How many??
Monday, November 12, 2012
Sure, I thought. I'll play that game. I mean, I threw out several pairs of shoes in The Great Decluttering of 2011, and several more prior to moving into our new flat. I trimmed my shoe collection down to the barest minimum, only keeping what was absolutely necessary (bearing in mind the fickleness of Scottish weather and the very real possibility that one might need a pair of sparkly stilleto boots at a moment's notice). I was ruthless, I tell you. Ruthless.
The average response on Twitter was around 10-12 pairs of shoes, including flip flops and snow shoes but not, presumably, ski boots. Those really aren't shoes. That said, I did once see a man wearing a pair of ski boots boarding an Easyjet flight. Some people will do anything to stay within that baggage allowance.
Anyway, I guessed I probably had a few more pairs than the average person, but nothing too extravagant, given the extent of my decluttering campaigns. Say, 15 pairs; 18, max. But to make sure I was giving as accurate a response as possible, I decided I'd better count them. Didn't want to corrupt the data, you see.
So I counted them.
There were 43.
FORTY THREE PAIRS OF SHOES.
To put that in context, I could wear a different pair of shoes every day from now until Christmas and never wear the same pair twice, if I didn't think I'd lose a toe wearing flip flops in Scotland in December.
I don't know what's more insane: that I actually own 43 pairs of shoes, or that in my head I thought I had less than half that amount.
People, I need reassurance. Tell me: what's your number? How many pairs of shoes do you own? And before you get too smug thinking you only have like three pairs - just count 'em. You might be surprised.
31 boats moored
34 pairs in Scoltand. I didn't realise I had this many...
ReplyDeleteI should not have commented before finishing my morning coffee. *Scotland . I have to say counting my pairs of shoes was a useful exercise - I found a gorgeous pair of mustard coloured heels I haven't worn yet.
DeleteI'm glad to be of service!
Delete25. But bear in mind that when I moved to LA I did a major cull, and only brought 12 pairs with me - more than half my shoe collection (including such practical purchases as the emerald green heels I've worn once) is recently acquired...
ReplyDeletePlus there are probably at least another 10 pairs lurking back at my parents' house. My mother is just thrilled about that.
Oh god, I didn't even think about the ones that are stashed at my parents' house. There must be at least another ten there. But I haven't worn any of them in years, so I'm not counting them.
DeleteI don't even want to count but I'm definitely more at the 43 end of the scale than 10, much to Ross' dispair!
ReplyDeleteI have eight including flip flops. I tend to favour a pair until they are worn out though.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a clue how many shoes I own, considering I have about 10 pairs of running shoes alone. Off the top of my head, I have the following converse: white leather, black leather, rainbow, blue sequin, low black leather, low [RED] and high red. On the shoe rack downstairs I have: cowboy boots, rocket dog boots, blowfish boots, blowfish grey flats, black brogues, brown brogues and black fluffy ankle boots. So that's about 24 pairs of shoes, and we haven't gone anywhere near the other boots ( Fly London brown, red x 2, black Clarks, brown Campers) or the heels (blue, sparkly, Hilfiger shoe boots, cream, pink, 6 x black heels, grey shoe boots) or even the sandals - I have at least four pairs of birkenstocks and two Havaianas.
ReplyDeleteWhen we move house, it takes more than a micra-full to move my shoes. I do love them all though. Equally.
I have 26 pairs that I can see plus about 6 in my desk at work and a box I can't get to in our cupboard. I thought I had maybe 15 pairs. Oops!!
ReplyDeleteOk I swear I am not lying, I just went to my wardrobe and did a count and I also have 43! No joke! No leaving out crap pairs or including weird things like knitted slippers. (Maybe I should include those?)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I have 43 pairs also. But I have to ask, are all 43 pairs GOOD? My 43 includes a pair of white plimsolls covered in paint (for home improvement jobs that might just pop up!), a pair of flip flops that were given to me and that I don't wear unless I can't find my other pair of flip flops(!), and high heels that I bought in the mid 90s that are now relegated to "in case of fancy dress" (they are hot pink patent leather).
So does your 43 include novelty, worn out and disliked pairs?
Well most of the worn out and disliked pairs were ditched when we moved, but if a pair of black thigh-high pleather stilleto boots previously worn as part of a Batgirl costume counts as "novelty", then yes, it does include novelty pairs.
DeleteSome people might put baby pink Moonboots under the "novelty" heading too, but to me they're functional all the way.
I have more than I thought I did! I think it's time to get rid of the ones I don't/can't wear...I have 14. Almost all of them are specific use, or no use.
ReplyDelete8 pairs - including wellies & two pairs of shoes I really hope fit me once I'm not pregnant anymore and my feet hopefully go back down to a normal size.
ReplyDeleteWell don't like to upstage my daughter, but just had a quick look in wardrobes and under bed storage and am horrified to say there are 13 pairs of boots, 4 pairs of trainers and 31 pairs of shoes including flip flops - making a total of 48! Must have a big clear out as I only wear the boots in winter and the Birkenstocks in summer. Maybe I should have a count of handbags - now that would be some amount!
ReplyDelete9 for me, though since moving from London to Fife last year I have noticed that any new footwear buys have been much more functional - no more of living 6 months a year in flipflops and sandals :-(
ReplyDeleteHowever, like Rosie, it would be a whole other story if you asked us to count bags...
olivedragonfly.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/shoes-galore-shameful-post.html
ReplyDeleteNuff said!
I have somewhere around 50 post cull. I need to cull again as some really need to go. Also: though I can't walk in high heels properly anymore I don't want to get rid of my high heels. This is problematic.
ReplyDeleteOff the top of my head, I can NAME 29 pairs. It breaks down like this:
ReplyDelete4 pairs casual (converse, etc.)
5 pairs boots (fashion, snow, wellies)
3 pairs flats
10 pairs heels
2 pairs running shoes
4 pairs sandals
1 pair dance (jazz) shoes
I'm sure I've missed a couple, so I'll have to double check when I get home. Whew! So many! Post cull, even!
I asked this question on my blog and amongst friends a couple of years ago as S was moaning about how many I had at 33 pairs. Answers ranged from 7 to 50+ so I think anything in this counts as 'normal'. The problem is that we ladies need so many different pairs - work, formal, casual, exercise, winter, summer - that it's not easy to cull. I have just had three pairs for the last three months travelling which have been fine, although this is mostly down to having decent weather most of the time. Therefore I blame the British weather!
ReplyDelete26 at home in Italy and 4 in the UK..but thats including about 4 pairs (boots, converse, sparkly heels that I cant walk in) that I'm saving for when my daughter gets to the same size as e which judging by how fast she's growing should be next summer!
ReplyDeleteI'm scared to count! I have about 30 pairs but that doesn't include boots and I have many many pairs of boots- I blame the rain! Plus that doesn't include trainers and probably a few other pairs and that's after a cull when we moved. I do like a good pair of shoes though!!
ReplyDeleteI think I will forward this page on to the husband. He made me count how many pairs I had about a year ago as he thinks my love for shoes is ridiculous and my justifications for buying new ones unsound. I, on the other hand, am just continuously astonished that he can manage happily with only 2 pairs!
ReplyDeleteIf you're interested, my count was 34 then, but it may now be closer to 40....;)
PS: I deleted this comment the first time as it seems to think I have a secret blog but now it just looks like I said something risque and thought better of it (sadly, that's not the case)
Ha ha, don't worry I'll delete it!!
DeleteFin actually has quite a few pairs himself, so I don't feel *too* bad...
Oh dear it's plainly part of the Sinclair gene set up;- 9prs of boots, 29 prs of shoes, 13prs trainers/sandals and 4 prs of golf shoes! Whilst I have a healthy collection of hand bags I know my wee sister can clean my clock on that one!!
ReplyDeleteLess than twenty... but not much less. And it's only that low because attractive looking, comfortable, half size shoes are so hard to find. And yet I say I'm not a shoe person.
ReplyDeleteI'm scared to count how many I have. Please hold me.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, I did purge a bunch before the move, but I'm sure I'm over 25 pairs.
I could tell you many I have but it would just depress you. I could also tell how much the most expensive pair was but then you would think what a skinflint I am. As far as shoes goes anyway, and unless they're ski boots obviously. Dad x
ReplyDeleteUMMM somehow I have 35? Including, for some reason, 6 pairs of flip-flops, because apparently I need VARIETY in this regard.
ReplyDeleteWow. I'm a little taken aback at myself. How did I let it get this bad?
That's not bad considering you live in a hot country. What's bad is that I have three pairs of flip flops, and I live in SCOTLAND.
DeleteOnly 43? How do you cope with so few? I'm not actually sure how many I have but think it's more than 50ish.
ReplyDeleteI did a quick mental count and came up with 23. I'm sure there are a few archival pairs lurking in boxes. I love them all and refuse to feel guilty.
ReplyDelete