"Hello everyone. It was hard for me to come here today and see others who are experiencing the same difficulties. For years I thought I was alone but now I see I am one of many. My name is Jenna Sloan and I am a shoe-aholic."

Shoe-aholism is almost certainly where I am heading, and at the tender age of 22 there seems to be no way out. Some of you will recognise, and empathise immediately. The symptoms are varied but can be identified as follows: you experience an irrational obligation to press your nose against the outside window of Kurt Geiger. You have a real need to try on heels you know you'll never be able to walk in, and a complete incomprehension of why it might be wrong to shell out £50 on a pair of flip-flops that are just the right shade of pink.

Is shoe addiction really a bad thing?

Addiction 1
Let's take exhibit one, the stiletto heel, a devilish invention of ever there was one. Forget Walter Scott and the introduction of tobacco, it was Mr Choo and the bringing of the stiletto to the masses which really caused damage to this country. It was fine when only film stars and models tottered around in them - they only had to make it up a red carpet. However, since it has become de rigeur to wear them in bars, clubs, to weddings and parties, and basically any occasion which necessitates standing up, women all over the country are calling out the familiar cry of 'my feet hurt!'. Especially when combined with a pointy toe, a stiletto spells murder for the foot. Your entire weight is balanced on a matchstick thin, 3-inch heel and after about 40 minutes the balls of your feet start to burn. Your calves begin to ache and your ankles are just about ready to buckle. However, you know you look sexy, and I have never encountered a confidence booster equal to a fine piece of footwear. You can be having a 'fat day', a 'bad hair day', a 'spotty day'... whatever, your shoes are still going to look good, which in turn will make you feel good too. However, don't expect any sympathy from long-suffering partners or non-shoe loving friends. As you begin to hobble they roll their eyes, tut and ask 'well why on earth do you wear them then?' Ask a silly question... simply give them and their shoes a withering look (guaranteed they're in flat mules or some other such 'sensible' footwear) and repeat the motto 'beauty before pain and I look amazing' several times.

Addiction 2
Another category of shoe that may come under the 'completely impractical but I really have to have them' is the suede boot. You can blame Geri Halliwell and Kate Hudson for that one, as since they first donned a pair of Ugg boots, it seems the whole word has gone suede boot crazy. However, if they even glance at a raindrop they immediately go all hard and stiff, and have you ever tried to remove mud or chewing gum from them? Complete nightmare. That said, I bought mine from the Office sale, even though they were a size too small (no I'm not a loser, honest). Now in England, in the spring, we can all be fooled by the weather. Does decades of living in a country where freak showers, gusts and even snow flurries can follow a glorious burst of sunshine fail to stop us wearing our suede lovelies? Nope, out we venture looking gorgeous in ruched, buckled, tied up boots, either under flippy skirts, cropped trousers or with our jeans ticked into them and quick as you like they're ruined when it starts to rain.

Help is at hand
If, by this point in this article, you're beginning to throw things at the computer screen in frustration, because your feet just don't fit into these shoes, then help is at hand. If it's size that matters, check out the website elephantfeet.com. They have some gorgeous strappy sandals and pretty patent mules that go up to a size 10. You may have to accept the fact that points will always make your feet look longer, but they do tend to make them look narrower too. Clarks has had a bit of revamp in the last 18 months, and is no longer the domain of boring black work shoes. They are one of the best on the high street for wider fittings, and have a funky range of Nike inspired trainers and pretty suede heels (and with matching bags it'd be rude not to really). If you find heels in general to be a bit of a bind then there are two options. Firstly you could make like our Continental cousins and embrace flats. There's barely a stiletto to be seen on the French high street, and the recent trend for all things quirky means that flats are easy to find. My current faves are by Irregular Choice; pink and white, round-toed and have a tape measure trim (cool, I promise), and they can be found in Schuh. If you just have to have height, then go for a wedge heel. They are so much easier to walk in and just shout summer (although see above for occasional freak weather conditions).

Once a shoe-aholic, always a shoe-aholic…
However, despite their obvious impracticalities and shortcomings, I still have 28 pairs of shoes in my wardrobe……….and counting. And they're not all bad. If running or the gym is your thing then not only do funky Nike trainers cushion your feet and protect your instep, they also look damn good with jeans and a hooded top when you're wandering around the supermarket. If you're more of a country girl then you can now get pink flowery wellington boots from Oasis or Boden - why not have your feet look pretty even if you are up to your eyeballs in smelly stuff? You can now even get inexpensive but very trendy shoes in Asda, so there's really no excuse.

I do accept that there are 'shoe people', though, just as there are 'bag people' and 'sunglasses people'. But can you get 8 types of heel on your handbag or 15 different finishes on your shades? No you can't. Shoes are fabulous, funky, sexy things of wonder that will never lose their appeal - a description that could also be applied to Brad Pitt. And no one thinks he's a bad thing, do they....?

- Article by Jenna Sloan