Shoes, glorious shoes

I really love shoes. This admission isn't shocking to those who know me--I won't be seen in anything lower than a three and a half inch heel, and I definitely won't be seen in anything that isn't really, really cute. My pet peeve? Women who walk around in sneakers and a suit. If you need to wear commuting shoes, that's fine, but there is absolutely no reason they need to be ugly.

So I was happy to see that the Washington Post ran an article on women in DC who love shoes. But then I read the article, and all feelings of comraderie with these shoe mavens evaporated. The first woman profiled (Kira Leiberman) is 29 years old (just like me) and owns 371 pairs of shoes and 25 pairs of boots. And these shoes aren't $10 Target specials--her most recent purchase was over $1000 and with "shoes bearing labels such as Chanel, Prada and Chloe," I have to imagine there aren't many $300 pairs in her closet either.

Which leads me to my big question. How does a 29 year old political consultant afford almost 400 pairs of shoes and boots, probably averaging somewhere around $500 a pair? It's like the Sex and the City episode where Carrie realizes she hasn't ever saved any money, and then tallies how much she has spent on footwear over the years and realizes she has worn away $40,000. According to my math, if my average shoe price assumption is correct, Leiberman has spent almost $200,000 on shoes.

Am I doing something wrong in my life? How do I not have the money to afford this? Does anyone know Leiberman? Is she independently wealthy? Is her husband? Perhaps she is the best political consultant this side of Karl Rove, with fees to match? A trust fund baby? I must know. And wasn't she a little concerned sharing this information with the Post? Does she really want her co-workers, acquaintances and clients to know that she has spent what surely amounts to more than many of their yearly salaries on shoes? (I now feel the need to point out that the last thing I am is cheap with my footwear. So the fact that this blew even me away made me think it was extreme.)

The second woman profiled, Charisse Jordan, is the wife of the Washington Wizards' head coach. With only 200 pairs of shoes in her closet, she has nothing on young Leiberman. And I do understand Jordan's point that she goes to a lot of events and needs to change up her footwear accordingly. However, what I do not understand is her choice of shoe for the first game of the Wizards' upcoming season: "brown crocodile sandals with a clear wedge heel." A clear wedge heel?! Why? WHY?! There is really no excuse for anything "clear" on a shoe unless your name is Cinderella or your job attire does not include a top.

At least I have a reason to watch the first game of the Wizards' season.