Why Singapore Women Need Many Shoes (A Public Education Guide for Men)

Many Singaporean men have a simple shoe philosophy.

One pair for work.
One pair for weekends.
One pair for weddings and funerals.

Total: three pairs.
Life settled.

This is why many men are confused when they see a woman’s shoe rack.

There are heels.
There are flats.
There are sneakers.
There are sandals.

There are shoes that look identical but apparently are “completely different.”
The difference between “Nude,” “Beige,” and “Champagne” is a life-or-death decision that men are simply not evolved enough to understand.
To men, they are the same color. To women, one matches the dress and the other ruins the entire wedding.

So today, as a public service, we explain.

Reason 1: Different Terrain

Singapore has many types of ground.

Office carpet.
Shopping mall tiles.
MRT escalators.
Hawker centre floors with mysterious liquid.

You cannot fight all these terrains with one pair of Bata Power sneakers from 2012.

High heels for the office.
Flats for Orchard Road survival.
Sneakers for chasing the bus that the driver saw you running for but still closed the door.

This is called strategic footwear planning.

Reason 2: Weather Conditions

Singapore weather has three modes.

Hot.
Hot and raining.
Hot and raining when you just wore suede shoes.

When it rains suddenly, some shoes become submarines.

Therefore a woman needs:

Rain-safe shoes
Office shoes
Emergency “I-step-in-puddle-but-still-look-dignified” shoes

Men think Crocs can solve everything.
Men's feedback has been noted and filed accordingly.

Reason 3: Social Situations

Different occasions require different shoes.

Work meeting.
Wedding dinner.
Dinner with friends.
Dinner with friends where an ex might appear.

You cannot show up to a wedding wearing the same shoes you wore to queue for bak chor mee.

Society will collapse.

Reason 4: Emotional Support

Some shoes are not worn often.

They exist for emotional reasons.

They remind the owner that she could attend glamorous events if she wanted to.

Just like how men keep gym memberships for 'potential' fitness, women keep 5-inch stilettos for 'potential' galas. Both are aspirational.

Reason 5: National Walking Requirement

Singaporeans walk a lot.

MRT transfers.
Shopping malls the size of small countries.
IKEA, where you entered for one chair and walked 4 kilometres.

Women require specialized footwear systems to survive these long expeditions.

Men think one pair of sneakers is enough.

That is because men will sit down anywhere.

Stairs.
Kerbs.
Random ledges.

Women cannot do this.

Especially when wearing white.

Conclusion

Men own three pairs of shoes because they believe life is simple.
Women own many pairs because they understand reality.

The weather changes.
The terrain changes.
The situation changes.

And sometimes, the outfit changes.

Also, let us be honest.

Women buy many shoes because they look nice.

Men would do the same.

If sneakers matched handbags.

Or if men had handbags.

So when you see a woman with twenty pairs of shoes, don’t question her.
She is not confused.
She is prepared.
In Singapore, preparedness is practically a national policy.

Tag a man who still believes three pairs of shoes are enough for life.