Women and Their Shoes - Old Habit Justified By A New Trend

Life has many great mysteries one of which is this: Why do women need so many shoes?

Apparently, on average, a woman has about 20 pairs of shoes at one time. In extreme but not rare cases, some women (who are sometimes called shoe fetishists) own hundreds of pairs. Not exactly Imelda Marcos but still, alarming and very true! Men feel that such findings are preposterous, only because the same study reports that on average, men have 3 pairs of shoes at a time. One of life's many great mysteries? Definitely!!

Many have tried to understand and to explain this phenomenon. A bestselling author has even said that there is a deep and dark love relationship between a woman and her shoes, which explains this arcane need. Perhaps this is true but then again, maybe there is a simpler explanation. After all, shoes over the years have become more than just footwear.

We can see that shoes have redefined themselves by becoming more and more like an accessory to a woman. Shoes today are more than just a strap and sole and the only grouping that is done is based on comfort. Shoes nowadays have elaborate and beautiful designs, thanks to the number of shoe designers who have emerged and reaped huge success in the shoe industry over the years.

It can be said that the 21st century is the era of shoes. Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, are among the many successful shoe designers who are synonymous with frightfully expensive designer footwear. These are the lots who, with the help of Hollywood, were responsible in revolutionizing the shoe industry. As a result, shoes today have become a sect within the fashion industry where their sole purpose, is to accessorize.

No more just an item for the feet, shoes are products of beauty worn to be showed off. Fancy footwear has become a craze among women, and even among some fashionable men. As an accessory, shoes are used to complement what a woman wears and a way for a woman to express her sense of fashion. Her style choice for the day directly affects her choice of hair styles, accessories, make up, handbags and of course, shoes. And this is another reason that has driven the need for women to purchase many types and designs of shoes. Simply said, woman buy shoes to accessorize. When one needs to accessorize, ones needs choice and hence, the average of 20 pairs in the closet. In a way this also explains the conclusion of a study conducted recently on the sales of shoes. It was said that they remain the same when compared to other items despite the looming recession.

Shoes, it seems, have become such an important accessory to a woman that not even the financial crisis can stop women from shoe-shopping. It is also because of this altered role that explains why 3 pairs of shoes are insufficient for a woman. And yet you wonder why there are so many shoes in the closet?