Shoes are a woman’s “sole” mate and no other item of apparel gets us quite as excited as a beautiful pair, writes Louise Jew.

The real pain is, the older we get, the more sensible we have to be about them – many of us have got the bunions and hard skin that are the legacy of the more extreme footwear adventures of our youth.

But there’s always room in our wardrobe for another pair, even if we just gloat over them and dream of the days when we would totter along on vertiginous heels without a care in the world.

Maybe we will pose in front of the mirror with the ones that add the perfect finishing touch to our outfits but, by the time we’ve staggered downstairs, we realise we will be in agony within five minutes of daring to venture out in them.

I’ve got them hiding in cupboards, drawers, wardrobes, under the bed and even in the garage and the car – and my latest count is 47 pairs of shoes, 24 of boots, five lots of trainers and one of wellies.

The strange thing is, while they seem comfortable enough in a quick turn around the shop, when we actually wear them for real many of them rub, produce blisters or even tilt us at such an angle that we are prone to falling over.

Like most women, I actually wear just a fraction of my stash.

Those six inch gladiator style shoes may be a thing of great beauty to look at but they are more like a thing of torture when actually on the plates of meat.

At an average of £25 each, that’s almost £2,000 worth of kit that is mostly lying idle – and, over the years, I’ve wasted thousands more on shoes that have ended up being donated to charity shops, hardly ever being worn.

Find out how many shoes the other Lou’s Women have got and read their comments below.

Helen Broadhurst

Helen Broadhurst, aged 81, says : “I have about 30 pairs and wear them all.

“When I see shoes I like I have to buy them even if I don’t need them but I do buy lots from charity shops so they don’t cost me very much.

“My latest purchase cost just £1.50 for a lovely pair of emerald green ballet pumps.

“I’m a size 8 and years ago it was difficult to get elegant shoes in big sizes so I bought sizes too small – I couldn’t wear them but they were lovely just to look at.

“I used a pair of shoes as plant pots once – they were so pretty.”

Pat Bailey

New Lou’s Women member Pat Bailey, from Halesowen, says:  “Just had a count – 47 pairs ranging from boots, shoes, trainers, and slippers and probably another pair which I will win on eBay this afternoon.

“I suppose at a guess the estimated value is between £750 – £1000. Quite scary eh?

“Off to Walsall in a mo so will probably buy some more if there are some bargains .

“I hope I come back as a woman again in the next life so I can get my wear out of all these shoes.

“I probably could wear most of them but just do as we all do and go for the same ones most times. What silly cows we are.”

Stacey Senior

Willenhall carnival queen Stacey Senior says: “So I have 28 pairs of footwear including trainers, boots, wellies and heels.

“In total there are 4 pairs I have never worn. I have a pair of boots that I never take off – ever.

“The most I ever spent on footwear was £200 on a pair of uggs, which I still have and love.

“The cheapest pair of shoes were £2 from Matalan. I go for comfort these days.

“It won’t be long before I am shopping in Clarks instead of Office. If I could get away with slippers in public, I would.”

Chris Armstrong

Llama Lady Chris Armstrong says: “I have approximately 50 pairs of shoes and 15 pairs of boots! I can’t resist buying shoes.

“I don’t buy expensive ones so when I see a shoe I like I can afford to buy it in different colours. I will buy shoes most months.

“When I get home and find I don’t like them I keep them in the cupboard for a while and then give them to my cleaning lady.

“I love killer heels and will teeter around in them all day at work – and what a relief to get them off at night and put my wellies on.

“My shoe and boot collection must be worth thousands of pounds and I’m quite embarrassed by it.”

Gail Millard

Gail Millard, from Bilston says: “Where do I start? I’ve got so many pairs – low heels,high heels, no heels and sore heels!

“I crave for shoes I know I’ll only wear once but they are in boxes, bags and cases. I must have 60pairs.

“I never really wear them out except my everyday ankle boots in the winter.

“Then I take them to the repairers in Bilston Market, who do a cracking re-heel for £3.50.

“I’ve got all my best shoes in original boxes in top of wardrobe. Boots in boxes under the bed and handbags, gloves and scarves to match in drawer on the other side of the bed. Wah!

“This sounds awful but it’s an illness and no doubt it’ll take a few more pairs to put me back on the road to recovery.

Holly Dodd

Student Holly Dodd says: “The reality of my shoe collection is just over 40 pairs; boots to take me through the winter, flats to walk me across campus and a modest collections of heels I have accrued over years of painstaking sale shopping.

“The jewel in the collection is a rather bargainous pair of Kurt Geiger wedges, which I love to death, having overcome the initial fear of wearing them, and thereafter performing mini renovations on them after each ruinous night out.

“I confess I would suffer a certain degree of pain for the reward of a shoe that can make you feel glamorous, elegant, sexy and confident all in one click of the heel.

“But even I have my limits and have before now reluctantly said ‘enough is enough’ with a pair of 5 ½ inch snakeskin peep-toes which crippled my soles and set the arches of my feet aflame, despite all the gel insoles in the world!”

Irina James

Irina James, from Stourbridge, says: “Well, I must be Imelda Marcos’s twin sister.

“I actually refuse to count my pairs of shoes, boots etc.

“But there are a few pairs that are just too uncomfortable to wear for any prolonged time.

“I do actually wear all of them at some point, but should really sort some of them out.

“Thing is, they just look so nice and you hang on to them for another season.

“By the way, my favourite pair are red and I shall wear them until they fall off my feet.”

Julie Wilson

Chess supremo Julie Wilson says: “I probably do not have as many pairs of shoes as a lot of women.

“I cannot wear heels any more since I had a Morton’s neuroma in my foot.

“It was probably caused by wearing shoes that were too tight in my youth. I now tend to go for comfort rather than elegance.

“I just did a quick count and it was 20 pairs but that includes trainers, wellies, sandals and cycling shoes.

“One other thing though when I was younger it seemed like I was always getting shoes reheeled or resoled and nowadays I almost never do.

“I think it’s indicative that people including me walk a lot less than they used to.”

Lou Thomas

Zumba teacher Lou Thomas says: “I spend ages in the shop, walking round and round to make sure they are comfortable, convince myself they are fine – then the first time I wear them I can’t walk in them.

“I have a beautiful pair of red Jimmy Choos – worn once – they kill me but I’m sure they were fine in the shop.

“Most of my shoes are never worn.

“I couldn’t possibly count them because they are all over the house – not just in the wardrobe but stored in the garage, laundry room and up the loft – cant part with them but too uncomfortable to wear.

Ros Jones

Ros Jones, from Kinver, says: “I have counted mine and only have twenty two pairs, the majority of which I never wear.

“Shoes have always been the last thing I would spend my money on unless of course they wear out.

“I have always tended to buy classic black so they go with everything and worn them to death.

“Having said that I saw the most gorgeous pair of boots at Merry Hill last night.

“Totally impractical but stunning. Could it be I’m being converted in my old age?”

Jean Martyn, of Britain’s Got Talent fame, says: “I have always been a shoe-aholic.

“At one count I owned 70 pairs but recently reduced it to 30.

“That allows me plenty of changes with different outfits!

“I have winter, summer and work shoes – heeled, flat and sparkly!

“All get used – I just love shoes.”

Sheena Hamilton

Conservationist Sheena Hamilton says: “If you’ve got something to slop around in and a couple of nice pairs to wear out that’s all you need.

“It’s a bit of a fetish for many women.

“But I’ve got better things to spend my money on.”