Between saying and doing many a pair of shoes is worn out.

This is a traditional Italian proverb (a saying of folk origin rather than a line traceable to a single author or first publication). It belongs to a family of European maxims contrasting talk with action, often using travel or wear-and-tear imagery. The “pair of shoes” evokes the literal distance and effort required to move from intention to accomplishment: plans are easy to voice, but carrying them out takes time, persistence, and repeated steps—enough to wear footwear down. In Italian-speaking contexts it is commonly invoked in everyday moral instruction, business, and domestic life to caution against empty promises and to emphasize follow-through.

The proverb underscores the gap between intention and execution. “Saying” represents promises, plans, or declarations; “doing” represents the sustained labor of turning words into results. The worn-out shoes suggest that action is not a single moment but a long journey requiring endurance, patience, and practical effort. It also implies that delays and obstacles often intervene between commitment and completion, so credibility is earned by consistent steps rather than eloquent speech. As a moral observation, it warns listeners to be skeptical of mere talk and to measure seriousness by concrete progress.