In the past, SEO experts recommended long descriptions on e-commerce category pages to earn keyword rankings.
However, Google’s algorithm has evolved so that it mostly succeeds in aligning search results with user intent. Longform content on a category page could signal that it has informational over transactional value. Your page would seem to help visitors learn something instead of taking action.
Furthermore, we all hate fluff especially when it disrupts our user experience. Who likes scrolling down first prior to browsing? Clicking back to search results, because the website sucks, almost certainly harms keyword rankings on Google as Bing & Apple have shared transparently.
A short description, perhaps below-the-fold if necessary, can still provide some context on category pages. However, it’s now antiquated to have a high word count, even if cleverly hidden under an accordion.
A better approach is to create separate indexable category pages for major keyword themes, like for different shoe types. Otherwise, category pages are simply too broad. Enough relevance is then usually given by the products displayed themselves, and a brief description helps a tad more without harming the shopping experience.