What is it about shoes that make women HAVE to have them?

What is it about shoes that make women HAVE to have them?
And Why Do Women Keep Old Shoes?

It was an interesting chain of events that lead to this topic. I posted a question on my Facebook fan page: How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet? It elicited quite a response! As I started to type MY response, a beautiful memory flooded my mind. I shared that story here: Journey of The Busy Woman – The Missing Boots

The topics curiosity grew within me, so I asked a bunch of women if they have old shoes and if so, why did they keep them. Then I asked if they would allow me to post their stories.

Here are the answers to the question: “What is it about shoes that make women HAVE to have them?” I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did.

Angela Tag from Tag Designs wrote:
I won’t give them up because they spent a lot of good nights and good years dancing with me. They are old and dirty and don’t fit anymore but they’re still mine.

Great prices on women’s shoes! (affiliate link)

Debi Leonard wrote:
When I was little, my beloved Father, who has passed, worked very hard at a terrible Factory. He worked there 38 years before he retired. Working different shifts, with a schedule that looked like this: One week of swing, one week of days, one week of nights.My father believed in us having the best shoes for our little feet, so, we always went to The Buster Brown Shoe store.One winter, my Mother and Father went with relatives on an hunting trip. During this trip, he was hurt very badly in a gun accident. As a little girl is was frightening to see this as he healed.
 
Little later on, I noticed we were not going on our regular shoe trip. In fact, that November, for Thanksgiving, we weren’t planning like we always do. Day before Xmas, the Salvation Army delivered our food. I finally figured out that we were without money, and we’re poor. Evidently, Dads job thought he could not do his work anymore, so they fired him. Long story short, Dad went to court and won his job back, but doing something different. What does this have to do with shoes? During that time, we could not buy shoes, not even ones we needed for gym. The heartache that I saw on my Dads face, never left me for a long time. I kept those very shoes that I wore, way back then as a reminder, that things can change in a moments notice. And can last longer then you can ever imagine. So, because of this, I’m always very grateful when I buy shoes, even though this was years ago. This also reminds me how fast you can be without food and the things you thought you needed. To this very day, it is so very hard for me to sort out the bad shoes or the shoes I don’t need or like.

Susie from The Busy Woman wrote:

I also saved the pair of baby shoes I was given when my first child was born. My first labor was so quick that while on our way to have the baby, we had to stop at the closest hospital. She was delivered via emergency childbirth. The next day we were transferred to another hospital.

The ambulance driver who took my new baby and me from one hospital to the other said he’d be right back and took off. I’m lying on the gurney waiting and he shows up with a bag. I opened it up to the cutest pair of shoes. So I kept those and the baby Uggs her daddy bought her.

I had to add this to the story – My BFF’s shoe cabinet! While I could never come close to filling this cabinet, I do love to look at it.Su from BlossomBelly wrote:
I don’t have a lot of old shoes. I purge a lot and cycle through them. But there is one thing I LOVE about shoes and shoe shopping – they always fit. I don’t cry when I try them on like I do when I go pants shopping. Shoes never let me down like my pants do.

Beth Betts Mallory wrote:My love affair with Birkenstocks started many years ago. Being blessed/cursed with my father’s “Fred Flintstone Feet” your standard sandals weren’t really an option past the age of 8. My toes would tend to hang-over the sides of most flip-flops (not to mention I always hated the feel of that thing next to my big toe), so I suffered along wearing sneakers most summers.My first pair of Birkenstocks were actually hand-me-downs from my favorite Aunt Juli, who also had “special” feet (if maintained properly, Birkenstocks COULD, in theory, be passed along from generation to generation {grin}). Back in the day you went in and had molds made of your feet for a completely custom fit, so this one pair were a tad “off” (and that hideous taupe color, ugh), but they still quickly became my favorite footwear. My feet were SO HAPPY!Flash forward more years than I’d like to mention, and 25+/- pairs of Birkenstocks later and it’s become a family tradition for my Mom, sister, daughter and I to make a pilgrimage nearly 40 miles to our closest Birkenstock store each year as soon as the new spring line has been released.I’ve also been known to purchase a pair, or 2 or 5 via eBay. They come directly from Germany, where most Birkenstocks are made, and are about ½ the price as they are in the store (which allows me to have them in most colors and designs), but I wouldn’t give up our annual family trek for our beloved Birkenstocks for anything!Did I mention I have an entire board on Pinterest dedicated to these amazingly comfortable and colorful beauties?
http://www.pinterest.com/bmallory/birk-gasams/

Debbie Martin, Mary Kay Independent Consultant
Do flip flops count? I have some from over 30 years ago. I keep them because my daughter’s teeth marks are there from when she was teething – 28 years ago! That, and things were made to last back then.

Do YOU love shoes? Did YOU save shoes from long ago that you no long wear but can’t or don’t want to part with?

It’s all for fun, so share in the comments below: What is it about shoes that make women HAVE to have them? Why you love shoes and tell us the stories of the shoes you can’t part with. Everyone has a story to share. We want to hear yours!

©2014 Susie Glennan
All Rights Reserved.

Notice: The authors stories belong to the respective authors. They do not get compensated for sharing their stories and retain all rights to them.