Shoes the boss

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 335, 8 May 1990, Page 6

Shoes the boss

BY

DONNA

MCGRATH

A collection of more than 400 different shoes takes you by surprise when you walk into Karen Harrison's home.

Karen has been collecting shoes for 14 years and started when her sister gave her one single shoe to begin collecting. Since then Karen has been showI ered with the most exquisite shoes made from china, brass, plastic, glass and leather. A lot of her

shoes have come from antique shops, second hand shops, hotels, Barbie dolls, foreign visitors and even a house fire. The display includes shoe-shaped ash trays, earrings, pencil sharpeners, drinking glasses, roller skates, pen holders, egg cups, salt and pep-

per shakers, vases, dogs, moccasins and hundreds more. Karen says her favourites are the shoes that look realistic, like the brass gumboots and Japanese jandals. Karen also has collected around 100 baby plates and assorted cups and saucers. Her collection she says is a good conversation piece, as they lay perfectly displayed inside her glass topped coffee table.