Town Shoes, for the love of shoes (Spring & Summer 2010)

Shoe-Aholic Confessions

• Eleni Gountanos, 398 pairs

  I have worked 2 jobs to pay off shoe debt! I also tend to hide them all over the house and have ate a recite in front of my husband in order for him not to see how much I spent on my new babies!

• Cathy Seto, 32 pairs

  I was 12 years old, running around at lunch time in my red pleated skirt and my red wedge, open-toed shoes with white piping trim...and a cherry near the big toe to finish it off. There really was no turning back...grade 10, baby pink dress with white polkadots and stiletto white leather pumps. All the other girls in sneakers and ballet flats while I was always 3 inches taller. Now, ripe old age of 40, I strut my stuff in 4 inches and loving every minute! It doesn't matter if it's on the boat with fabulous wedge sandals, black patent pumps for a meeting, or electric blue suede at the annual Christmas party. I love my shoes!

• Christina Alexiou, 30 pairs

  So today I told myself that I would not buy anymore shoes. It didn't matter that the shoes were the perfect heel height, or that they made me feel sexy and confident. I won't do it, I won't buy another pair of shoes. Never mind, I'm a woman I've changed my mind.

• Leea Nutson, 265 pairs

  Shoe obsession has nothing to do with fashion and everything to do with optimism. To be perfectly thin, dazzlingly beautiful and immensely rich is highly unattainable for most of us whether by circumstance of birth or by the genetic lottery. The only place where most of us can compete on a level playing field is in the realm of shoedom. Old, young, fat or thin, we can still have great feet and express our fabulousness with a gorgeous pair of shoes. I may not be Carrie Bradshaw, but I can still hold my head high and stride confidently into a possibly perfect tomorrow.

• Kristin Moses, 150 pairs

  Where to start??

  Me and some mates went to Manhatten for a few days. On our first shopping excursion: day 1, we realized NY doesn't mess around! We chose someone each day to fill their purse with continental breakfast from our hotel and divvy out food rations for lunch as we had all plowed through our spending cash day 1 and were quickly eating into the plastic. Imagine 4 women cutting a bagel into 4 rations (the great depression style) in order to feed their shoe obsessions!

  I moved into a 3 bedroom town house 2 years ago. My husband and I decided we needed a guest room for when one of our 12 nieces and nephews are visiting. I took the liberty of turning the 3rd room into a shoe imporium! They're all there: Jimmy, Loubie, Manolo, Stevvie M, Nine West, Lambs, Velvet Angels to name a few of my favs! When the time came to talking about kids of our own the debate also came up of where they'd fit...We decided our nieces and nephews will be just as comfy sleeping on the pull out couch in the living room!

  I'm a Vegas frequenter. After learning the game of craps I went on a trip to try and payback some tuition debt (or credit card debt from too many shoes). After getting up 2 grand I immediately went to Nordstrom and came home with a beautiful pair of silver strappy Jimmy Choos and the latest from Velvet Angels (my new favorite brand)! Needless to say, I still owe the same amount of tuition that I did when I left school 3 years ago...my shoe collection however has taken on the Bradshaw flair!

• Jacquelene R, 63 pairs

  We'll i'll admit to loving shoes. every country i travel to i must have a pair of shoes to remind me of my adventures...paris shoes, london shoes, LA shoes, and my favourite as of recently my Italian leather sandals hot off the press. MEN always complain about women having so many shoes and it being unnecessary...but even just thinking of my dad...who is no fashionista has...are you ready....golf shoes, soccer shoes, water sandals, smart sandals, sport sandals, trainers, dress shoes, work boots, shoes for mowing the lawn and the list goes on. sorry dad you're a shoe-a-holic too ;). point is shoes are a part of everyday life (everyones) so first they should be carefully matched to your outfit, second make sure you don't look like a tard walking in them and thirdly strut your stuff ladies cause a good pair of shoes will make any girl envy you. xx

• Sherri Gurski, 50 pairs

  I have lost count, I don't even know for certain how many pairs of shoes I have! I even took on a part-time position, in addition to my full-time career, at a shoe store to feed my addiction! From Cheap and Cheerful to downright insanely expensive I love them all! Even my young daughter is now getting into the act! This is the worst-best addiction ever!

• Alan Welch, 22 pairs

  I'm the husband of a wonderful woman, who if asked would never admit to being a "shoe-Aholic", as according to her and her other "shoe-Aholic" friends, a woman can never have enough shoes. I see her in the mornings trying on at least three pairs of shoes or boots, to see if they match her outfit before dashing off to work (How can you drive in those!!!). She can never go to the Mall and walk past a shoe shop, making a B-line for the latest style, admiring the shape and the heel, slipping off her current hardly worn shoe, and trying on, what looks like to me to be something very similar to what she is currently wearing. She will take me to the mens section, telling me how great I would look in this or that, and I should buy a pair. If I am honest she always looks great in her shoes or boots, so thank you town shoes, for making my wife a "shoe-Aholic".