Men's shoe fetishes uncovered

Women are notorious for their love of shoes. They are expected to spend over £30,000 on shoes in a lifetime, with four out of five women claiming to buy a new pair every month, according to Churchill Home Insurance figures.

However, women are not the only ones with a passion for what they wear on their feet.

A recent report in the Financial Times (FT) has shown that men are becoming increasingly concerned about their footwear and may be starting to catch up in terms of how many pairs they buy.

Patrick Grant, managing director of Norton & Sons, claims to buy six pairs of shoes a year, ranging from loafers and informal lace-ups to boots and formal shoes, the FT reports.

Unlike women, men tend to go for the same brands, something especially seen in Hollywood. Pierce Brosnon wore the same Church's Presley shoes in Bond films Tommorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough.

"While women's collections are all different, men's shoes are more about comfort than the whims of fashion," Stephen Latcher, a tailor on Savile Row, told the FT.

Meanwhile, Terminator star and current governor of California Arnold Swarzenegger reportedly admitted to being a "major shoe queen", according to the newspaper.

A recent incident in Streatham highlighted how a guy's passion for shoes can go too far, however. A 15-year-old boy was recently arrested following a series of attacks on women whereby he would steal their shoes. Police found 16 pairs ranging from boots to flip-flops in his bedroom, according to the Wimbledon Guardian.