Before Yesterday, I Had 50+ Pairs of Shoes—11 Styles I Got Rid of and 13 I Kept

Shoes have always been my thing. I’m constantly on the lookout for them—far more than I am for handbags, jewelry, or even clothes—and rarely am I strong-willed enough to deny myself a pair I rate highly. Because of this and the size of my New York City closet, it can often feel like my shoes are closing in on me, falling off a crowded top shelf in the middle of the night or peeking out from underneath a dresser or chair. They’re everywhere. While I wish with every fiber in my being that I could have a storage system as impressive as Carrie Bradshaw’s in my uptown apartment, I don’t, which is how I ended up taking out every single one of my 50+ pairs of shoes last night and finally confronting my footwear problem head-on.

Deciding to purge my shoe collection and actually doing it are two very different things. By the time I’d removed every pair of boots, sneakers, flats, and heels out of its designated box and laid it out on the floor of my living room, I had no space to walk around let alone analyze and properly organize. Instead, I set about making cuts. Similar styles were lined up next to each other so I could see just how many pairs of black knee-high boots I’ve acquired (a lot) and what sneakers have remained in their original boxes unworn for months or even years. Slowly but surely, I was able to make those hard calls, placing one box and then another into my “no” pile.

My Living Room During My Shoe-Closet Clean-Out

About two hours and one TV break later, 20 pairs—40% of my entire collection—were packed up and set aside to be shipped out to various resale outlets, from The RealReal to Crossroads. Perhaps I haven’t fully accepted that they’re gone quite yet, but now that I’ve made the final decision to part ways with them, I feel lighter. I’ve probably said the words “there’s no such thing as too many pairs of shoes” on many occasions throughout my 28 years, but maybe I was wrong. Holding onto them all wasn’t doing me or my boyfriend, who constantly tripped over rogue pairs in the middle of the night, any good. On the off chance that you’re in the same shoe-collecting boat that I was in just yesterday, I thought I’d dole out some advice that I learned in the last 24 hours by sharing which styles I decided to part ways with and which ones still felt current and cool enough to stay where they’re at. Find out what made the cut below.

Heels I’m Parting Ways With: Platforms, Chunky Heels, PVC

Heels I’m Keeping: Timeless Styles, Almond Toes, Satin

Flats I’m Parting Ways With: Flatforms, Sporty Sandals, Gladiator Sandals

Flats I’m Keeping: Net and Mesh, Point-Toe Styles, Minimal Sandals

Sneakers I’m Parting Ways With: Chunky Soles, Neon Details

Boots I’m Parting Ways With: Block Heels, Platforms, Rubber Styles

Boots I’m Keeping: Stiletto Heels, Sock-Like Fits, Western-Inspired Styles