HEAD OVER HEELS
Roxie Brearley, 39, from Kent, swapped hiking boots for high heels to unleash her girly side.
Loading Google, my hands shook with excitement. On my lunch, I had only one thing on my mind. Come on, I thought. Then, the screen refreshed, revealing just what I was after.
A pair of high heels patterned with Bugs Bunny from Looney Tunes, complete with Tweety Bird on a swing hanging from the heel.
I didn’t hesitate at the price – £255 – before buying them.
They were a limited-edition pair by Irregular Choice.
Boasting a range of quirky designs, Irregular Choice made shoes inspired by cartoons, characters and bold patterns.
Ensuring I always had up to £1,000 in savings, it covered the average £350 price tag.
At home, my collection boasted 160 pairs, costing me over £26,000.
While I’m not made of money, I’ve put cash from every pay cheque working as a manager at the British Heart Foundation towards them.
Even after 10 years of collecting,
I want a Ferris wheel to show them off! the thrill of bagging new Irregular Choice heels never wore off.
It may seem excessive, but they were an investment.
When I was a teenager, I was never a girly girl – you’d usually find me in Mountain Warehouse.
Only, as I was walking home from college one day, I spotted something in the window of Schuh.
They were sky blue high heels covered in 3D clouds at the toe and iridescent sequins, too.
But they were £150, so I waved them goodbye.
I never forgot them.
Years later, when I was working as a sales manager, I had enough cash to splash.
Scrolling through ebay, I found a £30 pair covered in stars.
‘They’re incredible!’ my colleagues said as I paired them with a black dress for a work do.
From 2010 onwards, I started buying near-new pairs from collectors on Facebook.
The quirkier ones caught my eye. My first out-there pair boasted an ice cream sundae for the heel, with a cherry pie on the toe, costing £320. From there, my collection grew. Although, I wore every pair, too – they’re not just for decoration.
Sticking sole protectors on them, I kept them in good condition.
‘What new pair have you got now?’ my partner Andy, 43, said.
However, my high heel collection never fazed him.
Purchasing a special 25th anniversary edition pair with
Godzilla creatures for the heels, they’re one of my favourites to date. They even had a USB port! Buying ‘50s style dresses, covered in sweets and sea monsters, I matched them to my heels.
While my style is bold, I’ve never had any nasty comments.
And luckily, my friends love vintage clothes like me, too.
To display my collection, I ordered metal shelves from Amazon for our spare room.
‘I don’t want to hide them away in their boxes,’ I told Andy.
He just laughed, even though my shoes were his Zoom background.
Since moving house in August 2022, I’ve been planning my dream showroom with a mechanised Ferris wheel for my heels.
Entering Airtasker’s British Collector Awards in November last year, I’m now in the running to win £1,000.
If I win, I’ll be putting it towards my walk-in-wardrobe.
To think that all those years ago, hiking boots were my norm – now, I’m always sporting high heels.
Whatever Irregular Choice release next, I’ll be buying.
I’m hoping for a collaboration with Dr Who – a sonic screwdriver for the heel would do!
They are shoes fit for a princess and they make me feel like one, too.
They had an ice cream for the heel
lstay tuned for the results of the British Collector Awards by visiting: airtasker.com