Shoes have come a long way from their original use of merely protecting our feet, now they are a huge part of our daily dress and have become a multi billion dollar industry. Shoes are now a very important element in any outfit for men and women alike. Perhaps the biggest market is in women's designer shoes which can be very costly, but is the expense justified?

I know a lot of women, besides Imelda Marcos, who would say yes. For most women it is a matter of whether they are truly needed or are they just going to sit in the box in the closet? For women who must have the latest designer shoe no matter what the cost we know that having the latest design is at the top of her list.

I think that most women fall into the category of sometime buyers of designer shoes. They generally feel that the designer shoes are too expensive but if there is some special event she is attending that she wants to really make a statement for she will spend the money. Many women also just say no to designer shoes because they don't feel that they can justify the price for even one pair!

Usually designer shoes are very attractive except some of those by designers trying to make some kind of statement. Many women will buy a pair of designer shoes just because they are by a particular well known designer so that she will get the attention of others while wearing these shoes.

Women's designer shoes are definitely not purchased for their long life spans. These shoes are not made for everyday use and if one tries to use them for this purpose this will be evident fairly quickly. Designer shoes are made to ?look good? not to last.

Now, going back to my opening statement, I said that shoes were originally intended to protect our feet. Women's designer shoes are not made for that either and in some cases they can actually injure the foot. Most designer shoes are less shoe and more skin.

If you are thinking that you are going to buy designer shoes for comfort, think again. This is not the purpose for which they are made. Usually they are as far as can be from comfort. They also do not offer support or protection in the sole in most cases.

Everyone likes to look good and it is worth more to some than others. For some women designer shoes are worth every penny and these women will pay what it takes to own the latest fashion by the best designer shoe manufacturers.

Just as with other extremes, such as those of us earning in excess of 100k per year, the number of women who will spend thousands of dollars on designer shoes is a smaller segment of the population as well.