You may not be able to afford the Christian Louboutin heels of your girlfriend’s dreams, but if the lady loves shoes, there are plenty more affordable ways you can indulge her obsession on Valentine’s Day. Here’s a quick guide to shoe-related Valentine’s treats for those looking to sweep someone special off her feet.

Shoe Reads

No shoe lover should be without Shoes: a celebration of pumps, sandals, slippers and more. This coffee table tome is an illustrated guide to the most memorable shoes in history, and is full of gorgeous images to inspire and delight. We can also recommend Fifty Shoes that Changed the World (£12.99): an brief guide to footwear history curated by the Design Museum and full of fascinating insights.

If you know of a particular designer that your partner loves, there are plenty of great books documenting the careers of top shoemakers. We especially love the Christian Louboutin book (£54.40) – a picture book par excellence containing some breathtaking images – and Jimmy Choo Icons, the inside story of the luxury brand by founder Tamara Mellon.

Shoe Eats

Chocolate is more or less compulsory on Valentine’s Day, so why not make it shoe-shaped? You really can’t go wrong with a chocolate stiletto if your lady’s a footwear fan, but make sure the quality is as good as the design, as however much she loves shoes, she’s sure to want to eat it!

We can recommend Choco Rico, whose chocolate shoes in various flavours are as good to eat as they are to look at: there’s a mouth-watering range of styles to choose from – including orange swirl, Valentine’s glitter rose and multi colour polkadot. The shoes cost £25.95 each.

Shoe Shopping Spree

No matter how much thought you put into your gift, it has to be said that most shoe-loving women will be secretly happier with a bit of guilt-free spending money for their footwear fund – as long as you give it a personal touch! So a gift card that can be spend on shoes is always a good plan as part of of your v-day gift. Here are a few popular high street shoe stores where you can order a gift card to be sent out by Valentines:

• Schuh gift cards – wide range of casual and going-out shoes including brands like Red or Dead, Irregular Choice and Converse

• Selfridges gift cards – huge range of high street to high end footwear brands alongside Selfridges’ entire range

• Kurt Geiger gift cards – the full range of stylish and on-trend shoes from the cutting edge of the high street, along with a growing collection of accessories and bags.

In each case, we’d recommend at least a £50 spend to cover a pair of current season shoes

If you want your shoeloving gal to have a particularly fun experience spending her giftcard, Selfridges shoe gallery is an amazing shopping experience with thousands of shoes from a wide range of popular brands – so she’ll have plenty of choice and can
make a fun day out of it, too.

Shoe Shaped Stuff

First, a few words of warning: shoe shaped gifts have a tendency to look a little tacky, so don’t be tempted to get her the first shoe-related trinket or mug that your google search throws up – she most probably won’t wear or use it in public! Ditto anything that says ‘shoe lover’ or ‘shoeaholic’ – no thanks!

However, there are a few exceptions: for example we’ve got a soft spot for this red ‘Foot in the Door’ stiletto doorstop, which has become a modern classic – and actually serves a useful function in the home. It’s neat and simple, and does the job well. We also love Tatty Devine’s Ruby Slippers necklace which is a classy and stylish pendant that most shoe-loving girls would happily wear to work!

Shoe Salvation

If your Valentine is a true devotee to the cause of great shoes, her feet are sure to have taken a battering over the years as high heels and pinchy toes take their toll. Why not treat her feet to a luxury pedicure – the chance to let them breathe a sigh of relief while she enjoys a moment of calm?

Pedicures come in many form, and to the uninitiated it can all sound a bit bizarre. But they all involve softening and pampering the feet, often making them look and feel great with a coat of nailpolish, too. Wahanda has a pedicure section where you can search for treatments in your area. You may not want to book a fish pedicure unless you’re sure your partner is a fan: opinions vary wildly…to be on the safe side, buy her a treatment voucher so she can take her pick from a range of options.