Shoe Freak Anonymous

I dragged my luggage behind me; looked up and saw an elderly lady in a nice Ankara dress. I looked at the dress then at her face and finally at her shoes. I studied them for a bit and then remembered it was wrong to stare. I looked up quickly and found that she had been doing the same. We smiled at each other and I moved on. We had on similar shoes, hers were pointy at the front while mine were round. It was a great moment of solidarity, understanding and connection, we were both shoe freaks.

There is is nothing like the thrill of seeing something you really really like that you absolutely have to get (not in the covetous sense). For some people it could be for clothes, phones or books that they get this feeling. I get this thrill over shoes...and books, but SHOES ❤!

I love shoes as gifts, I love buying shoes. I buy myself shoes to congratulate myself. My name is Tomi and I am a shoe freak. I have always loved shoes and my ambition in life at some point was to make shoes. I particularly love boots!

If I wear shoes with bouncy souls I walk when I wouldn’t have originally. If I wear shoes for fashion and to enhance my ensemble I want to take lots of pictures. If I wear new shoes I go to as many places as possible. The new shoes I was wearing may be the reason I visited you the last time I did.

A friend of mine says you can determine a person’s personality from their shoes. This is not a very foolproof method but it can be true to a certain extent.

I usually wear beat up shoes when I don’t feel like doing anything or I feel down. Sometimes I wear shoes that are comfortable but I do not care how they look, this are days I need to get work done or days I am happy or content. There are days I wear shoes that are uncomfortable but look awesome, to prove a point, do something ‘important’ or feel good and sit in one place. Some people wear shoes that are sporty because they live for the next game and like to be on the move.

So, if you’re a shoe freak like me it means you try on shoes at every opportunity when you go to the mall. You have shoes in almost every color (this is one of your excuses for getting more) and You stare at people’s feet a lot. You also have days you spend solely on trying on shoes.

You can’t ignore a shoe sale and you’re often consumed by a need to get a certain pair of shoes. You think about them for days and even have dreams about them. That red tag on shoes in your size is totally irresistible.

Well, loving shoes is not bad but we must remember 1 Tim 1:6 ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain’.

I am training myself to do the following more often because these tips have helped me in the past.

1. Have a scale of preference. Order your needs and if shoes fall high up on that list then you can buy them. But not if they come after your electricity bill. Order your needs on a scale and attend to the most pertinent first.
2. Give out shoes before you give in to getting new shoes. You could buy a new pair for someone in need or you could give out that pair of shoes you’ve hardly worn since you got them before acquiring more shoes. This also helps de-clutter your space.
3. Go back and try them on again once or twice more without the money for them. This will help the euphoria of newness leave and help you make an informed decision.
4. Ask an objective close friend or relative if they think you should get that pair of shoes. I recently went to my mum after I saw these really nice shoes and I asked her if I needed a new pair and she said yes despite her complaint the week before that I had too many shoes. She knew I needed those specific shoes and she was right because I wore them almost everyday the past two months.
5. Make sure they will be worn. Ensure you already have clothes to match them with and make sure they are comfortable. Do not buy the shoes for a probable event in the distant future.

Be wise. Having a closet filled with shoes is nothing to brag about. There are people out there who have no shoes and cannot campaign for shoes.

I really hope this helped. This method can be used to curb shopaholics like me.

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P.S: Do not hesitate to make corrections and suggestions.