i think i have a shoe problem

i have known about my shoe problem ...er... collection for some time now. you know, over the years, after your feet stop growing, and you take care of your shoes, and you are somewhat fashionably inclined (in your own mind), you amass a few pair a year. i knew i had a lot, but not an exact amount until the other day, when my cubemate at work, katie, said to me, "new shoes? it seems like you always have new shoes. how many do you have?". "i'm not sure", was my reply, so i counted them a day or so later. i was not quite shocked, but a bit surprised to find that i had somehow managed to collect 48 or so pair of shoes. and i am a dude, albeit a very fashionable one (again, in my own mind).

48 pair...holy cow.



now, my wife has quite a collection as well, but she is in the shoe business, so it makes sense. my friend nichols, another shoe fanatic, put it in perspective for me. "we just build our outfits from the bottom up, while everyone else builds from the top down." well said, madam!

my real collection had its humble beginnings while i was in high school, where i developed a love of converse. from there on out, i have just bought a pair here and there. basically, if i see a color that i really like, that is loud and bright, or just plain ol' sweet lookin', i buy 'em! chuck taylors, one stars, jack purcells, john varvatos-designed styles, ev pros. and they come from everywhere - marshall's, tj maxx, the converse outlet, shops in chicago and atlanta. i even found a very unique pair while we were vacationing in london a few years ago, that i have yet to wear, because they are so awesome, and i am worried i will mess 'em up (you can see them in the picture below, in the bottom row, third pair from the left). i have other brands, but converse outweighs the other brands by a long shot.



there are canvas, suede, corduroy, felt (yes, felt), even pleather. the above pictures show about half of the converse i own (don't want to take up too much space with pictures). i am proud of my collection, and i don't care if people at work think i am mental. what do they know? they only have 4 pair of shoes each! how on earth can you coordinate a sweet matching outfit with only 4 pair of shoes???