A man has been charged after allegedly stealing dozens of right-footed shoes from a store earlier this month.
The unusual theft occurred in Kenmore, Brisbane, at 7.30pm on July 7, when a man allegedly walked inside a shopping centre on Brookfield Road and stole 53 individual shoes.
The shoes, from Shoe Fashions Kenmore, had been displayed on tables in the middle of a walkway in the centre.
Following an investigation by Queensland Police, a 49-year-old Mount Gravatt East man was arrested at Broadbeach on July 17.
The man appeared to have been living inside a tent with his dog when he was arrested.
He has since been charged with one count of entering a premises and committing an indictable offence.
The man was due to face court on Friday.
Detective Senior Sergeant Brendan Blyth said the unusual nature of the crime played a key role in identifying the alleged offender.
A man has been charged after allegedly stealing dozens of right-footed shoes from a store earlier this month
‘It’s not every day you come across a case involving the theft of 53 right shoes,’ he said.
‘While the incident may be a bit unique and different in nature, it’s a reminder that our officers take all reports seriously.
‘Thanks to good CCTV coverage and assistance from the public, we were able to locate the shoes and return them to the business.’
Police confirmed all of the stolen shoes have since been recovered and returned.
Speaking to the Courier Mail, Shoe Fashions Kenmore owner Tamara Shorrock said at full price, the man took $7,000 worth of shoes.
‘Someone had taken all our sale boots off the sale table. So there were 53 right-footed boots, and they took every single one of them,’ Ms Shorrock said.
‘It was covered up at the time as well. So we covered it up overnight. And look, we’ve been doing it for 29 years, and not one boot or shoe has been stolen over the years.
‘So that’s sort of why we leave the table where it is. It’s never been an issue.
CCTV of the man stealing the shoes was released publicly by Queensland Police
‘I came into work on Tuesday to discover that they were all gone.’
The footage of the theft shows the man calmly walking into the mall before he wandered around, seemingly listening to music through headphones plugged into his phone.
The man then walked up to the middle of a common area where there were three separate stalls piled with display items that had been covered up for the night.
He carefully unwrapped one stall’s display and piled it into his suitcase, appearing to deliberately take his time so as not to draw attention to himself.
