# Why do women love buying shoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2001, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-love-buying-shoes/66724 "2001-05-28T01:13:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![robinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@robinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinh)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-love-buying-shoes/66724/21 "2001-05-29T00:16:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Persephone \* > \*\*Before I got pregnant for the first time, my feet were a 7 1/2 AA. Thirteen years and two more pregnancies, and now I’m stuck with 8 1/2 wides. I know that this has happened to other women too, but I’m still at a loss as to why. 😕 \*\* My educated guess: During pregnancy and labor, your body releases hormones that help the soft tissues in your body soften and stretch. This allows the bones of your pelvis to spread and allow the passage of your baby. Personal anecdote: I have what might be kindly described as a “boyish” figure when I am slim, i.e. no hips and not much of a waist, either. I have always found that men’s jeans fit better than those made for women. Before I had children, I wore a men’s size 28. After my first child I got seriously into my aerobics/weight training classes and was in very good shape. I weighed less and wore a smaller dress size. But my jeans were a size 30. Apparently, when my hips spread to allow me to give birth to my daughter, they stayed that way. I wouldn’t be surprised if the bones of our feet also spread during pregnancy (what with the extra weight and the loosening affect of the hormones) and if that change isn’t sometimes permanent. ---
**Author:** ![Anti\_Pro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Anti\_Pro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anti_Pro)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2001, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-love-buying-shoes/66724/22 "2001-05-29T00:31:03Z")
Count me among the female shoe haters. I have two pair of New Balance tennis shoes, and one pair of black dress up shoes. That’s it folks. HOWEVER, let’s talk tools, shall we!! I love Home Depot, and can spend hours just figuring out some new gadget to buy to ‘make my life easier’ hahahahaha… ---
**Author:** ![Shera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Shera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shera)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2001, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-love-buying-shoes/66724/23 "2001-05-29T01:18:30Z")
I think that the reason that I love shoes so much is becuase of ego. There is nothing that will make me feel better then when someone says, " Wow, what a great pair of shoes!" It’s espesially nice if I get to brag that I got them on sale. However, I’m not a girly girl. I could spend all day at Yardbirds looking at power tools that I wish I could afford to buy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Suo\_Na](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Suo\_Na](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suo_Na)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2001, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-love-buying-shoes/66724/24 "2001-05-29T03:19:23Z")
I hate shopping for shoes, for reasons not the least of which are: they’re too expensive for the quality most of the time; very few manufacturers make shoes narrow enough for my feet; I hate waiting for the salesperson to go to the back and search through the stacks only to find out they don’t have my size. Unfortunately I’m forced to shop for shoes at least once a year as a previous pair falls apart. I currently own: Birkenstock sandals, dress sandals, winter black heels, summer black heels, sneakers, and the cherry red patent leather heels I wore for my wedding. I don’t anticipate having to buy more shoes until the dress sandals fall apart next year (the Birks fell apart last year. I got the footbeds replaced instead of buying a new pair.) The only things I like shopping for are books and CDs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-love-buying-shoes/66724.md?page=1)