Police in Queensland, Australia have appealed for witnesses after a man nicked the 53 shoes – just half of 106 pairs – from a shopping centre on Monday.

The shoes were sitting under a tarp in the common area of the centre, which was closed at the time.

CCTV footage released by police shows a man approaching the shoes with a shopping trolley and suitcases before loading up with the goods.

The shoe shop’s owner, Tamara Shorrock, said the left shoes were secured and not stolen.

“It’s just never really occurred to us that someone would actually want to steal a right boot,” she told News.com.au.

“It’s very bizarre. We’re still scratching our heads over that one,” she said.