(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Line up seven women, and at least one likely has a covert pair of shoes she bought but didn’t tell her significant other about because they cost so much.
But oh, shoe shopping certainly makes many women happier. The average American woman owns at least 17 pairs of shoes, though many women have three times that many.
Such are a few of the shoe insights that ShopSmart magazine found in their survey of 1,009 American women, offering something of a window into the female mind, or at least their credit card statements.
“Shoes are like boys and chocolate, you see a pair somewhere that you like, and you can’t stop thinking about them,” said Sharon Britton of Tampa, Fla., while opening her closet and guessing she may have three times the average of 17. That puts her in the top 13 percent of shoe fans.
Her latest pair, “These wonderful, golden, glittery, 5-inch Steve Madden formal heels with a zipper up the back. … But I can’t pick a favorite, I love Michael Kors, Juicy, Vince Camuto, Mark Nason boots.”
And there’s the flip flops too — fashion versions and just kick around pairs.
Britton has become an avid Zappos.com fan, as they’ll often send her shoes overnight.
“Shoes never make your butt look big, you don’t have to worry about squeezing into them if you’ve put on a couple of pounds, and they can instantly make you feel sexier,” said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart, published by the parent organization of Consumer Reports. “Maybe that’s why, despite the economy, we’re still buying shoes.”
Some other shoe insights from ShopSmart:
– Over half of women own more than 10 pairs, and 13 percent have more than 30 pairs. That’s not including athletic shoes.
– Women typically buy three pairs a year, and on average spend $49 per pair, but, nearly one-third have spent more than $100 on a single pair.
– Almost unheard of even five years ago, online shoe shopping is now a “national obsession,” with a third of women regular online shoe buyers. Zappos.com, for instance, says some of their top customers “spend well over $10,000 annually.”
– About one in five women go shoe shopping just to cheer themselves up.
–While 86 percent of women say they tell their significant other about shoe purchases, 14 percent admit to “hiding at least one purchase.”
As for the kinds of shoes women are buying, most prefer low-rises, but occasionally go for height. Almost 40 percent say flats are their favorite, 8 percent wear heels over 2 1/2 inch high on regular basis, and one quarter of women wear 4-inch heels for a special occasion.
About half of women bought an “ugly” pair for comfort, but more women lately are willing to withstand pain for fashion — 60 percent vs. 49 percent in 2007, and 6 in 10 women carry a backup pair to change into after a party or event.
That fashion can inflict a physical price too.
About half of women have shoe related blisters, sprains or even broken bones, and one in three had “an evening ruined by an uncomfortable pair of shoes” and one in four said they’ve had a fall.
Only 14%. Bogus. My wife must have 75 pairs of shoes in the house and I cannot remember more than 15 or 20 shoeboxes every coming through the door. Do shoes mate at night?
This just in: 14% of women hide their show purchases, the other 86% lied about hiding their show purchases. Stay tuned for more breaking news…
I admit to owning 34 pairs. That’s including shoes, boots, sandals, and athletic wear. None of them cost as much as the designer brands mentioned in the article and I never have to hide them from anyone. You can be well-dressed without spending a fortune.
Um, believe it or not, there are a few women out here that don’t have any more than 5 pairs of shoes or the space to hide any she would lie about having. Why would there be a need to lie about them anyway? And is this seriously news?
At last count, I owned 43 pairs of stilettos, ranging from 4 inches to 5 3/4. I own one pair of tennis shoes, one pair of flip flops, two pairs of boots. Average spend per pair = $85. Nothing like sexy new heels to brighten my day!
Heehee, what a great way to get women talking … about shoes!!! I would easily have more shoes if my spousal unit didn’t require that I toss a pair whenever I bought a pair.
We men make it simple. I have two pairs of brown shoes (1 oxford & 1 loafer) and the same in black. I have a pair of running shoes and very year I get a new pair and push the old ones to bang arounds. Women are such idiots to fashion.
And people wonder why more women aren’t represented in the fields of science and mathematics. Tell yourself its discrmination if that makes you feel better. Then go look up the word in the dictionary. There is nothing wrong with picking the best and the brightest…even if 9 out of 10 of them are men.
Why do 14% of women have to hide their purchases? If they don’t work, and they’re living off their husband’s income, I guess… but for those of us who went to school, have a career and earn our own money, and buy shoes/clothes/whatever with our own money, why would I need to hide my purchases?
And who designs all these expensive shoes that women buy/hide/wear? Men, of course….-who probably own a mere 2 or 3 pair of their own. Capitalism at its finest!!
Many women have good jobs, and therefore can buy their own shoes without guilt or apology.
My next life I’m coming back as a women’s shoe expert. You ladies won’t know what hit you when I drop a smooth (and not desperate) “oh my gosh, I love those Steve Maddens”.
I did it ALL wrong this life (totally avoided women’s shoes). Now I suffer the consequences.
While I was working I usually bought shoes to compliment my career wardrobe. I always bought them on paydays; they were dress pumps and in those days we hardly wore athletic shoes and when arriving home I took them off and put on a comfortable slipper. Nowadays I wear a slip on as I can not wear heels anymore due to bi-lateral knee replacements. So I wear mostly flat heels. I can not and am not able to wear flip-flops b/c of my toes being mis-shapen. I never had to worry about bringing shoes home and always showed them to my husband. He figured if I could pay for them, fine!!
Joe, this article is about shoes and shopping habits, not about intelligence.
But come to think of it, your comment shows just how intelligently you present yourself: Definitely not among the best and the brightest, as you crow. And I’m sure 9 out of 10 women would agree.
Marry me please SouthLoopGirl…43 pairs of stilettos?
If not marriage, dinner then?
Mary, I agree!!
Ladies,
Please know that men dont care about your shoes.
We care about everything above them.
This isn’t the time of June Cleaver. The only way this makes sense is if this 14% was using the hubby’s money and had to account for her purchases to his royal highness. No, thank you. There’s a reason women can make their own paychecks and have them deposited into their own, single accounts. My husband would never say anything about my shoe purchases as he has nothing to do with them except to appreciate them. My Choos, Louboutins, Blahniks are all out in the open and there are no questions asked.
If women want to be dependent on some man’s paycheck then they ought to answer his questions and abide by his rules. The rest of us will hustle our butts to our jobs, work for our money and spend it as we damn well please. And, we will probably also buy our man their shoes as well.