My name is IntricateGirl, and I am a shoe addict.

I think I really do have something wrong with me.

In my home library, there is a shoe rack on the door. It holds 36 pairs. In the corner, there is a floor rack for shoes. It has probably another 30 pairs. Lying in the middle of the library floor, there is a stack about 5 ft wide in diameter, and stacked about 18 inches deep. This pile contains all of my boots, and if I had anywhere else to put them, I would. But I don't, so I've learned to walk around them. Impressive, no? It gets worse. The reason I don't have any more room is because my closet is filled with shoes. I don't mean that they are stacked neatly. I mean that it is filled with shoes. The closet is a small reach-in closet, about 4 ft by 6 ft. The floor of it is stacked with shoes about 4 ft deep, and they they are spilling over into the room.

Why do I have so many? One reason or another. I am somewhat of a packrat, and if something still has use out of it, I don't see why I should throw it away. Also, I worked at a retail store that sold really great shoes, and in the time I worked there, I literally brought home every pair that fit. Also, I bought most of them with a specific purpose in mind. There were some that were needed for job interviews. Say I had a black pair already, but the black shoe was too wild to go with the outfit or vice versa. I would need another pair of black shoes. Only somewhere along the way, it got out of hand.

I have three pairs of the same shoe. I got them when I was growing up, and they still fit. They were the church shoes for the women in our family, and all three of us got the same style. When they tired of theirs, the packrat in me saw an opportunity and got theirs, all in the same size and style. I figured mine would wear out someday, but they were great shoes. I have some knee high leopard print boots. Yes, I've actually worn them. I have several pairs of six inch heels, and I can walk in them just fine, thank you. More noticeable are the pairs that are missing. I don't have any cowboy boots, and no matter how much in style they get, I cannot imagine ever buying a pair. I do not have and ballet slippers, nor do I have ballet shoes. Ballet shoes, for the unaware, are more fetishist. They feature heels that are over 9" tall so that the wearer is literally forced to stand on their tip toes. I'm not saying I wouldn't buy a pair just for the challenge of walking in them, but they are insanely pricy. I do not own any designer shoes- although I have. Briefley. I bought a pair of gold Roberto Cavalli shoes online that had a red rose implanted in the heel. They were so beautiful in the pics, and I think they would look fantastic on the right person. I was not that person. They looked too old lady/Atlantic City on me. So I sent them back, even though I strongly considered hanging them in a shadowbox as art. I still miss them.

My favorite pair currently is the pair of pumps I found in London that cost ten pounds. They are a bluish color, and they have photographs of people all throughout the shoe, even on the heel. Many of the people are Indian women wearing sari's, and so there is a lot of color in these shoes. They are just a lot of fun. I also have a special place in my heart for my 6 inch leopard print heels and my black cherry patent leather heels. Despite owning and loving all these, the pair I wear most often is a worn pair of black leather loafers. They just go with so much, and when I'm on the run, it's nice to just slip on a pair and run out the door.

Pchan's blog yesterday discussed shoe shopping. I tend to hate shopping in general, but often, shoe shopping is the WORST. Why? Because there are either too many to narrow it down to a reasonable number or all the shoes they sell are so bland that I have no use for them. I cannot walk into a DSW. It's depressing to see that many boring shoes in one location.

So please send help. I think it might take the National Guard a few weeks to dig me out of this mountain.