Why do cats like smelling shoes?

Question

We have a five month old kitten and she is very playful and sometimes a bit naughty. She always likes to play with my wifes or her friends shoes especially after they have just been taken off. I live in Turkey and it is custom to take your shoes off here before entering the house. When my wifes girlfriends come over and take their shoes off our kitten is always straight away into their shoes smelling them. I find when I take my shoes off she tends not to bother with them but only females shoes could she have a foot fetish? he he why do they like shoes so much

Answer 1

I think that it is just all the new smells. I guess we all have our own unigue smell. Just a quick word of advice though. Be careful. My cat when he was younger urinated in my friends shoe. She sure had something different to smell after that. HE HE

Answer 2

Well this is new to me. None of my cats did that before. Perhaps it does not like the new smell and try to mark as hers by rubbing them?

Answer 3

The new and interesting smells...

Cats are curious.