# Shoes and gender: a poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2011, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728 "2011-06-08T12:56:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/81 "2011-06-08T19:44:28Z")
Male, 3. One more than normal right now. 1. Walking shoes. 2. Boat shoes just purchased for being at the beach (we moved to Charleston, SC) 3. Sunday go-to-meeting Usually it’s just 1 and 3. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/82 "2011-06-08T20:17:07Z")
I can’t fathom not having at least 10 pairs of shoes lying around. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/83 "2011-06-08T20:23:21Z")
Female Somewhere between 25 and 40 pairs, of which I wear about 12 pairs regularly. That also includes activity/specific workout and dance shoes, seasonal variations (mostly switching boots for sandals), and the pair each of birks&workshoes stashed in each car and in the mudroom. For the rest, my husband has a shoe fetish, I don’t. I also work a job where I’m walking on thin carpet over concrete all day. So I have a lot of really nice shoes that I only wear on “date nights.” If it were up to me, I’d be somewhere in the 10-15 pair range. I held steady there all through school and single professional life, and if I weren’t wearing shoes for him sometimes, I would probably still be there now. ---
**Author:** ![Sassitude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@Sassitude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassitude)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/84 "2011-06-08T20:54:00Z")
I’m a 45 year old female and have over 200 pairs. I am a dance instructor, so if you count all of my tap, ballet, pointe shoes, etc, well, I have over 300. But please let me explain that I have very small feet, a womens size 4, (a size 2 in girls when I can buy kids shoes), and it is very difficult to find shoes in this size. I am also only 5’ tall, and I like to wear heels on the higher side, VERY hard to come by in my size.There are some that I have had for over 20 years, and that I still wear. I take care of every pair I have knowing they cannot be replaced very easily. I can find my size at some of the more expensive department stores and specialty shops, but I find it hard to justify paying hundreds of dollars for a single pair of shoes. Honestly, I’m not a shoe hoarder, more like a shoe collector. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/85 "2011-06-08T21:03:13Z")
Male, three; two regular pairs and a pair of boots. Four if you count slippers. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/86 "2011-06-08T21:05:46Z")
Own or actively wear? I had a period where I was trying to run and I was always injuring my achilles’ tendon - I have several pairs of running shoes, trying to correct the problem. But I actively wear one pair of casual shoes and one pair of dress shoes. The dress shoes get worn much less often now that I work from home. ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/87 "2011-06-08T21:10:34Z")
Male: 10 pair. 1 pair red Chuck Taylors 1 pair green Chucks 1 pair maroon Chucks 1 pair blackout Chucks (All black, including laces and toes, etc.) 2 pairs dress shoes 1 pair snowboard boots 1 pair hiking boots 1 pair sandals 1 pair costume boots (Link costume) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/88 "2011-06-08T21:23:34Z")
1. Male 2. Seven: - Proper running shoes for actual running - Cheap sneakers - Baseball shoes - Black dress shoes - Brown dress shoes - Brown casual shoes - Steel toed work shoes I also have a pair of winter boots, but are those “shoes”? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/89 "2011-06-08T22:07:29Z")
Male: 5 or 6 that I could still wear. I have some faux crocks, some stylish (in the Ryan Styles way) slip on shoes, a pair of sneakers (aka tennis shoes), and two pairs of dress shoes: brown and black, respectively. (I probably need to replace the last three.) I also may have a pair of Sketcher-type shoes I could still wear. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/90 "2011-06-08T22:09:07Z")
Male, 3 pairs. A pair of Doc Martins, some running shoes that I hardly ever use, and some sandals if I’m making a quick trip outdoors. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/91 "2011-06-08T22:47:50Z")
1. Male 2. 8 (and if you include sandals/thongs, then it’s 10) ---
**Author:** ![kathmandu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kathmandu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kathmandu)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/92 "2011-06-08T22:52:08Z")
Female. I haven’t counted, but I would guess between 60 and 75 pairs. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/93 "2011-06-08T22:53:49Z")
Do I have to count my curling and bowling shoes? Seven, if I do. Five, if I don’t. I’m male. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/94 "2011-06-08T23:24:59Z")
Male. Uh…seven pairs. 3 pairs of dress shoes for work (one of which I’ve still never worn) 2 pairs of tennis shoes (one regular, one grubby for around the house stuff) 1 pair of TENNIS shoes (you know, for actually playing tennis) 1 pair of bowling shoes (which are, of course, never in the house because they’re in my bowling bag) Sadly, in my last move, I either lost or inadvertently threw away two other pairs of shoes. A pair of running shoes and a pair of motorcycle riding boots. I’d still be using both if I knew where they were. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/95 "2011-06-08T23:35:49Z")
Male. 4. 1 pair of dress shoes (black) 1 pair of tennis shoes (only worn for playing tennis) 1 pair of hiking shoes (pretty much never wear these) 1 pair of trail running shoes (wear these most of the time) ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/96 "2011-06-08T23:41:43Z")
Serious question: why do so many keep qualifying answers with “+ # if you count (blank) shoe”? Or “if you add these shoes I never wear”? I thought the question was fairly straightforward. Am I missing some subtext? ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/97 "2011-06-08T23:45:55Z")
Male. I think I threw out my old sneakers because they were falling apart and didn’t replace them. I have one pair of shoes I wear everyday, one pair of flip-flops, one pair of dress shoes, and one pair of steel-toes boots. I’m starting a new job on Monday. I’ll use my first paycheck to buy a new pair of sneakers. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/98 "2011-06-08T23:45:58Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Female… er, at least 20. Probably more like 40. I don’t know how it happens - I actually wear, like, three on a regular basis. Ditto, but I really have about 20. I wear two regularly, four often, in addition to my weekend/home shoes. But I rotate through them. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/99 "2011-06-09T00:36:00Z")
Hm. :: counts on fingers :: Somewhere between 8 and 10, maybe. I have several pairs that I bought in a fit of madness and haven’t worn in years. I don’t know what it is about shoes - I make the same damn mistake every time (buy pretty shoes that are too uncomfortable to wear for more than 10 minutes at a time). ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728/100 "2011-06-09T00:56:00Z")
Female, and FWIW I hate buying shoes. I have 12 pairs total, but I’ve only worn half that many within the past three years or so. They are: 2 pairs work shoes (same style, one pair black and one pair brown) 1 pair walking shoes that look nice enough for work 1 pair Keds, for summer 1 pair Doc Marten boots, for winter and wet weather 1 pair flip flops, for around the house In storage boxes in the bottom of my closet are: 2 pairs fancier work shoes from when I worked in a more formal environment (one pair black and one pair brown) 1 pair dress flats 1 pair dress heels 1 pair good sneakers 1 pair really beat-up nasty old sneakers that I should probably get rid of [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoes-and-gender-a-poll/584728.md?page=6)