The English We Speak: Step into the shoes
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Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, where we explain phrases used by fluent English speakers so that you can use them too. I'm Feifei. And I'm Phil. I hear congratulations are in order –
You got a promotion. I did. The boss is retiring, so I get to step into his shoes. Now, before I ask you, but will they fit? Or why do you want his shoes? It doesn't mean that, does it? No, no, of course not. We'll learn that expression in this programme – step into the shoes of someone. It means to take on someone's role and their responsibilities. It's often connected with the idea of readiness –
If you're ready to step into those shoes, then it means that you have the right preparation to take on that responsibility. Yes. You'll also often hear it used when we want to say that someone will be hard to replace. For example, it's going to be difficult to find someone who can step into the boss's shoes. Well, before you step into the boss's shoes, let's hear some other people using this expression.
The team's captain was injured, so a young academy player stepped into his shoes. My mum always hosts Christmas dinner, but she's decided she doesn't want to this year, so I'm going to step into her shoes and do it myself. One of my colleagues had a baby, so I stepped into her shoes and did her job while she was away. We've been learning the expression step into someone's shoes to mean take on responsibilities of someone.
There's another shoe expression that sounds a bit similar but has a different meaning, so make sure you don't get confused. If you put yourself in someone else's shoes, it means you try to see something from their perspective. Now, if you're planning to step into someone's shoes, improving your English can help you get ready. Make sure you're here next time to learn a new English expression. Bye. Bye-bye.