Forget too thin or too rich. A woman can never own too many shoes.

Belk in Cumming has keyed in on that philosophy with its recent remodeling and expansion of the women’s shoe department.

Store manager Kelly Freese said the 4,500-square-foot area was expanded to about 7,700 square feet, allowing for new brands and additional styles.

The reason behind the remodeling is simple.

"Our shoe business is phenomenal," Freese said. "If you get a customer in to buy her shoes, she’s here for everything else.

"We wanted to make sure we gave her great space for all of the shoes we have."

The department store enlarged the shoe storage room, reallocating space from the neighboring ladies clothing section to add on to the existing shoe area.

The $1 million project also created new areas for fashion jewelry, accessories and handbags.

Freese added that the store features new handbag brands, as well as a checkout counter in that section.

She also noted that the jewelry displays offer more space and a more modern look.

"It’s all open sale for the customer to shop, rather than being in a case and us having to get it out for you," she said.

"We still kept one case for designer jewelry, but we absolutely love how much jewelry [the new displays] hold."

Throughout Belk, several new touches are evident, including wallpaper, carpet, wood panels and wider aisles.

The remodeling project is the store’s first since moving to its 87,000-square-foot Lakeland Plaza location in 2004, Freese said.

To celebrate the new look, a grand reopening party is scheduled for Thursday night.

The event will feature music, refreshments, prizes and a 20-percent off coupon for shoes or accessories.

Freese said employees have received plenty of positive feedback in shopper surveys since the remodeled areas debuted.

"The customers couldn’t be more thrilled — and the employees too," she said.

Shopping earlier this week, Nancy Carlson said the new look made one of her frequented stores more "exciting."

Coreen Maron, who works in the shoe department, said the larger space will help out on the store’s busiest days of the year, like the Friday after Thanksgiving.

She also appreciated the new selection in men’s shoes, made possible by expanding the women’s section.

"I just love it," Maron said of the remodeling. "It makes it more fresh and more open."