How many pairs of shoes (casual and dress) should a man have?

[Ckmaui]

specialty shoes
Bicycle road and mtn one each
Sorel caribou cold camping or exploring
Teva for canoe/kayak water exploring

daily some cheap rubber slippers (fliflops)
2 pair altra same color 1/2 size difference for socks or no socks
1 pair slippers for around the house in winter months

 

[AimlessWanderer]

No.

More of a "birds of a feather flock together" sort of thing.

Oh, I'm not sure. This is all new to me.

I've usually been a wear a cheap pair till they die, then buy another, type person. Never had more than one pair of brougues, leather boots or deck shoes at the same time before last year. In fact, I probably never even owned one of all three types at the same time before

However, I am definitely enjoying having fresher smelling shoes, which haven't been worn every single day for weeks/months at a time. I always used to get a reasonable lifespan from cheap shoes anyway (<£25) excluding work boots, and it will be interesting to see how much longer they last, simply by allowing them to air out between wearings. Never mind the potential addition of shoe trees.

Usually it was a race between the insole and outsole. I'm expecting them all to last until there's holes in the bottom now. Some might even be worth gluing a replacement sole pad onto. Not owned a pair like that for decades

 

[jackgoldman123]

and a pair of bowling shoes...

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I should mention that I’m in construction. I have no idea if it’s considered average or not, the subject of how many shoes everyone has never came up.

This is relevant to me. I was in heavy engineering. One pair of perpetually stinking oil and sweat soaked work boots, took up 50+ (sometimes up to 80) hours of my week. One casual comfy pair for after work, a decent looking pair for evenings out (sometimes those two were actually the same pair), and hiking boots for any outdoorsy fun that might occur on the weekend, took care of almost everything. Something black and polished usually lurked in the wardrobe for hatch, match and despatch events. Holidays were normally spent in that one pair of casual shoes.

It's only since those grotty safety boots were no longer part of my life, that other shoes started creeping in. So when I was at my busiest, five pairs were plenty. Now that all that hustle and bustle is gone, I have over three times as many, and still browsing...

 

[Whilliam]

You're asking the wrong guy. The answer is "too many" by any sane measure. Just love them shoes.

 

[chilehed]

According to a 2006 survey conducted on Time.com, the average man owns 12 pairs of shoes, with almost two-thirds of men owning 10 pairs or less.

I think they need to provide clarification on the terms mean, median and mode.

 

[luvmysuper]

As many as you want.
I've got 17 pairs, dress, casual, sport, hiking, and dress, working and motorcycle boots.
The more you have, the more you realize what gaps need to be filled.

I'm not the average man either. I have twenty pairs of shoes, and sometimes I still tend to look for more shoes (this time, I could really use a nice pair of motorcycle boots, waterproof chelsea boot from Timberland, and another pair of Doc Martens.)

The buckled/zipped Harley Davidson Brosner boots are a treat.
Waterproof, easy on/off. Good ankle protection, good grip, but not "grabby".
They have reflective strips on the back and an extra leather patch at the toe shift area.

 

[P-51G t]

This is relevant to me. I was in heavy engineering. One pair of perpetually stinking oil and sweat soaked work boots, took up 50+ (sometimes up to 80) hours of my week. One casual comfy pair for after work, a decent looking pair for evenings out (sometimes those two were actually the same pair), and hiking boots for any outdoorsy fun that might occur on the weekend, took care of almost everything. Something black and polished usually lurked in the wardrobe for hatch, match and despatch events. Holidays were normally spent in that one pair of casual shoes.

It's only since those grotty safety boots were no longer part of my life, that other shoes started creeping in. So when I was at my busiest, five pairs were plenty. Now that all that hustle and bustle is gone, I have over three times as many, and still browsing...

yes exactly. Up until recently it was just work boot then gym shoe and rarely fancy black leather.
Hiker shoes and black gym shoes I discovered within the last 10 years so they took over the winter and formal (when I can get away with wearing a gym shoe) wear.

 

[Natsoi]

As many as he can afford, of course!

 

[Tirvine]

As I already posted, I have more shoes than this, but increasingly I would be fine with a nice pair of loafers, a comfy pair of ranger mocs, and some running shoes. The nice loafers look fine with a coat and tie, the ranger mocs cover all other non-athletic situations, and the running shoes are even fine for golf. If it is hot enough for flip flops, I go barefoot.

 

[Marco]

How many pairs of shoes should a man own?! Well, they are never enough. If there's another pair that you like, just add to your collection.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Having had a gluttonous frenzy of shoe shopping in the last few months, I think I've found my own personal limit, but of course everyone has their own needs, preferences, and limitations.

Mine are split into three groups. Mile-clockers, dress shoes, and lazy day shoes. Mile-clockers are those which remain as comfortable after 2+ miles as they did when I first put them on. A couple of them are still in the break in phase though, any not ready for walking any distance in yet, but I count them anyway. The lazy days shoes are just for around the house, so don't need to have particularly cushioning soles, and/or are for wearing with shorts. The dress shoes are for social gatherings, but not necessarily of any formality. Whether formal or not, they're shoes to be seen in. For this group, I assume I'll be getting a taxi or being driven (I had to give up the car for health reasons), and so I won't have to walk for miles in them. That said, I may well wear them around the house just for the heck of it. Why not?

Foul weather mile-clockers (boots): 3
(black, brown, and navy blue/brown)

Fair weather mile-clockers (shoes): 3
(black, brown, and navy blue/brown again)

Lazy day shoes: 6
(including sandals, loafer/slip-on, decks, and casual trainers)

Dressy shoes/boots: 10
(5 two-tone brogues, 3 single colour derby, 1 leather chukka boot, and 1 monk strap)

Way more than I actually need, I could easily get by with a third of those if I had to, but this lot gives me everything I want, as well as everything I need. I think any more would either just collect dust, or mean I wear favourites less often, so I think I've pretty much maxed out.

As regards NEEDS only:
I would say SIX would be as low as I'd comfortably go. One pair each of hiking boots, sandals, deck shoes OR cupsole trainers, and casual shoes that I could walk a few miles in, and still look reasonably smart on arrival, plus two pairs of dress shoes (black and brown). However, that may leave me with limited colour matching, and having to select trousers to match shoe colour, rather than having the freedom to pick shirts and trousers first, and being sure of having a matching shoe for whatever the day has in store.