Believe it or not, we’ve made it to week 10 of the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge. That means we’re almost 20% of the way through the challenge. This week, we’ll take on something that is an obsession for many people. You guessed it! It’s time for the great shoe purge.
This post was originally published in March 2021 and republished in March 2024.
Back in the 1980s, I recall much fuss being made over Imelda Marcos, first lady of the Philippines, and her shoe collection. It was reported at anywhere between 1,000 and 3,000 pairs. Now, I hope none of you have that many shoes but, if you do, I’m not going to judge. Like I said in an earlier post about my t-shirt collection, we all have our obsessions.
I’ve never been particularly enamoured with shoes, so I was somewhat surprised when I gathered all my shoes together into a pile. There were a lot more of them than I expected.
How did I make out with my shoe purge? Read on to find out.
What is the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge?
In this year-long journey, we’re tackling one task at a time with the goal of cleaning up and organizing our homes. If you’ve just joined us, no worries. You can jump right in with this week’s challenge. Just check out the first two posts in the series to download your free checklists.
You can get easy access to all previous weekly posts on the main Decluttering page.
Are you ready for week 10? Let’s get decluttering!
Week 10 – The great shoe purge
I started out with 33 pairs of shoes and boots. That feels like a lot, and I would never have thought that I had that many. After I gathered and sorted through the shoes in my bedroom closet, I realized I’d forgotten those I keep in the front-hall closet, and the off-season footwear in the basement.
Here are some photos of what I started with.
This week’s decluttering and organizing tips
I’ll get to what I got rid of in a minute. First, here are my tips and learnings from week 10.
- As we’ve done with other things, eliminate duplicates. For some reason I had 2 pairs of gardening clogs, several pairs of black dress shoes, and 2 very similar pairs of casual sandals.
- Purge footwear that no longer goes with your wardrobe. I had 2 pairs of knee-high dress boots, and I don’t think I’ve worn either in the last 3 years. I kept one pair and gave the other to my sister.
- Keeping shoes organized is always a challenge. Our bedroom closet is fairly small, so I’ve invested in a hanging shoe organizer. It saves me time searching for the other half of a pair of shoes. I also have a small shelf on the top shelf of the closet to store bags and shoes.
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What I got rid of
Here are the results my shoe purge. In total, I got rid of 12 pairs of shoes and boots. That’s 36% of what I started with. Not a bad result.
The 21 pairs that are left sound like a lot but when you think about it, it’s not too bad. If you discount my 2 pairs of dress boots, 2 pairs of casual boots, 2 pairs of running shoes (one for indoor workouts and one for outdoors) and 1 pair of gardening clogs, I’m left with 14 pairs of sandals, dress and casual shoes, and athletic shoes. It’s a far cry from Ms. Marcos’ thousands of pairs.
And…here’s a funny story about one of the pairs of shoes I kept. I haven’t worn these in years. In fact, I don’t think they even fit me anymore. So why did I keep them?
Well, my daughter Colleen won’t allow me to get rid of them. You see, I bought them when I was pregnant with her. She’s kind of attached to them because the style of shoe is named…you guessed it…Colleen! Indirectly my daughter is named after these shoes because, after I bought them, I realized I like the name. I guess I’ll have to keep them forever!
2024 Update
It has been three years so I’m rebooting the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge to see how much I can get rid of in 2024.
I’ve been doing a pretty good job applying the one-in-one-out rule for footwear, so my shoe wardrobe is still about the same size as it was in 2021. I didn’t expect to reduce a lot, but I did find 4 pairs of shoes to get rid of. One of those pairs of shoes even inspired a reprisal of my Clutter Tales series. Stay tuned for that later this month.
So that’s week 10 done. Next week, we’ll continue our accessories cleanup with purses and bags.
If you have friends or family members who could benefit from a little less clutter in their lives, please share this post and spread the word!
How many pairs of footwear did you get rid of this week? Tell us below.
My mum and I recently sorted out our shoes too! We got rid of lots, a few to charity shops but most had to be thrown out because they are no longer wearable. Also found a pair that I completely forgot about, but going to trial them to see if I actually wear them or if they can be donated.
Isn’t it amazing when you find things you had forgotten about? I found a lot of that last time around.
I must be cosmically channeling your efforts, Michelle. 🥰 I just did the semi-annual and seasonal ‘shoe purge’ and made piles – some for the dear daughter who shares the same size as me and a pile for her bestie who also wears the same size. I’m finding my feet to be unique — things that worked well a year ago are no longer comfy. I think my feet grew — a 1/2 size larger sure feels comfier. Cheers to paring down the biggest space hogs in the closet! Shoes and boots! 😜
Yeah for the shoe purge, Vicki. I know what you mean about our feet changing in size. I still wear the same size, but I find I can no longer wear certain styles of shoes—especially those with a narrow fit.
I hear you! Thanks, Michelle! 🥰
As winter hopefully winds to a close i have no need to get rid of anything …all my shoes are in good repair and I wore every show designated for the season. Looking ahead to spring I know I need to buy ae pair of sneakers, and maybe slingbacks because it’s a good 3 season shoe I can dress up or down. My number of shoes will be the same though as I tossed sneakers and flats last September
Good for you. I can honestly say I do wear all the shoes I have now. I’ve slimmed down my collection significantly.
Me too. I make an effort to switch them up when I go out. I admit for my daily living it’s faux fur booties or sneakers
The father of my children has more shoes than the rest of us combined. 😵💫
Let me show him this article. 🙃
LOL. I don’t usually associate shoe hoarding with men! Good luck.
I used to work in a shoe store, so I am guilty of having a LOT of shoes. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been slowly paring the collection down. I recently parted ways with 2 pairs that I never wore. They were in such great condition I was able to sell them and add a little to my savings. 🙂
Well that sounds like a win-win Alison! Decluttering and savings. Music to my ears. 😍
Well done, Michelle! I love the “Colleen” story! That’s so sweet! 🙂 You’ve given me more motivation to declutter the shoes/boots (not that I just ordered a new pair a couple of days ago!) LOL
Yes, I smile every time I see the “Colleen” shoes. Good luck with your decluttering.
Thank you, Michelle! I’ll let you know! Ah, that’s so awesome! Cher xoxoxo
I’m one of those people who will wear shoes until they fall apart and then feel bad when I throw them away. I had my shoe purge last year and only kept the shoes that were still in a good condition 🙂
All the best, Michelle (michellesclutterbox.com)
Same here! I definitely get a lot of wear out of my shoes.
I know a family member like this in my household which is why I am drowning in shoes which don’t even belong to me. 🥴
I think I have more shoes than I do clothes! 😀 I definitely need to go through and get rid of some boots I haven’t worn in years.
Ha ha. I was surprised how many shoes I had since I don’t consider myself a “shoe person”.
I have five pairs of shoes total. A pair of Chacos, a pair of red Keenes, a pair of dress sandals, a pair of black platforms, and a pair of Dansko clogs. Not much I could clean out, but it is possible I will accumulate more in the future. I am in love with those elegant Colleens!
Wow. I am in awe of you! That’s amazing. I just dropped the proceeds of my last few weeks of decluttering off at the thrift store. It felt really good to get it out of my house!
Oh I’m not letting you see all my shoes. I have loads of high heels that I don’t wear ever but which are gorgeous and I am sentimental about. I basically live in a pair of boots that I replace every 2 years but don’t get rid of the old ones, a pair of Converse having kept the previous 6 pairs, and sandals with several predecessors also hidden away.
Sounds like it’s time for a clear out! 😂😂😂
I’m not a shoe person. I’ve got some shoes that I’ve had for years. They’re mainly summer shoes; not much chance of wearing them in rainy England. 😀
I’ve had a lot of my shoes for years too! I basically wear them until they fall apart. 😂
So do I 😀