The story of Hans and his old shoes serves as a metaphor for living in fear and the struggle for self-acceptance. After receiving help from an angel, Hans initially finds happiness with new shoes, but when they are stolen, he must make a choice between his old, painful shoes or going barefoot. Ultimately, Hans learns to embrace his situation and creates his own shoes, freeing himself from the fear of dependence and theft.

1. Hans’ shoes
I was wondering whether to start this story with “Once upon a time” when the
story has nothing to do with time and space. It’s always about here and now. It’s
about us and our fears and how easily we can project them no matter where, when
and how. The story about Hans and his old, worn-out shoes is a metaphor of how
we live our fears in life, and how these fears hold us back to achieve anything that
we want to make us happy, self-confident and content.
And so, Hans was a poor man, living among other poor people in a small village,
hidden from the whole world. Nobody was interested in that place and the people
who were living there. From time to time they were getting some help in the form
of old, ragged clothes and shoes. At least they had something to cover their bodies.
That’s how Hans grew up, being taught to be grateful for what he had, for he may
lose everything and be perished by the severe weather conditions.
Hans was wearing his old shoes, which were nearly three sizes smaller than his
feet. Each morning it was an enormous struggle to put them on, knowing that the
day would be a nightmare. The tortures to take the shoes off were even harder in
the evenings. His feet were covered with blisters and wounds, and it was almost
impossible to step on them. Evening after evening he was watching how his feet
were losing their natural shape and the ability to walk as well.
It was one of those hard evenings, when watching his crippled feet, he burst into
tears. He was crying and asking for any help to come his way. And just to make this
story real, a little angel came to him. The angel healed and turned his feet back
into their natural form so that he could stay and walk on them again. But that was
not everything that Hans got! The angel gave him as well a brand new pair of soft
leather shoes, which were perfectly matching the size of his feet.

2. Hans was the happiest man in the world as he was not just walking, but almost
flying in his new shoes. Unfortunately, his happiness did not last long, as somebody
stole his lovely shoes. It’s useless to ask why or whether that one could put them
on. They were just lovely and that one wanted them badly. And there was Hans
once again sitting and asking for some help, and waiting for the little angel to
come back with another pair of lovely shoes.
No matter how long he cried and prayed, the angel did not come back. Hans should
go on with his life and make a choice – to put on his worn-out shoes again or to go
barefoot. He quickly recalled the pain and the severe damages which the old shoes
left on his feet, and the hardships as well. He looked at his feet, looking healthy
and strong, and took the brave decision in his life to go barefoot, no matter how
scary it looked in the eyes of the others.
Hans learned how and where to step, what could hurt or feel nice, but above all,
he learned how to protect his feet. He realised his needs and what to do to comfort
them. And then he learned how to make his own shoes. He was no longer afraid
that somebody could steal them as he was quite experienced to make another pair
of shoes for himself in no time. He was no longer afraid to go barefoot again, as
that was the most natural thing life could offer him.