Project Statement:

Idioms constitute a large part of the English language. I believe that an in-depth investigation of this type of verbiage can yield surprising results.

Physically walking a mile in another person’s shoes represents a seemingly pointless activity, but it serves to reinvest that cliché with new meaning. The sincerity of the offer to literally walk a mile in a stranger’s shoes provokes communication between two people that would not have otherwise happened. The service being performed does not directly benefit either party, but it is important that this activity be undertaken with the utmost rigor and devotion.

The walker requires a great deal of trust from the owner of the shoes. Not only must they trust that the walker will return the shoes (something tangible), but they also must trust that the walker will indeed attempt to walk a mile (something far less tangible).

-Sara Thacher