Just in case you thought your decisions, your “votes,” weren’t important, bear in mind what the Gemara tells us:

A person should always view himself, and the world, as hanging in the balance, half meritorious and half culpable. One mitzvah and he and the entire world are judged favorably. One sin and, well, you can guess the rest (Kiddushin 40b; Rambam, Hilkhot Teshuvah 3:4).

“[Our patriarch] Avram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I lift my hand [in an oath] to God...lest I take from you even a thread or a shoestrap, or anything else, so you should not say, “I made Avram rich.”’” (Genesis 14:22-23)

For putting shoes on, one makes the following blessing:
Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the World, Who has made for me everything I need.
        - Morning Liturgy (Berakhot 60b; Orach Chaim 46:1)

Avraham Avinu (Abraham our patriarch) trusted Hashem (God) when He promised that Avraham would be wealthy. Avraham Avinu wanted others to believe this as well and so took nothing—not even a shoestrap—from the King of Sodom. Why, however, did Avraham Avinu have to swear that he would not take anything? Why didn't he simply say that he would not take anything?

Chazal (our Sages, of blessed memory) taught us that in thanking Hashem for our shoes, we can thank Him for all our needs. Reb Noson points out that it is quite surprising that of all the articles of clothing that people wear, a berakhah (blessing) was dedicated only to shoes. Not only that, but over nothing else do we make such a berakhah thanking Hashem for everything. What is it about shoes that brought our Sages to establish this berakhah?

The first thing we need to know in order to answer this question is that Hashem, when He created the universe and as He continually recreates it, uses the Torah to provide mankind with everything that it needs. Every sort of good, tangible and intangible, necessities and luxuries, are rooted in the Torah. (As for the destructive elements of Creation: “There are things which cause great damage to the world. The question is: Why, then, were they created? Know, that there is certainly some benefit to be had from them.” [The Aleph-Bet Book Faith A:5])

The second thing we need to know is that the Written Torah is a closed book. Though it tells us what mitzvot we are to do, it details not a one. If all that we had was the Written Torah, we would have an undifferentiated mass of creation. Those who have been worthy of being entrusted with the knowledge of the Torah's details, Chazal, and the ones who have been worthy of being entrusted with guiding us in its fulfillment, the genuine tzadikim, are the ones who transform the “raw material”, the “stuff” of the Torah, into the various things that we use.

To the extent that our emunat chakhamim (faith in the Sages) is whole, do we have what we need and use wisely what we have. Unfortunately, not always is our faith in Chazal, or their heirs, as strong as it ought to be. Rebbe Nachman teaches that taking an oath and immediately fulfilling it, strengthens that faith. Why? An oath and emunat chakhamim are both related to the sefirah of Binah (Understanding). By connecting ourselves to Binah through fulfillment of an oath, our emunat chakhamim is automatically strengthened. Without faith, we don’t have a leg to stand on. Thus, feet represent faith (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #261).

The Arizal teaches that shoes are an aspect of Binah. Thus, Reb Noson writes, when we put on shoes we are protecting our emunat chakhamim, enabling the transformation of“ raw material” into the things we need and use. Avraham Avinu swore because he wanted to protect his wealth with spiritual“ shoes” and shoes of Sodom. (Reb Noson writes further that this is why Chazal tell us that, if necessary, a person should sell everything he has in order to buy shoes and not go barefoot [Shabbat 129a and Pesachim 112a].)

agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!