Sorry, but none of you guys "get it", except for Murid (Read his post again).
99% of all women HATE their feet. If you go up to any reasonably attractive woman and ask her what her least favorite body part is, she will almost always say her feet.
It follows, then, that they would spend an inordinate amount of time and money on dressing up their feet. This naturally translates over to her perception of men. Since she is obsessed with footwear anyway, she will naturally be interested in a man's footwear, too.
By gauging the condition of a man's footwear, she can determine his attention to cleanliness and his sense of style. Most men are completely unaware that one of the very first things she will evaluate is your footwear. The condition of you shoes can easily make or break you in the first 5 seconds of meeting.
My current girlfriend has said on several occasions "One thing I noticed about you right away was how clean you keep your shoes. " She has actually said this several times, out of the blue.
Newbies and veterans take note:
Your shoes will make or break you within the first 5 seconds of interaction. Take this one to the bank.
Nosferatu