The Imelda Marcos Mentality

Times Online: Nothing beats a woman's desire to show off a fresh pair of heels

It seems a lot of women have an Imelda Marcos mentality that drives them to buy more shoes than seems feasibly possible. According to a survey, the average woman over forty owns 19 pairs of shoes, but many own far more.

A lot of people, especially Christians, have this idea that consumerism is the great evil of our age. They think that people are driven by advertising to purchase more and more stuff, tearing up the environment and exploiting the Third World in the process. I believe such thinking is naieve and stems from lack of economic knowledge. Spending money, even on lots of pairs of shoes is good. It drives the economy and creates wealth. Even the problem of debt is not the great evil that some people make it out to be. The reason so many people get into debt is not because they are brainwashed by advertising, but because the consequences of debt are not as severe as they used to be. Nobody goes to debtors prison any more.

There is a downside to this shoe obsession for those who prefer shoes-off in their homes. While these ladies probably get the most satisfaction when they buy their fancy heels, they will naturally want to show them off when invited to parties and social occasions. They may not be keen to leave them at the door and spend the evening in bare or stocking feet.

The key to this problem is training and expectation. These ladies with their shoe collections know they cannot always be wearing expensive high-heeled shoes. They cannot wear them on a yacht, they cannot wear them doing yoga, and they will probably not wear them for a casual visit to somebody's home to watch a movie.

If women know in advance that they will need to remove their shoes, then they will not be disappointed about it. They can plan their outfit with slippers or barefeet in mind. If they attend a party or dinner with their Manolo Blahnik's with six inch heels, and have shoe removal sprung on them, they may be a little resentful. If they know that shoes-off is part of the evening, they can regard it as a more relaxed and casual event.

If the ladies with their Marcosite collections want to show off their shoes, they can be assured that the hostess will see them. Plus, their trophy footwear will outdo that of any other guests when left in a line by the door. Otherwise they can always show them off in restaurants or at the races.