A study into the shoe-buying habits of 2000 British women has discovered that 10% own more than 30 pairs of shoes and the ‘average’ woman owns 17 pairs! Although these figures seem quite high, they are actually lower than the results of a similar study into 1000 women released in December, which concluded that the average women has 19 pairs of shoes and that 17% owned more than 30 pairs. Perhaps it’s the recession that is to blame, but it seems we’re all wounded and bleeding shoes!

Fascinatingly, the average amount of money to spend on a pair of shoes was around £34. I must admit I was expecting more, but there must be enough sales of cheap footwear to bring down the sky-high prices that many people pay for their designer shoes.

70% of people questioned said they’d bought shoes that they have never worn, which is more understandable when compared to the 50% who said they had bought shoes on impulse. A surprisingly high 30% of women said they’d bought shoes just because they liked the colour, whilst a mere 16% said they had bought some shoes specially for a date seems a little low to me…I think some people we being coy…

Without a doubt, finding the correct fit is the most important part about buying shoes. If they don’t fit properly, they’ll hurt when you wear them, you’ll never feel comfortable and confident and, most importantly, they’ll damage your body. It’s not just your feet that will be damaged either; ill-fitting shoes will have a negative impact of your knees, hips and back, as well as messing with your posture.

Although you should always base a decision on how each individual shoe feels, there’s no doubt shoe size is a good indication and starting point when it comes to trying them on. However, the appropriate size will depend on where you are in the world or, if you’re buying your shoes online, where the shop is based! For this reason, we think it might help if you have access to a copy of the international shoe conversion chart. Behold:

Now if you find some gorgeous designer shoes for sale on a Japanese website, you’ll know the size you’re looking for! Also, for what it’s worth, do remember that you have seven days to return anything you buy online if you don’t like it – there should be no questions asked!

Being born in 1914 to a family to Jewish farmers might not be the origin you’d expect for one of the greatest shoe designers of the 20th century, but that is exactly where the life of Beth Levine started, in New York City.

Now, nearly a century later, her life and work are brought back to the public eye in an exceptional new exhibition at the Bellevue Arts Museum. “Beth Levine: First Lady of Shoes” documents how Beth started out as a shoe model, gaining the experience necessary for her to design fashionable yet comfortable shoes, before opening a shoe factory with husband Herbert in 1950. In an industry dominated by men, Beth chose to design shoes under her husband’s name and soon revolutionised the world of designer shoes with her whimsical and experimental designs, as well as popularising new styles like stilettos, boots and mules.

First Lady of Shoes features adverts for and articles about her shoes, as well as drawings of her designs, photographs of both Beth and her famous clientele and, naturally, lots of designer shoes! Shoes on display include the space-age boots to celebrate the moon landing, the Butterfly Boot, her papers shoes and even the Marlene Boot, named after Marlene Dietrich.

Along with three First Ladies of the USA, Beth’s shoes have been worn by Marilyn Monroe, Geoffrey Beene and Cher, to name but a few. Seeing this exhibition is a must for all lovers of designer shoes.

Regular readers may remember way back in October, when I mentioned Christian Louboutin’s claim that Barbie’s (yes, the doll) ankles were ‘too fat’ for his shoes. Well, today I am pleased to report this event hasn’t soured the relationship between the shoe designer and his plastic friend, as he is now set to release the second of his series of three collector’s Barbies.

After ‘Cat Burglar Barbie’ proved a massive success, ankle-issues or not, Louboutin has revealed that the second doll will be called the ‘Dolly Forever Barbie’ and will be safari-themed. By ’safari-themed’, he means she will wear a khaki tunic dress above her knee-length, bright pink Louboutin boots, which are about the least outback-friendly item of clothing you’ll ever see in your life. She will also come equiped with a hunting rifle, a set of tranquiliser darts and some binoculous. Oh wait, sorry, I meant some pink sunglasses and three other pairs of Louboutin shoes. All the essentials for a safari, providing you are romping the plains of Debenhams.

Due to be released on the 3rd of March, (right in the middle of lent, as if that would make a difference anyway), Louboutin’s new doll will cost £100. Naturally. Of course, being Louboutin, all the money made from safari Barbie will be donated to the RSPCA. Oh wait, I got that wrong as well! Mistakes left, right and

Here at the Designer Shoes Blog, we aim to bring you handy advice and news. After our post about the impact of the recession on the shoe industry, it seems clear more and more of you are choosing to mend or polish-up your old shoes, rather than buying brand new ones. So today we thought I’d help out by providing you dear readers with some advice on e the effectively covering up the scruffs on your leather shoes – so they look great and last longer!

Ever wondered why army boots look so good after months of stomping around? It’s because getting scuffs out of leather shoes is simple; all you need is a damp sponge, a shoe brush and some form of shoe polish. Although wax is the best option for covering scruffs, creams comes in far more colours – so they might be more appropriate. To start with, remove your laces (if you have any) and, using the damp sponge, clean your shoes to remove all the surface dirt. Once they are sparkling clean, apply the polish (wax or cream) and rub it into the leather using small, circular motions. Once you’ve covered all the leather, remove any blobs of excess polish and finally buff the leather with the shoe brush. Good as new!

Published today, official research into the recession has revealed that shoes were one of the biggest things to be cut from family spending during the 2008 period of economic decline. According to the Office for National Statistics, spending on shoes and clothes in 2008 was the lowest since 2001, despite the fact that average household spending actually rose by £12 per week from 2007.

Although it could well be that the recession is causing people to cut back on their spending on ‘luxury’ items like designer shoes, it has also been suggested that the recession has been accompanied by huge discount at clothes and shoes shops, as well as massive price reductions in products like designer shoes. This implies that it is not necessarily the case that people are buying less shoes – but possibly that it’s costing people less to buy them. If the area I’m living in is a reliable source of evidence, I’m going to assume the latter is true! I, for one, haven’t cut down on my shoe-buying at all – it’s the last thing I’d give up! As for sales, I can’t remember the last time I haven’t been able to find one to suit my needs.

In case you’re interested; people in Wales spent the least on shoes in 2008, followed by Scotland, then England and finally Northern Ireland, who spent the most.

Although there are many strange and wonderful shoes out there, some really challenge the notion of what it is to be a shoe. My recent posts about crazy designer shoes have, as many crazy things will do, made me challenge my very concept of shoes – here are my musings.

Most definitions of the word ‘shoe’ involve the words “covering” or “protecting”; “a protective covering for the foot, originally designed for comfort and durability, but more recently also for decoration” was along the lines of my own definition. However, many hyper-fashionable trends and individual pairs of shoes are now challenging that very definition; many shoes are now uncomfortable, don’t cover the foot at all and are actually more dangerous than not wearing any shoes at all! The question is, are these still ‘shoes’? If so, then our previous definition must be wrong and need altering – but to what? If these new objects are not shoes, then what are they?

Although many people would consider the first pair of shoes in Return of the Crazy Designer Shoes to be ridiculous, I think most would agree that they are, nevertheless, shoes of some kind. Yet all they are is a kind of metal cage around the foot, so this raises interesting questions; just how little material can still constitute a shoe? Which parts of an object must remain intact in order for the object to still be a shoe? Also, at what point does an object become a sock?

To illustrate my point and get you thinking, I ask you to consider this picture. Is this object a shoe? If so, what is it about the object that makes it a shoe? If not, what is it failing to do that a shoe would do and what changes would have to be made in order for it to be a shoe?

When is a shoe not a shoe?

We have more seasonal shoes today at the Designer Shoe blog – this time for the guys! Consider these cool Christmas offerings from Adidas, for example; Christmas themed Stan Smith 2 or Superstar 2 shoes, in red and green! Although clearly Christmassy, there’s no doubt these shoes will look the part all year round and, because they’re Adidas, they’ll still be wearable when summertime bring games in the park!

If Adidas isn’t really your style, perhaps consider these tartan-style Converse All-Stars instead. A classic shoe with a seasonal spin, these manage to be festive, but without any striking Christmas clichés – a cool and understand style.

Of course, it’s not just the adults that can join in the Christmas fun; if the little man in your life wants a piece of the spirit, there are a range of seasonal children’s shoes for them as well! These adorable blue trainers, for example, will keep his feet nice and warm while advertising his love for Christmas and, more importantly at that age, Santa!

Christmas is nearly here and at the Designer Shoe Blog, this can only mean one thing; Christmas Shoe Time! This is essentially an excuse for the team to whizz around the internet, finding seasonal footwear that we’re sure somebody in your family would love to receive. Even if you’re not thinking of buying designer shoes for Christmas, there are normally some cool shoes to see anyway! Let’s get started with some shoes with the ladies:

For the girlfriend, wife, mum, sisters and grannys in your life, consider these stylish, comfortable and super-seasonal Christmas slippers! I know slippers for Christmas seems unoriginal but, let’s be honest, when else do people buy slippers? By the time last year’s Christmas slippers have be worn to tatters, it’s normally summertime and there’s little need for slippers. Then, before you know it it’s nearly Christmas again so nobody buys new ones for themselves, just in case somebody buys them for them for a present!

If you think slippers aren’t what the classy lady in your life is after this holiday, perhaps consider buying her some stylish seasonal heels for the Christmas Cocktail party. Although I’d advise against bright red heels with a cartoon Santa (not cool), some like these might make a suave addition to any Christmas outfit…

Last time we bought you news that a recent survey of 1000 women found that many more of them could remember their first pair of designer shoes than could remember the name of the person they first kissed. Today we bring you some more facts and figures about women and shoes from the same survey – enjoy!

Of the 1000 women questioned, although 1 in 6 had more than 30 pairs of shoes, the average woman owned a mere 19 pairs. Of these 19 pairs of shoes, only 4 are worn regularly and about the same number have only been worn once. 4 pairs of shoes is also the average number of pairs of shoes that these women purchase every year; a new pair every 3 months or 12 weeks.

Shoe Collection from shoelala.ca

1 in 3 of the 1000 women admitted to having trouble finding enough room to store all their shoes, though 1 in 7 have found room to hide a new pair of shoes from their partner. Sixty percent of the women questioned said they regretted purchasing at least one pair of shoes.

…none admitted that buying shoes had ever caused money problems…