People love shoes! Whilst some use them purely for functional purposes, others choose to express their personality through their footwear. All shapes, sizes, colours and styles – there are a surprisingly large number of ways we can dress our feet. It will come as no surprise then that many people have turned a love of shoes into a world record. Let’s take a look at a few shoe-related records:

  • Largest collection of shoe-related items

This record was set by a lady called Darlene Flynn who has been building her collection of all things shoe for more than 12 years. She has an impressive 14,684 shoe-themed items including things like a replica glass slipper from Cinderella, shoe seats, historical shoes and shoe phones, to name just a few. If it comes in a shoe-shape, then Darlene Flynn has it! If all this talk of shoes is giving you an urge for some retail therapy, then check out a Shoe Shop Gloucester at http://www.cottersbarshoes.co.uk/

  • Most shoes for recycling

This was a record set by students in Los Angeles on 8th August 2014. The youngsters managed to collect an amazing 18,302 individual shoes for the purposes of recycling.

  • Largest high-heel

Made by Jill Martin and Kenneth Cole from the United States, this gigantic high-heeled boot stood at 6ft 1in tall and was 6ft 5in long. Why it was created remains to be seen but it’s quite a sight and was big enough to make it into the Guinness Book of Records.

  • Most expensive shoes sold at auction

These were the iconic ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz. In May 2000 they sold at Christie’s Auction House in New York for a whopping $666,000. The shoes were originally created by the Innes Shoe Company in Los Angeles and made from white kid leather, hand-sequined material and red silk faille.

  • Oldest footwear

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the oldest shoes in the world are the Fort Rock sandals discovered in America. They have been dated to between 9,300 and 10,500 years old and were unearthed in the Fort Rock cave in Oregon. They are most likely to be Native American in origin and are made from sagebrush. They are currently an exhibit in the University of Oregon Museum.

  • Biggest feet in the world

This title belongs to Robert Wadlow from Illinois, USA. He could also boast being the tallest man in the world. He towered at an incredible 8ft 11in and took a U.S size 37AA shoe size, the UK equivalent would be a size 36! No-one has been able to beat this record which has stood since 1940.

  • Highest heels that you can buy

Back in 2004, a shoemaker from Shilong, India grabbed the world record for making the highest heel on the market. The ankle boots had a staggering (pardon the pun) 20in heel and a 17in platform. The guy who made them available for sale, James Syiemiong, had also received a record number of cracks in his joints. You have been warned!