ENGLISH
REFERENCE

walk a mile in someone's shoes

idiom
Meaning

To experience what someone has experienced.


Origin

disputed origin

From walk + a + mile + in + [possessive pronoun] + shoes. Originally, and still chiefly, found in admonitions not to judge a person until one has walked a mile in that person's shoes.

Examples
SIMPLE

You should walk a mile in his shoes before you judge him.

CONTEXTUAL

It is hard to understand her stress until you walk a mile in her shoes and manage the whole department.

COMPLEX

Before criticizing the difficult decisions made by the leader, one must attempt to walk a mile in their shoes to appreciate the complexity of the situation.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    another nail in someone's coffin

    An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.

  2. 02

    answer someone's prayers

    To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.

  3. 03

    answer to someone's prayers

    Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.

  4. 04

    apple of someone's eye

    The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.

  5. 05

    ball and Chalk

    [Cockney slang]walk

  6. 06

    bane of someone's existence

    Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.

  7. 07

    bash someone's face in

    To beat someone violently.

  8. 08

    bash someone's head

    To beat up someone violently.

© 2026 English Reference