Signs for SHOES

This word entry contains: ASL signs for 'shoes', Deaf art, baby signing the word, and Deaf shoemakers.

ASL signs for 'shoe'

How to sign "shoe" in American Sign Language:

Meaning: A covering for the foot, typically made of leather, with a sturdy sole and not reaching above the ankle.

This sign generally refers to a pair of shoes. If talking about a singular noun (e.g. a shoe), sign "ONE" + that sign above.

Related signs: CLEATS, BOOTS, FLIP-FLOPS HIGH HEELS HORSESHOE, MOCCASINS, SNEAKERS, SLIPPERS.

Parts of the shoes: SHOESTRING, SOLE (shoes).

Baby signing "shoe"

This time-lapse video shows how the ASL-speaking bilingual baby acquires the word "shoe".

During the one-word stage, baby Juli picked up the word "shoe" with the "flat O" handshape, what looks like "more", but it's not "more". Then, the handshape evolved into the correct handshape at age 1;6. Although, the correct palm orientation evolved later at 1;9.

Each child, whether spoken or signed, develops at different pace. The video gives a general idea about how production develops, just like how hearing toddlers acquires spoken language.

Deaf Art/History

"One Shoe Off" (1807) painting by Deaf artist John Brewster, Jr.

One Show Off — "One Shoe Off" (1807) by John Brewster. Source: folkartmuseum.org

John Brewster, Jr. (1766-1854) is a Deaf American artist, especially a portrait painter.

Deaf Shoemakers

Deaf Belgian shoemaker Tim Van Goethem is the 9th generation of shoemakers. He makes clogs.

Another Deaf shoemaker is Edward Pasek (1942-2016) in Wroclaw, Poland. In circa 1985, he as a shoemaker and his son (coda) as a manager started their own small family business.

And probably more out there in the world and in the past history.

~~ Feeling lucky? ¯\(°_o)/¯ Random word ~~

All
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Search Tips and Pointers

Search/Filter: Enter a keyword in the filter/search box to see a list of available words with the "All" selection. Click on the page number if needed. Click on the blue link to look up the word. For best result, enter a partial word to see variations of the word.

Screenshot of dictionary search with notes — Screenshot of the search dictionary

Alphabetical letters: It's useful for 1) a single-letter word (such as A, B, etc.) and 2) very short words (e.g. "to", "he", etc.) to narrow down the words and pages in the list.

For best result, enter a short word in the search box, then select the alphetical letter (and page number if needed), and click on the blue link.

Screenshot of dictionary search with notes — Screenshot of the search dictionary

Don't forget to click "All" back when you search another word with a different initial letter.

If you cannot find (perhaps overlook) a word but you can still see a list of links, then keep looking until the links disappear! Sharpening your eye or maybe refine your alphabetical index skill. :)

Add a Word: This dictionary is not exhaustive; ASL signs are constantly added to the dictionary. If you don't find a word/sign, you can send your request (only if a single link doesn't show in the result).

Videos: The first video may be NOT the answer you're looking for. There are several signs for different meanings, contexts, and/or variations. Browsing all the way down to the next search box is highly recommended.

Video speed: Signing too fast in the videos? See HELP in the footer.

ASL has its own grammar and structure in sentences that works differently from English. For plurals, verb inflections, word order, etc., learn grammar in the "ASL Learn" section. For search in the dictionary, use the present-time verbs and base words. If you look for "said", look up the word "say". Likewise, if you look for an adjective word, try the noun or vice versa. E.g. The ASL signs for French and France are the same. If you look for a plural word, use a singular word.