Peelable labels on shoes may be coming under close scrutiny from shoppers after a new survey revealed women buy an average of eight new pairs every year.

The study by The Co-operative Insurance discovered the average pair of shoes costs £36 each time, resulting in an annual spend of £288.

However, ten per cent of those surveyed said they would happily splash out £600 a year on footwear.

Most are worn for three years before being binned or recycled, while 37 per cent of women admitted to buying new shoes just to cheer themselves up.

Some 52 per cent indulged in footwear for a special occasion, while an honest ten per cent admitted to simply being obsessed.

The Co-operative Insurance's Lee Mooney said he was staggered by the findings.

"Whereas a few decades ago shoes may have been considered an indulgent purchase, it's now the norm to spend a considerable amount of money on them every year," he added.

Katie Holmes recently revealed on US TV that she lets her daughter Suri Cruise choose the right shoes to match her different outfits.

Denny Bros Ltd, 04 May 2011