NO matter how many pairs you own, there’s always enough space in your wardrobe for a pair of shoes – which may be why Worcester’s shoe stores don’t seem to be suffering too badly from the credit crunch.

Zoe Pimblett, owner of Ruby Mae on Pump Street, reckons if a woman wants a pair of shoes she will go to almost any length to afford them.

She said: “Every woman is obsessed with shoes. People fall in love with them so will find a way to afford them. This is especially so with a pair of shoes they know they aren’t going to see on anyone else.”

At KToo, in Cathedral Plaza, they also stock shoes with the unique touch – they’re hand-painted.

The FuShuz range has been created by an artist in Thailand and come in some really stunning colours and designs.

Store manager Rozanne Pope said people loved to know their shoes would stand out from the crowd.

“There is something a bit different about these shoes and we get a lot of comments about them,” she said.

At tReds, on High Street, they too haven’t noticed too much of a down-turn in sales. Store manager Tracey Nash said: “People are always going to need shoes. There are three things they are going to keep buying – shoes, clothes and food.”

But it’s not just the fashion-conscious forking out on footwear. In Knowles Sports on Broad Street, they have noticed a roaring trade in FitFlops – shoes that are not only comfortable but are designed to get your muscles working too.

James Blackshaw, groundfloor manager at the store, said: “They are just flying off the shelves. I think when a product can also help with your fitness it is going to be popular, and we have noticed sales are really good with these shoes.”

At the moment it does seem to be a bit of a battle between sexy heels and fancy flats – so I’ve put together a little guide, right, to some of the must-have buys and styles for shoe-lovers everywhere.