A baffling shoe mystery in Switzerland has finally been solved. Cops followed up on a tip and discovered more than 40 pairs of shoes in a fox's den.

A baffling mystery in Switzerland has finally been solved. Dozens of residents in a small village were left confused and angry after their shoes went missing.

Many victims believed the culprit was someone who had a very strange foot fetish. The thefts left investigators scratching their heads. That is until a local resident noticed a fox dragging shoes and alerted police.

Cops followed up on the tip and discovered more than 40 pairs of shoes in the animal’s den. Differing types of footwear were discovered including boots, sneakers, sandals and dress shoes.

Residents affected by the thefts have been asked to come forward and claim their belongings. A police spokesperson stated “We'd had many reports of items of footwear going missing from outside houses and we couldn't work out where they were going. They're a little bit chewed and dirty but most are in surprisingly good condition.”

Red foxes live in the mountains, deserts and forests, but the animals are also able to easily adapt to human environments.