Ian Wallace Interpretation:
Dream: Somehow you have lost your shoes and are outside walking around in your socks or bare feet. You can often find yourself walking through a big city, wondering how you will be able to walk to your destination without any shoes. After a while you realize that you don’t really need your footwear but are concerned what other people will think of you. Wearing shoes would sometimes be more comfortable, however, as the ground is rough or all wet and muddy. You were sure you had more shoes but it seems you have lost your only pair.
Meaning: When you dream about losing your shoes, you are usually concerned about your ability to stand up for what you believe in. Your feet symbolize the foundation of any position that you hold and represent the principles and values that help to keep you grounded in reality. What you wear on your feet represents your ability to protect these fundamental principles and also the steps that you take to put them into action. Shoes are among the most personal items of clothing and, like your values, have to fit just right or you will feel uncomfortable. Your shoes also represent your individuality and so losing your shoes indicates that you feel you are losing your identity in some way. Due to the fact that your shoes represent your identity so individually, they tend to reflect your current social status as well. Losing your shoes can also indicate that you feel you have lost your social standing in some way. This can often happen when you have recently left a particular relationship or work situation and are concerned that people might ignore you. Although you may think that you can progress just as easily on your own, it is often good to have the firm support of others when the going gets rough. Thinking that you have only one pair of shoes suggests that you have been relying too much on one particular standpoint to provide you with what you need.
Action: This dream is indicating the steps that you need to take to help re-establish your standing in a particular situation. Although this might feel quite uncomfortable for you, it is an opportunity that will help you to become far more aware of what you really value. It is also a chance to think about the positions of others in this situation and consider what it would be like to stand in their shoes. The more that you realize what you really value and how that supports you, the easier it is to stand up for yourself and really walk your talk.
Background: Our ancestors starting wearing shoes about 40,000 years ago, using simple wrappings and foot bags to protect their feet. Since then, they have become a vital fashion accessory and our shoes have come to reflect our desirability, our status and our wealth. Rather than judging each other by our actions and deeds, we often judge a person by the shoes that they wear. Smart and shiny shoes can often indicate the wearer is behaving formally with a more polished approach. Mud-spattered work boots may imply a more grounded and practical outlook.