Everyday Dialogues

Going to a
Shoe Store
In this lesson, you will learn some useful expressions
for shoe shopping in an English-speaking country.
You’ll also learn vocabulary for different parts of
a shoe and different types of shoes. When you go
shoe shopping, don’t forget your socks!

Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

“When the sole moves, 1. What is a homophone?

so does the soul.” 2. What’s the difference between the two words in bold?

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match the words on the left with the correct meanings on the right.

1. sandals a) knee-high footwear to keep feet dry in the rain

2. hiking b) to fit more comfortably, to not feel as tight
3. laces c) suitable
4. all-terrain d) the part of the shoe that touches the surface of the ground
5. runners e) suitable for any ground type (e.g., grass, rocky hills, pavement)
6. tongue f) walking for long periods on or up paths or trails
7. loosen up g) the long flap on the top of a shoe beneath the laces
8. sole h) two strings that you tie up on shoes or boots
9. ideal i) summer footwear with straps (usually open-toed)
10. rubber boots j) shoes for running or athletic activities

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 Going to a Shoe Store
Everyday Dialogues

Dialogue Reading
Read the dialogue with your partner a few times. Take turns
being each character. Practice your intonation and pronunciation.
Circle any new words or phrases that you need to practice.

Clerk: Hello. Are you finding everything okay?

Customer: Actually, I could use a hand. I’m looking for some comfortable walking shoes.

Clerk: Our open-toed sandals are on sale. Would you like to see them?

Customer: Actually, I need shoes that I can do some light hiking in. I’d like something with laces.

Clerk: Sure. How about some all-terrain shoes like these?

Customer: Those look great. Are they good for running, too?

Clerk: Yes, these shoes are ideal for jogging, hiking, or any sport.

Customer: Fantastic. Can I try them on?

Clerk: Sure. What size are you?

Customer: I usually wear a size 7, but I sometimes wear an 8 in runners.

Clerk: Let’s start with 7 1/2. Here you go.

Customer: Thanks. Hmm...the left one is a little bit tight. Do you have these in a size 8?

Clerk: I’m afraid we don’t. Pull the tongue out a bit and walk around. They will loosen up.

Customer: Okay. Actually, they feel pretty good now. I love how they look, too. How much are they?

Clerk: The price tag is on the sole. Let’s see. They are $54.99.

Customer: Great. I’ll take them. And while I’m here, I also need some rubber boots.

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 Going to a Shoe Store
Everyday Dialogues

Practice
Work with your partner. Role-play the dialogue on page 2,
substituting the different expressions below. Then switch roles.

1. Are you finding everything okay?

• Can I help you find something?

• Are you doing okay here?
• Is there anything I can help you find?
• Are you looking for something specific?

2. Actually, I could use a hand.

• I need some help, please.

• Could you help me find something?
• I wouldn’t mind some help.

3. I ’d like something with laces. Types of Shoes

• I’m looking for shoes with velcro. Where would you wear each type of shoe?
• I’d like something with a smaller heel. • sandals
• I’m looking for something with straps. • flip-flops
• high heels
4. Are they good for running, too? • flats
• dress shoes
• Are they okay for the beach? • runners / trainers / running shoes
• Can I wear them with a dress as well? • winter boots
• rubber boots
• Would they work in cold weather?
• cowboy boots
• hiking boots
5. What size are you?

• What’s your shoe size?

• What size do you normally wear?
• Do you know what size he is?

6. The left one is a little bit tight.

• The right shoe feels a bit big.

• These fit just right.
• They are a bit too loose.

7. I love how they look, too.

• They look great, don’t they?

• I’m not sure how I feel about the style.
• They look good on the shelf, but I don’t love them on.

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 Going to a Shoe Store
Everyday Dialogues

Listening Practice
Listen to the recording of the dialogue from page 2. Fill in the missing
words as you listen. Listen again. Now look back at page 2 and check your
work. Did you fill in the correct words? Did you spell everything correctly?

Clerk: Hello. Are you          everything okay?

Customer: Actually, I could use a          . I’m looking for some comfortable walking shoes.

Clerk: Our open-toed sandals are          . Would you like to see them?

Customer: Actually, I need shoes that I can do some light hiking in.             with laces.

Clerk: Sure. How about some all-terrain shoes like these?

Customer: Those look great. Are these good for running, too?

Clerk: Yes, these shoes are ideal for jogging, hiking, or any sport.

Customer: Fantastic. Can I              ?

Clerk: Sure. What size are you?

Customer: I usually wear a size 7, but I sometimes wear an 8          .

Clerk: Let’s start with 7 1/2. Here you go.

Customer: Thanks. Hmm...the left one is          tight. Do you have these in a size 8?

Clerk: I’m afraid we don’t. Pull the tongue out a bit and walk around. They will loosen up.

Okay. Actually, they feel pretty good now.

Customer:
I love how they look, too.          are they?

Clerk: The          is on the sole. Let’s see. They are $54.99.

Customer: Great.          . And while I’m here, I also need some rubber boots.

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 Going to a Shoe Store
Everyday Dialogues

Write Your Own Dialogue

Work in pairs. Write a dialogue about asking for directions using
phrases from page 3. Practice and present the dialogue to your class.

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 Going to a Shoe Store
Everyday Dialogues

Review
Task 1

LISTEN & ANSWER

Listen to the conversation and answer the questions.

Your teacher will tell you if you have to write or say the answers.

1. What is the main reason for the customer’s visit to the shoe store?

2. What’s on sale at the store?

3. Why are the all-terrain shoes ideal for the customer’s needs?

4. Why does the clerk bring out size 7 1/2 shoes?

5. What will probably happen next?

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 Going to a Shoe Store
Everyday Dialogues

Review cont.
Task 2

QUESTION FORMATION

A. Questions

Write five questions you might ask a shoe salesperson.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

B. Answers

Write five possible answers to your questions.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Task 3

ROLE-PLAY

Find a partner. Imagine that one of you is the shoe salesperson and the
other is the shopper. Use your questions to do a role-play for your teacher.

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 Going to a Shoe Store
Everyday Dialogues

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Low Int

In this lesson, a customer goes shoe shopping in a shoe store. TIME: 1 hour
The clerk helps the customer find some shoes that are ideal for
TAGS:  dialogues, shoes, footwear, shopping, shoe shop,
walking, jogging, and doing sports. Students learn vocabulary
shoe shopping, clothing, clothes, everyday dialogues
and expressions related to footwear and shopping.

Pre-Reading Practice

A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS
Discuss as a class or in small groups. Homophones are words
that sound the same but have different spellings or meanings.
The word “sole” represents the foot taking a step. The “soul”
refers to the inner spirit of a person. Movement makes
people feel good about themselves.
Have your students read the dialogue again and
practice subbing in some of the different expressions.
Listening Practice
Have students complete the dialogue by listening
to the recording or by having two students read

B. VOCABULARY PREVIEW the completed dialogue from page 2.

1. i 3. h 5. j 7. b 9. c
2. f 4. e 6. g 8. d 10. a
Write Your Own Dialogue

Encourage your students to use vocabulary from the model. If you

Dialogue Reading
are teaching in an English-speaking country, you may also want to
go to a shoe store to meet a clerk and practice trying on shoes.
Give your students time to read the dialogue in pairs.

(continued on the next page...)

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 Going to a Shoe Store
Everyday Dialogues

Answer Key cont.

Review (Assessment Tasks) EXTR A PR ACTICE:

Try some role-play activities with your students to give them a

The following tasks can be used for assessment purposes chance to use the new expressions they’ve learned. Check out
and/or review practice. You can save all of the tasks until the Role-Plays section on ESL Library (https://esllibrary.com/
the end or assess your students throughout the lesson. courses/96/lessons). Try the “Shopping” scenarios.

TASK 1
SPELLING NOTE:
Play the audio from this lesson. Then assign the questions. You
This lesson shows the American spelling of the word Practice.
can decide if you want your students to say or write the answers.
Most other English-speaking countries spell it this way: Practise
1. She is looking for some comfortable (when used as a verb; Practice when used as a noun). Make it a
walking shoes that she can hike in. challenge for your students to find this word in the lesson and
2. Open-toed shoes are currently on sale. see if they know the alternate spelling.
3. T hey can be used for walking, running, and hiking.
4. 7 1/2 is in between the two sizes
that the customer usually wears.
5. T he clerk will probably show the customer
where the rubber boots are located.

TASK 2

Answers will vary. Assess your students’ understanding

of how to shop for shoes by having them write common
questions and answers that they learned in this lesson.
Check for proper question formation.

TASK 3

Assess two students at a time as they role-play the scenario.

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 Going to a Shoe Store
Everyday Dialogues

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