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A poll about how many shoes you own


RootAnn
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Numbers of shoes of all kinds  

97 members have voted

  1. 1. How many shoes, sandals, boots, slippers, flip-flops, etc. do you own?

    • Less than 5 pairs (minimalist living)
      21
    • Between 5 and 10 pairs
      31
    • Between 10 and 15 pairs
      19
    • Between 15 and 20 pairs
      7
    • Between 20 and 30 pairs
      12
    • More than 30 pairs (no judging!)
      6
    • Kittens & kilts
      1
    • Obligatory other
      0


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I'm trying explain to my DD that it is not unusual for women to have quite a few pairs of foot coverings. Like, even if all you own is one pair of each of these, it adds up: winter boots, dress boots, work boots, tennis shoes, walking shoes, flats, heels, slippers, flip-flops, sandals, etc.

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I do not have:  work boots, dress boots, flip flops,  separate tennis shoes and walking shoes (I have my current pair of sneakers and one old pair), heels, or slippers.  I have been wearing sandals instead of slippers lately.  I have found slippers not to have enough support lately and wear sandals with arch support.  
 

For flats I have just black.

If I needed more dress clothes or work clothes, I would need more shoes!  But I don’t need them right now.  

Edited by Lecka
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More than 45 pairs due to Nordstrom Rack boot sales and my husband being a shopaholic.

For daily use:

a pair of tall boots

a pair of ankle boots

a pair of loafers/slipons

a pair of running shoes

a pair of rain/mud boots

a pair of garden clogs

I do need to buy a pair of sandals for summer but I can make do with my running shoes if I can’t find any. My old sandals was worn out last summer.

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I chose between 5 and 10 pairs.  It is closer to 5, and only 1 really gets any regular use.

  • 1 pair of everyday walking outside shoes.  The only one I wear more than a couple times a month.
  • 3 pairs of business casual / church pant shoes - black, dark brown, tan.  I would only have 2, but one is a leftover from my old work-in-office days 13+ years ago.
  • 1 pair of 1" heel dress shoes kuz I have to wear a skirt suit at least once a year.  This pair is at least 15 years old.  đŸ˜›
  • 1 pair of slipper/sandals that I can wear to get the mail / take out the garbage / go in the basement ....
  • I might have a very old pair of walking shoes that I can wear if I need to get muddy ... but haven't needed this in years.
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Slippers: 2 pairs, Flip Flops: 5 pairs, Crocs: 8 pairs, Dress Shoes: 2 pairs, Casual "Comfort Mocs": 2 pairs, Sneakers: 2 pairs, Boots: 1 pair, Sandals: 1 pair

Hmm.  But I mostly wear Crocs, mainly the navy blue ones.  I don't wear my flip flops because of lack of arch support but I can't bring myself to get rid of them.  

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The median female in a household has 20+ pairs.  (They do surveys on this point fairly often.)  I have noticed that this board skews more conservatively on shoe purchases, fyi.

I checked in at 5-10 pairs, but only because I need expensive shoes for orthotic reasons. Once I could no longer buy certain styles, my wardrobe became constrained.  I used to be in that 25+ category. 

ETA--current styles: duck boots, dress sandals, flip flops, running shoes, loafers, low boots, navy kitten heels, black flats, taupe kitten heels

Edited by prairiewindmomma
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Hiking boots, waterproof trainers, old trainers, new trainers, leather Gore-Tex for work, knee-length boots, wellingtons, insulated wellingtons, hiking sandals, dress sandals, pumps, two pairs of slippers. Country living and town working lead to more shoes.

ETA garden clogs

Edited by Laura Corin
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If I counted corectly I have 12 pairs. Most are athletic shoes. That's about all I can wear due to RA/foot issues. I always keep two good pairs of those and rotate between them. I keep several older pairs for messy yard work or taking the dogs out when it's yucky (those account for half of my shoe total). I have one pair of dressy(ish) clogs and one pair of more summery dressy sandals-with-heels type shoes. Both of those are ten+ years old. And one pair of snow boots that's also ten+ years old. One pair of hiking shoes. 99.9 percent of the time I wear the two good pairs of athletic shoes. When people start talking about flats and sandals and flip flops and "cute" shoes I tune out. Not my cuppa. 

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Two pairs each of tennis shoes, boots, and flip flops - one newer pair for inside stuff, the old pair for outside and gross stuff.  A pair of Toms to go with my "Witches' Night Out" costume, a pair of nicer shoes to go with my funeral/wedding/concert outfit (yes, it's the same outfit).  A pair of snow boots that I pilfered from a bag of hand-me-downs meant for the kids (they already had pairs in that size... I snagged two t-shirts out of there too, lol).  I have a pair of hockey skates in there too, but I suppose those don't count.  So, nine pairs.

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Just now, Pawz4me said:

If I counted corectly I have 12 pairs. Most are athletic shoes. That's about all I can wear due to RA/foot issues. I always keep two good pairs of those and rotate between them. I keep several older pairs for messy yard work or taking the dogs out when it's yucky (those account for half of my shoe total). I have one pair of dressy(ish) clogs and one pair of more summery dressy sandals-with-heels type shoes. Both of those are ten+ years old. And one pair of snow boots that's also ten+ years old. One pair of hiking shoes. 99.9 percent of the time I wear the two good pairs of athletic shoes. When people start talking about flats and sandals and flip flops and "cute" shoes I tune out. Not my cuppa. 

Just out of curiosity, have you tried orthotic sandals like Vionic? I have pretty severe foot issues due to RA, and being able to wear flats and sandals again has been pretty amazing. 

If you were to start with one pair, the Vionic Tide 2 sandals are pretty awesome.  They have a deeper and cushioned heel cup to help with any plantar fasciitis, great arch support, and they even help the metatarsalgia issues I've had as my joints in my forefoot are all affected too. 

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The thing about shoes is they last a long time. I tend to have the same shoe is brown and black, winter and summer versions. I have a lot of boots ( three heights in brown and black). Winter walking shoes, summer walking shoes, dressy sandals, beach sandals, flip flops for the shower, snow boots, low heels. My closet is small so I have to rotate them out seasonally but they last a long time this way. My feet hurt if I don't wear good shoes. 

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7 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Just out of curiosity, have you tried orthotic sandals like Vionic? I have pretty severe foot issues due to RA, and being able to wear flats and sandals again has been pretty amazing. 

If you were to start with one pair, the Vionic Tide 2 sandals are pretty awesome.  They have a deeper and cushioned heel cup to help with any plantar fasciitis, great arch support, and they even help the metatarsalgia issues I've had as my joints in my forefoot are all affected too. 

NOOOOO! Just the thought of something flip flopping on my feet irritates me. I can't stand anything that isn't functional, and to me . . . those aren't. And the last time I wore a pair of sandals with a strap around the ankle (so they don't do the horrid flip flopping) I had a very unfortunate accident involving a car and a garage door--I somehow got the brake pedal caught between my big toe and the sandal sole and I could NOT get it untangled. Really, I'm much safer and happier sticking with athletic shoes. đŸ˜‰Â 

Edited by Pawz4me
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Slip ons
2 sandals
2 boots
1 dressy
sneakers
a couple of other pairs of flats...

Yeah, they do add up. And I'm not a huge shoe person. Dh owns a pair of weird sneakers, a pair of dress shoes, a pair of summer sandals, and a pair of slightly dressy sneakers. That's it. The kids each just have sneakers and a single pair of dress shoes between the two of them. BalletBoy owns three pairs of no holes in them yet ballet flats and a pair of jazz shoes at the moment.

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I didn't vote, because I didn't count. I have more shoes than I wear; I tend to keep a couple of older pairs around for awhile before I get rid of them. I think I have four pairs of boots right now: shoe-style duck boots that I wear when taking the dog out in the sloppy yard; ankle boots that I wear to church 2/3 of the year; old everyday winter boots, and new everyday winter boots that I bought this spring and haven't worn yet. I have two pairs of sneakers, which is my shoe of choice for every day (same shoe in two colors), plus about three pairs of older sneakers. A couple of pairs of sandals for summer. A couple of dressier flats that I rarely wear any more. 

I consider myself to be on the minimalist side. I generally buy only one or perhaps two pairs of shoes per year, to replace those that are worn, and I wear them for years before replacing. I didn't even buy a new pair of shoes for my wedding way back when; I used an older pair of white pumps that my mom had found in my childhood closet. But I do need a few varieties in order to meet all of my footwear needs, because I live where we have four seasons.

On the other hand, my mother was a shoe maximialist (to coin a term). She owned 209 pairs of shoes, which I know specifically, because we counted them when we helped her downsize. Her downsized shoe collection had 100 pairs.

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I have far too many.

Tall boots

ankle boots (brown and black)

lots of clog type shoes - crocs, etc.

sandals

slip on gardening shoes

hiking shoes (which also double a heavy-duty gardening work)

dress shoes for winter and summer

It adds up to about 26 pairs - yikes.  I need to do some weeding.

 

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I've got black and brown nice sandals, teva sandals (for water outings), 2 pairs flip flops (one for inside the house, one for outside), winter indoor slip on shoes), brown and black dress flats (for church), tennis shoes for walking, tennis shoes for exercising, winter boots, barn boots, and probably one or two more.

So that's about a dozen, and I don't even really like shoes! 

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I don't feel like I have an excessive number of footwear as much of it is specialized for sports activities (running, tennis, nordic skiing, riding, hiking). Additionally, our 4-season climate with extremes in both cold and hot temps, makes it challenging to have only 1 pair of winter boots, for example. I actually believe I have more pairs of boots than shoes.Â đŸ¤ª

 

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How many do I *own* or how many are actually out of the box and being worn instead of waiting for me to decide i want to wear them?   I definitely don’t own any flip-flops, though đŸ˜›

tbf, it’s only been in the last 7ish years that I’ve owned more than two pairs, so I understand your dd’s pov!

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Four pairs. Tennis shoes, flip-flops (mostly for around the house, but in the summer I'll wear them out sometimes too), black flats, and off-white low heels.

I don't consider myself a minimalist. I've just never been one to get excited about shoes, and they're pricey, and I'd rather spend my money on other things. Those low heels were a truly weird thing for me to purchase - I only bought them because DH and I were going on a cruise and I bought a dress and was told (by people with better fashion sense) that I should get shoes to go with it instead of wearing my usual black flats.Â đŸ˜„Â 

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After reading through other responses, I've decided I can blames my lots of shoes on my getting old, living in the country, and having 4 seasons. i am at an age where I must where shoes with good arch support at all times, or have a very unhappy back. So I must have in the house shoes. And, clearly I can't wear the same pair in the summer and in the winter. My feet would either sweat like mad or freeze. Then, we have animals/live in the country so I need barn boots. If we want to go anywhere in the winter, winter boots are a necessity. Plus tennis shoes for just walking on decent winter days, which are different from exercising shoes. We fish, so I like a decent pair of sandals fine in the water. Add in a few dress shoes for church and some sandals for outdoor summer walking (farmer's market, anyone?) and you're up to at least 10 pairs.

Do people really use the same shoes for all those situations? That fascinates me (and I am generally pretty minimalist). 

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We have 4 distinct seasons in NC.

Task/terrain specific shoes
garden sloggers, galoshes, running shoes, snow boots, hiking boots, water sandals for kayaking and being in lakes/rivers (the tread is a cross between a running shoe and  hiking boot but on a sandal)

Dress casual shoes
black loafers, black dress flats, black knee high boots, black ankle boots, beige wedges

Casual shoes
beige sneakers, beige sandals, black sandals, grey flip flops, beige flip flops, black flip flops

Cold weather lounge shoes
sticky bottom orange fox sock/slippers, pink slippers with firm soles in case I need to walk outside on the pavement

I don't replace shoes until they actually need to be replaced.  For example, I replaced my last pair of knee high boots after about 5 or 6 years of wearing them several times a week in winter and one of the soles came apart.  I only buy in colors and styles that are neutral and classic, except for the fox slippers....I dunno...maybe orange foxes are a classic.

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3 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Just out of curiosity, have you tried orthotic sandals like Vionic? I have pretty severe foot issues due to RA, and being able to wear flats and sandals again has been pretty amazing.

My flip flops, non-task/terrain boots, wedges, flats, and sandals are all Vionics with arch support for my plantar fasciitis. They're well worth the money. 

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I have 2 pairs of sandals, 1 pair of tennis/walking shoes that are getting holes and need to be replaced, 1 pair of slip-on loafers, and some slippers that are basically just socks with traction on the bottom.  I am planning to get some hiking shoes for this summer just in case we can start hiking again.

My 19 year old DD has a pair of every day shoes (walking shoes) and a pair of dress shoes.

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I didn't actually count, so I'm guessing between 20 and 30 pairs, but I think that's about right...I have a few pairs of boots, several pairs of sandals, a couple of pairs of heels, and many pairs of Skechers in various styles, which are my very favorite.

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Gosh, I have somewhere in the mid-20s...and I'm about the least fashionable person ever. I have rain boots and shortie rain boots and winter boots. 8 pairs of crocs in varying styles (see, like I said: least fashionable person ever). 3 pairs sneakers (2 old ones for yard work, one new for walking). Six pairs of dress flats, 1 pair leather loafers. Two pair of flip flop-esque sandals. 

Gee, I feel like such a diva. 

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4 hours ago, RootAnn said:

I'm trying explain to my DD that it is not unusual for women to have quite a few pairs of foot coverings. Like, even if all you own is one pair of each of these, it adds up: winter boots, dress boots, work boots, tennis shoes, walking shoes, flats, heels, slippers, flip-flops, sandals, etc.

So we were in just the opposite position a few years ago, where dd wanted more shoes and I had very few. Sandals in two colors, boots, sneakers, one slip on, done. She wanted more shoes and dh seemed to be pushing back like it was extravagant. So I did the only sensible thing and bought more shoes. :biggrin:  I still don't have a "lot" by most women's standards, but I do have two pairs of sneakers, woo-woo.

I think the worst part is when you have guilt shoes, things you buy for a wedding or event and don't wear enough to wear out and feel too guilty to get rid of. I have some of those. I should be more diligent about donating. 

I think if you aren't buying as many shoes as you want and you can afford more, buy them. If your dd *doesn't* want them, well maybe she hasn't seen the right shoes yet?? I mean when my dd discovered how to buy shoes on amazon, there was no holding her back, lol. But I also had her professionally fitted at an old school SHOE STORE, like the real deal with a woman and that thing and a lot of sizes and widths. Once she knew her actual size, what kind of support she needed, what types of shoes would provide that, and why a shoe would or wouldn't work, she became shockingly good at ordering online. She'll order 10 pairs and they almost all fit! Me, I can't fit a shoe right for myself even in person, lol.

So maybe your dd has reasons why she's not into shoes yet? Maybe they don't feel good? Maybe she needs help to be fitted for the right size or inserts? Clerks would ask me how it felt, and I couldn't give them sensible answers. I couldn't tell how my foot felt or what was too tight or just right. It's still really hard, nuts. When I got fitted at a place that really fits (a high end running store where they video, scan, the whole nine yards), they literally changed my shoe size 1 1/2 up. I kid you not. I walked in wearing size 9 sneakers and walked out with size 10 1/2. And much happier feet. :biggrin:

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Two pairs of sandals (I alternate every day)
One pair dress sandals
Pair of tennis shoes + past pair for lawn mowing
Two boots - one pair brown, one pair black
two pairs of clogs (Brown & black)
one pair hiking shoes (plus past pair which I really need to get rid of)
two pairs of house shoes 
3 dress shoes (2 black - one with heels, one flat, navy heels)
One pair of Crocs (but I rarely wear those, so I probably should give those away)

I think that is it. I would get rid of the two pairs of clogs, but I like them. 

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3 hours ago, StellaM said:

I don't know how people afford lots of shoes.

My shopaholic bargain hunting husband waits for off season sales. It’s his favorite weekend activity. I wear kid size and I wear out a pair of shoes every three months usually so he finds it more fun finding shoes for me.

3 hours ago, wintermom said:

. I actually believe I have more pairs of boots than shoes.Â đŸ¤ª

 

I have lots more ankle boots and high boots then running/walking shoes.

1 hour ago, barnwife said:

Do people really use the same shoes for all those situations? That fascinates me (and I am generally pretty minimalist). 

My teens have three pairs of running shoes which they use for everything, from shopping to classes to tennis. My dad has a pair of walking shoes, a pair of slippers and a pair of running shoes.

Edited by Arcadia
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Just now, Arcadia said:

My shopaholic bargain husband waits for off season sales. It’s his favorite weekend activity. I wear kid size and I wear out a pair of shoes every three months usually so he finds it more fun finding shoes for me.

I have lots more ankle boots and high boots then running/walking shoes.

My teens have three pairs of running shoes which they use for everything, from shopping to classes to tennis. My dad has a pair of walking shoes, a pair of slippers and a pair of running shoes.


But what about dressing up? Winter time? 

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2 minutes ago, barnwife said:


But what about dressing up? Winter time? 

Our winter is mild (California) and my teens are happy not to dress up. When they need smart casual, they have at least a pair of all black running shoes each.

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I am not a minimalist, but I'm waaaaay closer to that than I am a fashionista, and I still have between 20 and 30 pairs đŸ˜›

Snow boots, warm boots to wear in the winter but not in the snow, cute boots to wear with skirts, ankle boots, hiking shoes, tennis shoes, flip flops, warm weather house shoes, slippers, slip on Sketchers in beige, black, and grey, loafers in taupe and grey and white, flats in black, grey, silver, and brown, navy pumps, and sandals in silver, brown, and black

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2 pairs of chore boots - one for winter & spring, one for summer & fall

1 pair of riding boots

2 pairs of Arcopedico Letas - one red & one gray (these are my favorites and I wear them every day)

1 pair of black flats and 1 pair of ballet flats - I haven't worn these in ages, but keep them around in case I have to dress up (shudder...)

No slippers or sandals.

I need a new pair of winter non-chore boots.

ETA: I forgot that I also have a pair of vegan Doc Martens in cherry red.

 

Edited by Selkie
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I have a lot. I could get rid of some, as I usually wear the same two pairs of winter boots for 6 months. Then I switch to my one kind of beloved flip flops that I have 5 pairs of in different colors. I have tons of other shoes for when I think I might need them, but it’s so rare for me to wear them. Chacos, tevas, keen sandals—which all would serve the same outing purpose. 
Dressy sandals for church. Rain boots for, well, rain. đŸ˜‚ Athletic shoes for working out/walking dogs. Various casual sandals for when I think I want to look ‘nicer’ than my flops flops. A couple of pairs of very nice heels for formal occasions. A pair of tall winter boots that are nicer than my normal everyday boots. So, probably too many, considering how many of these I actually wear regularly. 

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1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

So we were in just the opposite position a few years ago, where dd wanted more shoes and I had very few. 

She's moving out of the dorm & into her summer accommodations and realized she has more foot coverings than she thought. I told her she actually doesn't have that many by regular woman standards.  It isn't that she needs more or doesn't have enough. Almost half her stash is made up of slippers.

I have 2 pairs of slippers (both are wearing down-one has holes), two pairs of sandals (one is my backup pair from when my main pair breaks-I only wear them when I'm waiting for a new main pair), three pair of dress-up shoes in various colors/heights that all us females in the house share), one pair winter boots  (shared by 2-3 of us females), one pair dress boots  (no longer have to share these with college DD since I got her a pair of her own), and one pair of tennis shoes. I have one pair of walking shoes ordered. Way more shoes than I used to have, but my DDs now borrow them, so sometimes I end up with something less ideal so they can be in something nice-looking & comfy.

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2 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

moving out of the dorm

Tell her my dd has (or had) in her dorm room an over the door storage hanger, the kind with a lot of pockets, FILLED with shoes. She assures me this is normal, but I think it has something to do with women in the South. :biggrin:

Edited by PeterPan
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5 hours ago, StellaM said:

Shoes are $$.

I don't know how people afford lots of shoes.

I think they cost less in the states than they do other places. Like I found one example of the same pair of Nikes being sold in different countries: $130 in Australia, $96 in UK, $76 in United States. Quite a big difference! 

We also have lots of really cheap shoes available, that maybe you wouldn't wear all the time but just to parties or such that only last a few hours. 

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3 hours ago, barnwife said:

Do people really use the same shoes for all those situations? That fascinates me (and I am generally pretty minimalist). 

Yes, I mean some of it is lifestyle and weather.  I don't need winter boots for the 3 days a year of a few inches of snow it's not even very wet here 30's and sunny usually.  Don't need dress boots my dress shoes work fine in winter. Don't need work boots for my suburban yard.  Don't have any activities that require special shoes anymore. I buy a few pairs of nuetral, high quality, comfortable shoes and wear them for basically everything.

Edited by rebcoola
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1 hour ago, katilac said:

I think they cost less in the states than they do other places. Like I found one example of the same pair of Nikes being sold in different countries: $130 in Australia, $96 in UK, $76 in United States. Quite a big difference! 

We also have lots of really cheap shoes available, that maybe you wouldn't wear all the time but just to parties or such that only last a few hours. 

For me, I tend to buy good shoes which are expensive, but last a long time.  I have a lot of shoes, but I replace heels and soles as needed and they last years.  I have a hard foot to fit and when I find a pair that is comfortable I hold onto them as long as possible.  I think my black boots are about 15 years old and I wear them regularly.  When I started working we still had to dress up in the office, but needed steel toe shoes in the plant.  Add in snow in the winter, rainy springs and it adds up.

2 pairs of snow boots, 1 pair of rain boots, 2 pairs of Dansko clogs (black and brown), 2 flat dress boots (black and brown), 2 pairs of dress shoes, black flats, 2 pairs sandals, 1 pair work boots, 1 pair slippers, 2 pairs of sneakers, and 3 pairs of minimalist shoes that I can wear barefoot in the summer instead of sandals.  I am in awe of you ladies who can get by with less than 5 pairs.

I think my husband has more than me.  He was older when we got married and he never missed a good sale đŸ˜‰. Our rehearsal dinner was a backyard affair at the house and his four sisters decorated the tables with flower planters made from some of his shoes that they snuck out of his closet.

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I find this hard to answer because my feet haven't grown really since 9th grade. I probably have 15 pairs of shoes, because there are old favorites that I won't let go of even if I only wear them once every few years. But how many shoes do I have that I've bought in the last 10 years? 4 pairs - which comprise 99.9% of my shoe-wearing time. Wedge sandals I wear 300 days a year, some sketchers I probably wear the other 65, flip flops and knee high boots.

Oh, 5 pairs, because I bought a pair of Keens for our national parks road trip.

Edited by Sk8ermaiden
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