Is it just ME?

Or is the death of the shoe shop a tragedy?

HUMANITY faces many challenges. Russia, global warming, economic meltdown. But nothing threatens the future of civilisation (well, my corner of it at any rate) quite like this latest nugget of doom: shoe shops are dying. According to new research, the shoe shop — that once proud staple of the High Street — is edging towards extinction. Second only to fashion retailers, the number of UK shoe shops shrunk by 86 last year, as 164 closed and only 78 opened.

The culprit? The internet, of course. Once footwear was the one slice of the retail sector relatively immune to the lure of the laptop. Now, we no longer feel the need to try shoes on before we buy them.

One of my first jobs was as a Saturday girl in Russell & Bromley. I was attracted to the role because it meant I could get a discount on a pair of shoes, then — and now — the height of sophistication.

Once buying a new pair of shoes was an event, a longterm investment for most people. Now you can grab a cheap pair in Tesco alongside the weekly shop.

Inevitable though this decline may seem, that doesn’t mean it’s any less sad. Nothing can replace the thrill of gazing at that perfect pair of shoes in the window, of trying them on, having the conversation with the assistant about whether you want the matching handbag (never), and if madam will be requiring rain protector (I already have half-a-dozen cans).

In Madrid, there’s a street made up entirely of shoe shops. I recently spent a blissfully happy afternoon there, trying on everything from heels to trainers.

If the end really is nigh for the British shoe shop, you’ll find me there.

Once, buying shoes was an event. Now you can grab a pair doing the weekly shop in Tesco