Australian women obsessed with shoes? Not so much

MEN, breathe a sigh of relief - your partner isn't spending as much as you think she is on shoes.

It seems not every Aussie woman is an aspiring Carrie Bradshaw, with a study revealing that on average Australian women only buy four pairs of shoes a year.

This is less than UK women who purchase eight pairs a year, but more than New Zealand and US women, who buy 3.8 and three pairs respectively.

While our British counterparts are big on quantity, they only spend $53 on average for a pair of heels. Aussies, it seems, are about the quality, spending an average of $70 per pair.

In Australia and New Zealand, the total amount spent on shoes every year falls with age; 25 to 34-year-olds spend about $333, 35 to 59-year-olds spend $312 annually, while those over 60 spend $205 every year. The research also revealed that 67 per cent of respondents buy shoes on sale, 12 per cent spend an average of more than $200 on a pair of shoes, while 76 per cent spend $100 or less.

Katarina Oliveri, 26, is unquestionably not in the latter category.

The Virgin Airlines ground crew worker from Green Valley in New South Wales has more than 120 pairs of shoes and identifies more with Imelda Marcos than the Sex And The City character. "Carrie was all about the brand, this is about the shoes," she said.

Ms Oliveri's obsession became so acute that she transformed a spare room, complete with a chandelier, into a purpose-built wardrobe to showcase her shoe collection.

Her designer Christian Louboutin heels sit next to $10 vintage bargains and high-street brands such as Aldo.