A woman with an enormous collection of footwear worth £300,000 has catalogued her cherished shoes in her will.
Some people leave behind jewellery, others leave property – but, when she passes, Ana Paula Oliveira will be leaving behind an impressive collection of 500 pairs of shoes.
The 50-year-old has shared that, over the last 35 years, she has collected footwear from designers including Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo.
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She now boasts 500 pairs of kicks, which she estimates is worth hundreds of thousands of pounds – enough to ensure they are covered in her will.
Ana is so enamoured by heeled shoes that she wears them constantly – including in the home.
“Shoes are part of my identity,” Ana told Need To Know.
“When I put on a pair of heels, something changes in my posture, in my tone of voice.
“It’s like activating a presence mode.
“It’s an energy that comes from within.
“The connection is so strong that I even wear them at home.
“I don’t take off my heels, not even indoors.
“I’m like Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City!”
Ana started her collection as a teenager, spending £50 on a pair of red heels.
It started a decades-long love affair with the accessories.
Ana said of that special first pair: “I bought them with my first pay check and I still have them.
“I don’t wear them anymore.
“But they still symbolise my independence and the beginning of my story with shoes.
“When I started to collect shoes, I realised that they have the power to transform not just an outfit, but also how I felt.
“Every new pair became a way to mark a chapter in my life.
“I am a true shoe maniac and each of them has a story.”
“Some were purchased to mark achievements, others to celebrate important moments, and there are even impulsive acquisitions – such as an expensive pair of high heels bought just because it matched a handbag I had received as a gift.
“Ironically, the bag was never used again, but the shoes remain one of the highlights of my collection.”
The model and content creator, who has over 1.3 million followers on Instagram, says shoes are about much more than just fashion.
And she has put them in her will for “peace of mind”, with a plan of who they will go to.
Ana, who is from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, added: “Each pair has an emotional value, and I didn’t want them to just get lost in the future.
“By leaving them in my will, I can make sure they’ll go to people who understand their meaning and will preserve that memory.
“Each person close to me, who has been part of my journey, will receive a pair that represents a moment we lived together.
“Some are already assigned to friends, others to family members, and a few to people who inspired me in different ways.
“It’s my way of sharing my story through shoes.”
Among the more than 500 pairs are models from different eras, styles, and origins, ranging from artisanal creations to pieces from international luxury brands.
Each pair is registered in her personal catalog, complete with photos, descriptions, and purchase dates.
