I’ve become acquainted with the peculiar Welsh custom of surveying women over their earthly (read: fashion) possessions a while ago, upon reading a story according to which ‘Women in Wales carry the most expensive handbags in Britain.‘

Now, according to their earliest poll, Welsh women can put under their belts (or in their very expensive handbags) yet another dubious statistic:

When Space Board loft insulation asked 500 homeowners what items they would never get rid of, one in 12 women in Wales said their old shoes.

The article hastily leaps to the conclusion that Welsh women step right into Imelda Marcos’s shoes (ahem) and have become a nation of shoe-hoarders. This leads to the even more dubious notion that women’s love for shoes accounts for homeowners’ running out of space. The nerve!

The most interesting statistic quoted in the article is that a British woman is now estimated to buy 700 pairs during her lifetime. I believe it! It made me think of all the pairs I bought in my lifetime, not that I could keep count, mind you, but still, I’m pretty sure it’s somewhere in the (lower) hundreds. Already.

That aside, it’s preposterous to think that what sounds like a very limited and, undoubtedly, not very scientific survey, can be quoted as evidence casting a very biased, pejorative light upon women, based on their love of shoes. I’d like to know how ‘old’ is defined, and when one is actually supposed to throw away ‘old’ shoes. Is ‘old’ last season? 5 years? 10? 20 years old? Or just shoes that don’t fit anymore, or need repair? Meh. If anything, it should prompt companies to think of better, more efficient ways for shoe storage. Such as the Shoe Wheel . Or not. I’m just saying.

I would definitely not be part of the ‘1 in 12 women’, since I’ve had no compunctions about cleaning out my shoe closet in the past, getting rid of shoes I liked but couldn’t wear anymore, or shoes I had bought by mistake and just had no justifications for keeping. Besides, cleaning our your closet only makes room for more shoes!!!