From London to Shanghai and now in New York, girls went a-buying their Jimmy Choo shoes. Those economists who are saying that shoe sales are recession proof may be right after all.

The American public, it would seem, cannot carry on without new shoes. Boots, booties, sneakers, pumps — for the last few months they have all been selling well as the broader economy struggles toward recovery.

Retailing executives and analysts offer varying, occasionally wacky, explanations. The one favored by many of them is that consumers consider shoes more of a necessity than, say, dresses, cuff links or handbags, so people feel less guilt about buying them.

So, have you bought any shoes lately? Or during the recession period which started last year? If so, how do you justify your purchase? Or why did you buy shoes rather than, say, a handbag?

Photo credit: NY Times