It is a common misconception that all women love shoes. While it is true that most women like shoes, there are only a few of us who LOVE shoes. Let me explain.

When I was about fifteen I had a really good friend called J. She was like my sister for about a year. She was a bit older than me, smart, funny, and most of all, incredibly stylish. She never wore the same outfit twice. And she made me love shoes.

I already owned quite a lot of shoes when I met J. Probably around 20 pairs, which is a lot for a growing teenager. J was a year older than me. She owned 74 pairs of shoes. She had the same converse rip-offs in every colour under the sun, ballet pumps with every different design and motif available, boots, trainers, and a wonderful selection of ridiculous high-heels which were impossible for a sixteen-year-old to wear reasonably. She did anyway. She was my absolute idol.

From then onwards I’ve had a love of shoes. This came to a peak today, when I bought 16 pairs of shoes, all at once.