Shoes~need I say more? Women really LOVE shoes! Well, I can’t speak for all women, and I know that some men LOVE shoes also, but it is often reported that women tend to be the ones who are buying so many shoes. Even though I don’t buy expensive shoes, think about having a few pairs of really quality footwear instead of 50 pairs and having a big old credit card debt on heels you might wear once a year!
Why all the talk of shoes? Well, when you live small, you have to think about things like shoes in a different way. How many do you really need? Where will you put them? How many do you have room for? These are all good questions to ask when thinking about your shoe storage.
As you can see in the picture, I have space in my clothes storage area for 9 pairs of shoes. Now, some may say, “That’s an incredible amount of shoes!” and some may gasp at the thought of so few. Size and amount are always relative. Let’s agree for argument’s sake that 9 is a small amount. I am not, nor have ever been, a fashionista, but I try to have somewhat of a variety of clothes and shoes. There’s only 8 pairs here because I am wearing a pair!
Here’s what I try to keep on hand:
3 pairs of black or dark shoes that can be worn with pants and skirts.
3 pairs of light shoes for summer (also can be worn with pants or skirts)
3 pairs of casual shoes to be worn with jeans or shorts
These get me through the seasons and many different outfits.
I do my best to keep them looking good, but when a pair gets so worn and ragged that they really look bad, I will replace them with a new pair.
Boots? What about boots? I’ll save that for another day.
Living small is about quality, not quantity. How many shoes do you really need?
Live Small and Prosper,
~Sue
It’s even harder when you live in a 4 season climate. Add snow boots, wellies, hiking boots, garden clogs, sandals, flip flops, and warm slippers to the lot!
You are right Hazel! We live in Ohio, where we need those things, too. I think if we think of shoes as utilitarian, we will always limit them because we only need one or two pairs for each purpose. It would be a lot easier in Margaritaville, where you only need flip-flops 😉
Thanks Patricia–sometimes it is difficult when you see a really cute pair but you don’t have room. Having the rule of 9 in your head makes it easy to pass up even the cutest Mootsies Tootsies 😉
Ha! Shoes! Of course! I’m not a fashion person either, but I like the well thought-out practicality of this post. I find it difficult just to pack shoes for travel (casual; nicer; hiking boots; gym shoes; slippers). The only thing I can ditch for fewer shoes is the slippers.
I’ll have to remember the magic number “9” for future reference. Thanks!
Thanks Patricia–sometimes it is difficult when you see a really cute pair, but you don’t have room. Having the rule of 9 in your head makes it easy to pass up even the cutest Mootsies Tootsies 😉