Sorry, I'm not buying that (pun intended). Running shoes, multiple pairs. Sailing shoes, multiple pairs. Other-water-sports shoes, multiple pairs. Hiking shoes/boots, multiple pairs. "Sport sandals," multiple pairs. Shoes for work and "I thought we were going out to dinner, but if you want to go to the gym instead, I'll stay home and watch tv with the kids, do some wash."
And maybe shopping is not a sport, but shopping for sports is a major economic factor. There is a reason the running magazines (sailing magazines, other-workout magazines, travel magazines, music magazines) are filled with articles, reports, tests, and ads for the perfect "gear." The reason is that men like to spend money on themselves at least as much as women do. Calling it "gearing up" instead of "shopping" doesn't change the nature of the activity.
My husband owns more than three pairs of shoes, but most of them sit in the boxes and never see use, LOL.
Good point about the shopping. If I take my husband with me into a grocery store or a mall, he immediately adopts a slightly pained expression and starts walking so fast he’s almost tilting forward so he can get out quickly. But when it comes to looking at electronics, well then.....!
I don’t know if all men are like this, but there is shopping and there is shopping. For instance:
If I go to the auto parts store, I don’t have to pick up, look at and handle every fuel pump they have. But my wife does have to pick up, handle, and look at every purse in the store when she goes shopping.
She goes shopping to look, I shop to get in and out as quickly as possible.