Are Flip Flops Shoes?

​I know that seems like a pointless question, but I found myself in the Target shoe department pondering if flips flops are in fact shoes.  And if they aren’t shoes, then can I buy them?
 
Ugh…see the dilemma?
 
Ok, before you get upset I’ll skip to the end of this story and let you know that I did NOT buy the flip flops.  But I really wanted to!  Here’s what happened:
 
I practically live in flip flops when the weather is nice and I usually have 2 to 4 pairs in my closet.  I always have one “nice” pair too.  They are leather and I spend too much money on them, but they are nicer than your typical plastic ones and they look good when you’re going out.
 
The problem is my “nice” pair are ruined.  I spent about $35 on them a couple of years ago and they have held up nicely, and I thought I’d get at least another year out of them.  But my Chihuahua, Pearl, had other plans for them.
 
So, the weather is nicer now and my mind goes into “flip flop mode”.  I put on the ONE pair I still own and head to Target with my daughter (because she actually needs shoes).  We pick out a nice pair of shoes for her and I spot some REALLY cute black leather flip flops ON SALE!
 
Omg, I love a sale!
 
I try them on and justify them in my head – “These don’t count because flip flops aren’t really shoes and the dog chewed mine up”.  And then the voice of reason pipes in (my daughter), “You’re wearing a pair of flip flops right now.  What’s wrong with them?  And don’t you own two pair of sandals too?”
 
Sigh…”Yes, I do own sandals.  Yes, I am wearing a pair of flips flops.  Yes, I’ll put these back.”
 
When did my kid become logical?  I really didn’t want to put the flip flops back, but I couldn’t argue the points that she made.  I did have multiple pairs of sandals at home and buying another pair of flip flops is completely against what I’m trying to do this year.
 
When I got home I went to my closet and looked at my shoes.  I own too many.  I hated admitting that.
 
I even went online to see what’s the average an American woman owns.  It’s 27.  Holy crap – 27 pairs seems like SO many!  There’s no way I own that many!  I mean, I just purged a TON of shoes!
 
Wrong.
 
I own 27…exactly 27.  Just when a girl thinks she’s conquering this “shopping” thing and she’s making all kinds of progress the universe smacks her in the face and says, “See, you’re just like everyone else.”
 
Sigh.
 
There are two ways I could look at this: 1) I could start thinking I’m not taking any steps forward, that this is just too hard and what’s the point anyways.  OR 2) I could tell myself, “Put your big girl pants on, roll up your sleeves, and get to work.”
 
And that’s what I’m going to do…work.  I’m going to work at this and remind myself that “work” isn’t always fun, it’s…work.  If it were fun, then we would go to “fun” every day and not “work”. 
 
This weekend HALF of those shoes will be gone, and I’m saying it here so I’m held accountable.  I don’t need 27 pairs of shoes and you probably don’t either.
 
So, how many pair of shoes do you own?  How many do you NEED?