shoes

31 1.0

The situation of another person that you imagine being in

noun
/ʃuz/

Informal

: lugar

But actually, until you're in them shoes, what would you do?

But actually, until you're in them shoes, what would you do?

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Examples

Connect with Rachel Lacy on Google+ and stop by the Following In My Shoes Facebook page.

Blog text (3)
Such access to Cambodian culture supports the accuracy of his depiction of Sophy in Running Shoes.

Academic text (2013)
If you were in her shoes, you would understand her feelings better.
Imagine being in my shoes for a day; it’s not as easy as it looks.
You can learn a lot by trying to see things from someone else's shoes.

Synonyms

place

vsshoes

∞ 4.0

The situation or role someone has in relation to others

is used mainly to imagine another person's feelings rather than to describe roles

in someone's shoes

vsshoes

18 3.4

In the same situation as someone else so you understand how they feel or act

is a brief metaphor mainly used for imagining another person's experience

in your shoes

vsshoes

Informal

12 4.6

To imagine you are in someone else's situation and act or feel the same way

uses the metaphor to imagine another's experience not to address the listener

in the same shoes

vsshoes

Informal

4.6

In the same situation as someone else

focuses on imagining another person's perspective rather than strict sameness

Surface Forms

shoe singular

shoes plural

Morphology

shoes = shoe (opaque) = shoe + s

Although morphologically shoe + plural -s, the idiomatic sense 'in someone's shoes' (= in someone's situation) is a metaphorical use that cannot be derived from the literal meaning of 'shoe' by an average learner.

Etymology

Shoes comes from an old English word that meant 'covering for the foot', so it began as the simple thing you wear to walk. That's why the phrase 'in someone's shoes' asks you to imagine being in their situation, like stepping into their life and walking their path.