Shoe have to be kidding me! One in eight British women own over 100 pairs - but MEN are splashing more cash on new purchases, study finds
- Study found on average British women own 30 to 35 pairs of shoes
- One in eight have over 100 pairs in their closet, according to a new report
- Purchases of trainers exploded over past year, accounting for 50% of sales
- Heel height is also growing, with average increasing from three to four inches
Whether it's Manolo Blahnik, Kurt Geiger or even New Look, no one could ever doubt that women love to splash the cash on a new pair of heels.
And while the average woman has between 30 to 35 shoes in their wardrobes, it has now been revealed an incredible one in eight British women own over 100 pairs of shoes.
Research commissioned for Shoeaholics.com, the multi-brand footwear retailer that is part of the Kurt Geiger group, found that 12.5 per cent admitted to being shoe addicts, owning a whopping 100 pairs or more.
Meanwhile the brand also found that men are now outspending women in all categories of shoe, splashing out on average £93.28 per pair, while women spent £87.43.
Mark Hoyal-Mitchell, Head of Shoeaholics, said he was 'surprised' by how many pairs millions of women had in their collections, adding: 'The one in eight women who own over 100 pairs must give over a remarkable amount of wardrobe space to house them.'
While the average woman has between 30 to 35 shoes in their wardrobes, it has now been revealed an incredible one in eight British women own over 100 pairs of shoes (stock image)
Sneakers have become the most popular style of shoe, accounting for 50 per cent of Shoeaholics sales over the last six months, compared to 20 per cent five years ago with many women reaching for a more casual attire during the Covid-19 pandemic.
And lockdown did put a dampen shoppers' enthusiasm for shoes, with 49 per cent of Shoeaholics customers buying six or more pairs over the last 12 months and ten per cent buying ten or more.
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However, with Covid rules relaxing and people beginning to return to offices and nights out, sales of more formal wear such as heels have increased sharply.
Women are set to stand taller this summer, with the average heel height increasing from three inches to four inches.
A host of celebrities are happily still fuelling the obsession for feet and how to dress them up included Jennifer Anniston
The 'Carrie Bradshaw' effect made designer shoes from the likes of Manolo Blahnik and London-based Jimmy Choo into fashion icons.
The character's 'Sex and the City' TV series may now have finished, however it has created a legacy in terms of a market for fabulously expensive shoes.
A host of celebrities are happily still fuelling the obsession for feet and how to dress them up.
Research found the ultimate shoe icon in Britain is Jennifer Aniston, with 37 per cent of shoppers looking to her for inspiration, followed by Holly Willoughby with 25 per cent.
Twenty per cent of shoppers said they looked to singer Dua Lipa for inspiration, while the Duchess of Cambridge and Rochelle Humes also wowed other Brits.
Mark Hoyal-Mitchell, Head of Shoeaholics, revealed: 'We knew that Britons were a nation of shoe lovers, hence our name, but even we were surprised by how many pairs millions of people have added to their collections.
Meanwhile the research also found British stars like Holly Willoughby (left) and Dua Lipa (right) act as shoe inspiration for women
'Inevitably, thanks to the pandemic we have seen big changes to the way people shop and what they shop for over the last year.
'Peak shopping periods have moved from the commuter hours of 7am to 9am, when people traditionally shop online while travelling to work, to 6pm to 8pm as shoppers working from home log off for the day.
'Sneakers are currently the biggest shoe category in the UK, but with lockdown lifting the next fastest growing categories for us are heels and bags, up 40 per cent on this time last year.
'High heels are getting higher – it seems that after a year of being locked down people are ready to step up their style game in towering stilettos.
'It's also interesting to see that men are now outspending women, investing more in the most expensive pairs of shoes.'
