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Glite Dictionary
in the same shoes

in the same shoes

4.6
In the same situation as someone else
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : en la misma situación
  • If I were in the same shoes, I'd probably make the same choice.

Examples

  • I am in the same shoes.

  • Having lost her job, she supported her friend, saying she was in the same shoes.

  • It's easier to understand someone's feelings when you are in the same shoes.

  • Don't forget, you are in the same shoes as her!

  • When she lost her job, I knew exactly how she felt because I've been in the same shoes.

  • It's hard to judge someone until you've walked in their shoes and experienced their struggles.

  • After hearing his story, I realized we were both in the same shoes during difficult times.

Synonyms

in the same boat
vsin the same shoes
  • Informal
34 3.2

Having the same problems as other people

is broader covering any shared circumstances not only misfortune
in someone's shoes
vsin the same shoes
18 3.4

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

is about experiencing the same circumstances rather than imagining them
in your shoes
vsin the same shoes
  • Informal
12 4.6

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

is about actually sharing circumstances rather than saying hypothetically
to put oneself in someone's shoes
vsin the same shoes
5 3.7

Imagine being in another person's situation to understand their feelings

is about actually being in the same situation rather than only imagining it
to be in someone's shoes
vsin the same shoes
  • Informal
2 4.2

To imagine being in another person's situation to understand how they feel

is about actually sharing circumstances rather than imagining them
to stand in someone's shoes
vsin the same shoes
3.9

Imagine yourself in another person's situation to understand how they feel

is about actually sharing circumstances rather than imagining them
to step into someone's shoes
vsin the same shoes
  • Informal
4.9

To imagine how someone else feels and sees things

is about actually experiencing those circumstances rather than only understanding them
to walk a mile in someone's shoes
vsin the same shoes
  • Informal
4.9

Imagine being the other person to understand their feelings and situation

is about actually sharing the same circumstances rather than imagining them

Surface Forms

in the same shoes main

Morphology

in + the + same + shoes

The phrase maps 'shoes' metaphorically onto a person's situation or position, so a learner who knows 'in', 'the', 'same' and 'shoes' can often infer that it means being in an equivalent circumstance, but the mapping from footwear to life situation is figurative rather than strictly compositional. This metaphor is common enough (e.g. 'in someone's shoes') but requires recognizing the idiomatic use of 'shoes', so it is only partly transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

In the same shoes comes from the simple picture of wearing the same shoes as someone else and walking the same path, so you feel the same fit and the same blisters. That's why it means 'in the same situation'.