A lesson in amortization

I wonder what other gals spend on clothes in a year.  I always say that I'm on the cheap end of the list only because I hate to shop.  But then I went to the Clarks store today and dropped almost $300 on three pair of shoes.

But it's because I want them to last.  Last year I got rid of my "black shoes" (yes, my shoe collection is so sparse that I can call a pair "black" and know which ones I'm talking about) only because they were about 8 years old.  They were Clarks.  They cost me about $80 eight years ago.  I don't think $10/year for a pair of shoes is bad at all.  And I bought this cute pair to replace them:

About 4 years ago I bought another pair of Clarks that were $110. (this would be my "brown" pair) They aren't nearly as comfortable and I've been wearing them every year since because I felt guilty about spending so much.  But I decided to replace them this year with a new pair.  These were only $80.  So $110 over 4 years comes out to $27.50 a year.  Not as great a bargain a the black ones, but still....

And I bought a third pair of sporty things so I can run errands and such on the weekends without wearing my "real" running shoes and making them crap out faster than they should.  These I image will last me many years.  (I got them in gray so they will look newer for the long run!!  I thought I was being very clever...)  Which is good because I want to make my running shoes last as long as possible because thy are over $100/ pair.

Now I just threw out lots of prices that add waaay up.  I know.  But I have almost told you every pair of cold weather shoes I own.  The only ones I left out are:

• my cowboy boots (which I'm wearing right now)
• brown pair of low boots
• brown pair of "booties"
• black pair of high boots 
• cheap brown ballet flats (from Target - which, btw, won't be lasting past this fall.)

That's it.  Now some of you may rival my collection but I know LOTS of gals (like Wandering Girl) that need a whole other bedroom to house their shoe collection.  (ok, maybe not after the fire... but I would imagine she's replaced all the lost ones by now.  She can't help herself!)

In all honesty when you add my warm weather shoes the count does go up. 

• brown sandals (of course)
• black sandals (of course)
• 2 strappy sandals (for two specific formal events.  neither pair are comfy so I might as well just get rid of them)
• another pair ballet flats from Target - which will probably only last thru next year because I didn't wear them much this year
• Almost forgot my black NYC hooker heels....

Ok - since I'm filled with Catholic guilt and I'm not even Catholic, I should add the following:

• aforementioned running shoes
• low hikers
• regular hikers
• rain boots
• snow boots
• a few random pair of old running shoes I should toss, except for one since I wear them to to cut the grass and garden in
• crocks (that usually act my pair of slippers)
• Clemson slippers

Those don't really count though, do they?  They are sport or extreme-weather specific. 

How many pair of shoes do you own?  be honest.....