Does anyone care? Women own a lot of shoes.

“The average American woman owns 17 pairs of shoes, but wears only three on a regular basis. Some 51% own more than 10 pairs, and 13% have more than 30 pairs, not including athletic shoes.”

–Marketing Research Bullet Points

This latest bullet from Saurage Research isn’t hard to imagine if you read the April 2012, TexasMonthly feature that profiles style Jane Aldridge.

Style blogger Jane Aldridge (photo by Matt HAwthorne from Texas Monthly | April 2012 )

Aldridge is a native Texan with a passion for shoes — it’s safe to say more than 17 pairs, which makes her an anomaly according to current research. By comparison, studies claim the average man owns about two or three pairs of shoes and only 38% own more than seven. This is a matter of science.

So what explanation has been provided for the relationship between women and shoes? Behavioral psychologist Jo Hemmings told Daily Mail Online that promise and expectation are the source, citing how high-heels make women appear taller and slimmer.

“Like most animals, we’re wired to associate height with power. High heels can literally raise your status because you’re taller when you wear them.”

–Helen Fisher, PhD, Rutgers University anthropology professor

It’s reported that while sales of most things have dropped as a result of the recent recession, shoe sales have gone up.

“Shoppers rationalize shoes as a practical buy – something they can wear multiple times a week[…],” Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy, tells Cosmo.

The short version: shoes provide a mental boost and any guilt associated with buying them can be alleviated by the knowledge that they’re a necessary purchase. Makes sense.