!" I grabbed my size, kicked off my sandals, and attempted to put one flat on while standing up. The next thing I know, the store is turning at a 45 degree angle and I land with an enormous BANG that made the entire store stop and look. I didn't bother to try the other one on. I just put the shoe back in the box, straightened it up on the shelf, and pretended to be very interested in a rack of belts.

This was hilarious.

 

[Mininana]

I have about 150 pairs of shoes and I'm addicted to any type. My latest obsession are flats. I'm also recently married to I only brought the shoes I wear the most and the good ones with me. The rest stay at my mom's in a nice closet where I can see all my shoes at once.


But of course a lot haven't gotten any action for at least a year. I need to love them all

 

[galligator]

Define "Obscene"

My 9 year old will say, with a huffy sniff, "Oh no, mom's looking at shoes again" or "You really don't need any more shoes", or some such.

I stopped counting after about 110 pairs. And, while I do donate shoes about once per year, I don't think the number has managed to decrease at all. Although, I've been staying on a tight budget this year & have actually bought less than 10 pairs this year; my record was probably about 50 pairs about 2 years ago. I'm rather amazed that even on a budget, I maintained a sane amount of self control.

And, of course, I wind up mainly wearing about 5 favorite pairs. I also live in a rural area where it seems like everybody except me spends all of their summer wearing flip-flops and the rest of the year in tennies. So, I'm always feeling more dressed up than everybody around me if I wear even low pumps to the grocery store. That, or I wind up being the only soccer mom in knee-high boots instead of athletic shoes like everybody else (and the one time I accidentally wore a low kitten heel to soccer because I had been busy with errands all day & was a 'tip-toeing' across the grass for an hour. Not my finest moment).

The shoes I tend to come back to are always the ones that are most comfortable, whether or not they are the cutest ones I own. I continue to pick up cute styles, but after their 1st day trip out in the real world (where hubby inevitably has a 'brief' errand that winds up taking hours) - I mentally re-categorize them into their new slots: All-day, 8-hour, 4-hour, 2-hour, only good for lingerie purposes, and Dear Heavens what is this Torture. No matter how pretty, torture shoes get donated. The others I try to mix into my normal activities here & there. I also put mailing labels with printed pictures of the shoes on the outside of their boxes so that I can remember what I have while standing in the closet.

And, I will probably find or make some occasion to wear each of the shoes I loved enough to buy, right? At least, that's what I tell myself. Otherwise, Hubby's gonna have to build display cabinets for the prettiest ones....

 

[Vintage Leather]

Define "Obscene"

My 9 year old will say, with a huffy sniff, "Oh no, mom's looking at shoes again" or "You really don't need any more shoes", or some such.
---
The shoes I tend to come back to are always the ones that are most comfortable, whether or not they are the cutest ones I own. I continue to pick up cute styles, but after their 1st day trip out in the real world (where hubby inevitably has a 'brief' errand that winds up taking hours) - I mentally re-categorize them into their new slots: All-day, 8-hour, 4-hour, 2-hour, only good for lingerie purposes, and Dear Heavens what is this Torture. No matter how pretty, torture shoes get donated. The others I try to mix into my normal activities here & there. I also put mailing labels with printed pictures of the shoes on the outside of their boxes so that I can remember what I have while standing in the closet.

And, I will probably find or make some occasion to wear each of the shoes I loved enough to buy, right? At least, that's what I tell myself. Otherwise, Hubby's gonna have to build display cabinets for the prettiest ones....

I love your post!! I think your DH needs to build you display cabinets in your closet.


I've not been willing to post in here before because while most of my friends and family will call my collection obscene - it's nothing to brag about.

But does anyone else get the Imelda Marcos comments when you bring home another pair?

One of my (male) cousins could say "Faegamo" "Loubie-ton" "Choo" and "Man-lo" at the age of 2. He is now four, and actually is willing to go shoe shopping with me. Of course, it has nothing to do with the fact that all the SAs comment on how adorable he is, and offer him candy... His mother (whoes tastes are not quite as expensive as mine) hates me, btw.

I store all my shoes in clear plastic bins in a special shoe cabinet. All of my shoes pass at least the 4 hr test - or they get sold/donated. I pick out my shoes at night, when I am putting away the ones I wore that day. I then coordinate my outfit the next morning around the shoes...

 

[annemerrick]

I'm in! I would say obscene would be an apt description of my shoe "collection". My husband says that just because I hoard shoes....a collector I am not. I beg to differ!! Just try to wrestle my abalone shell Guccis or my mouse shoes out of my grubby little paws! It will be a fight like none other!!!
I try not to take my kids anywhere where shoes are even mentioned, because it never fails that at least one will say...."My Mom has 450 pairs of shoes"! I don't actually (I am aspiring), but I do have plenty!
On to the rotation....I wear what I can reach! Unfortunately, my shoes are stored in such a manner that it makes them difficult to reach. Add to this that I have them in labelled clear shoe boxes....but got lazy, and just put them back in random boxes instead of where they belong. Imagine my suprise when I reach for my nude CL slingbacks and instead wind up with Gucci Teva's circa 1989!!!!
I wish I was better about wearing all of my beautiful shoes and I hope that one day my daughters will appreciate that I have saved a bazillion pairs of shoes for their benefit! They had better wear a size 7 1/2!!!

 

[jclr]

I used to have a lot more but now I have about 50-60 pairs. I've been paring down my clothing/shoe collection over the last couple of years, but I think my cost-per-shoe has gone up exponentially! And you know what, I rarely wear my prized possessions because I don't like to wear them to work. Hence, my treasured new designer collection sits prettily in my closet and meets a new closet-mate every one to two weeks.

 

[galligator]

I wish I was better about wearing all of my beautiful shoes and I hope that one day my daughters will appreciate that I have saved a bazillion pairs of shoes for their benefit! They had better wear a size 7 1/2!!!

Mine are mostly mid-end, (Betsey Johnson, Anyi Lu, BCBG & more) but I second that. If I become unable to wear them, I want my girls to have a fun & funky selection of shoes that they will (hopefully) appreciate. But, if they grow larger than the 7 1/2 I wound up as after having them (I used to be a sz 6W before kids, TYVM) they will be out of luck.

 

[ColdSteel]

I wish I was better about wearing all of my beautiful shoes and I hope that one day my daughters will appreciate that I have saved a bazillion pairs of shoes for their benefit! They had better wear a size 7 1/2!!!

The day I was no longer a 6 1/2-7 was a sad day indeed. Goodbye, mom's closet of manolos, ferragamos, louboutins... I used to clomp around in her Ferragamo pom pom loafers when I was a toddler and I was always playing dress-up with her Stuart Weizman shoes. The last time I wore a pair of her shoes, I was 10! FREAKIN' 10, and I was borrowing mommy's Manolos for Christmas dinner! Did I even know what I had back then? God, nothing was more frustrating than buying a pair of shoes at Shoe Pavilion for an event (like my school's winter concert) and not even being able to FIT them a month later! I had such a pretty pair of heels (forgot the brand but they were nice) and I got to wear them once. I got away with borrowing her slingbacks/mules when I had size 7 1/2, but barely. Both of us wish that my feet had stopped growing because we'd have TWICE the amount of great shoes... but now we act kind of like sisters. I'm an 8 1/2 and she's a 6 1/2. She gets mad when I try on her right shoe (my right foot is a bit smaller) just to see how it looks on me (I'm curious!) but then I catch her trying to stuff the toes of my Matastrasse Velvet Orlato pumps to see if she could stand walking in them for a day!

Well, I think I've made up for lost time . Until I was 16, I would pretty much have three pairs of shoes - one casual pair (think converse), running shoes for PE, and a pair of dress shoes. My first pair of shoes that cost way more than anything else were my Thierry Rabotin Wave sandals. If I remember correctly, they were just over $300. I got them when I was 14 because my parents wanted me to have a supportive and stylish sandal for school - they didn't want me falling on my face down a flight of brick stairs. They are totally comfortable. They kept my knees from becoming grapefruits when I was in Eastern Europe and walking everywhere.

I'm a total flats addict. In my dorm, I have two pairs of uggs (classic short, ultimate tall), a pair of converse hi-tops, Palladium mary janes, nanette lepore for keds flats, my old beater pair of Vans, my glittery Repetto flats, two pairs of revas (silver, black/ivory contrast), vintage Ferragamo Lillaz pumps in a metallic pearl, a pair of minnetonkas, three pairs of Pumas (Californias, 5000m, and Speed Cat), my red patent Birkenstocks, my Pucci Rainboots, a pair of ankle-tie Repetto flats (style is Demeter), two pairs of Rainbow sandals, two pairs of Havaianas, and my J.Crew capri sandals.

At home and off the top of my head, I have a pair of Jack Purcells, converse lo-tops (painted by me), a pair of vans (also painted), Miu Miu triple strap mary jane flats, Miu Miu flat suede slingbacks, Gucci ballet flats, Ferragamo Varina flats, Lisa Nading pumps with an inch heel, Dolce Vita equestrian boots, impractical yet absurdly beautiful Dior D'orsays with a black lace overlay, patent Prada sandals with white patent contrast piping, Prada linea rossa mary janes with a square toe and slight wedge, another pair of vintage Ferragamo pumps with little shoe medallions on the toes, a deadstock pair of Halston t-strap pumps, vintage Bally spectators on a one-inch heel, two pairs of fabulous Dolce Vita sandals, Burberry Espadrilles, amazing Thierry Rabotin sandals that I need to get repaired, two more pairs of Rainbow sandals, Gentle Souls boots, Christian Louboutin Matastrasse Velvet Orlato pumps, and Christian Louboutin Graffiti Ballerines.

If I didn't miss anything, that's 45 or so pairs.



EDIT: Lordy, I forgot my Chanel cap-toe flats! I'm NOT recounting them all!

 

[Couture Coco]

Hi all
I'm new and jumping in here because yes, I confess I have wayyyyy too many shoes. Well, my excuses are:
1. I have small feet and stylish shoes are hard to find so I tend to 'stockpile'
2. I have lots of different roles for my feet and I like them to be appropriately dressed
3. Currently living in a desert climate and though there's ample air con, rotating footwear is essential
I am afraid to count them all! My husband has long given up on trying to reason and logic with me.....

 

[Southern-Belle]

Sorry I can't be of any assistance. I have a bunch of shoes I've yet to wear. I hate breaking shoes in so I pretty much wear the same ones since they're comfy. Maybe we could pick one day of the week to wear a new pair until we've at least worn each pair one time. This sounds like a plan...

 

[peafleut]

I am a once reformed, now worse then ever shoe addict. When I was about 10 years old I would always use to my lunch money to buy ballet flats from Payless. I had collected over 50 years until I became bored with them and threw them all out. After that I became a purse addict (which I still am almost ten years later.) Now that I'm about to turn the 20, I once again am in my shoe loving phase (I haven't given up on purse though). In the last 6 months or so I have probably collected about 30 pairs of shoes! But, instead of Payless catching my fancy I am now a Tory Burch Reva and Ferragamo Lillaz addict! My mother thinks its compltely insane that my shoe collection almost exclusivly consists of two styles of shoes but, if you love it then why change? Right. I do have a bit of diveristy too though, in my 3 pairs of Uggs, 2 pairs of Hunter boots, 2 pairs of Havianas, 1 pair of Nine West Boots, and 1 Ralph Lauren Flats.