24. Which Shoes Do You Choose?

By Aaron Shepard

ROLES: Narrators 1 & 2, Clerks 1–9, Katie

STAGE NOTES: For best effect, place NARRATOR 1 at far left, and NARRATOR 2 at far right, as seen
from the audience.

Poor Katie she hadn’t had a new pair of shoes in a month. She stood in front
of her shoe collection stored in her closet and shook her head in despair. A
tear actually ran down her cheek; she had nothing to wear on her feet.

1 NARRATOR 1: Katie was tired of wearing the same old shoes.

2 NARRATOR 2: She went to the store to buy new ones.

3 NARRATOR 1: The clerks asked her,

4 ALL CLERKS: Which shoes do you choose?

5 NARRATOR 2: Katie said,

6 KATIE: I want shoes that are braggy, not baggy.

7 ALL CLERKS: (thinking about it) Hmmm. Let me see.

8 CLERK 1: We have small shoes,

9 CLERK 2: and tall shoes,

10 CLERK 3: and walk-on-the-wall shoes.

11 CLERK 4: We have red shoes,

12 CLERK 5: and head shoes,

13 CLERK 6: and down-the-hill-sled shoes.

14 CLERK 7: We have blue shoes,

15 CLERK 8: and BOO shoes,

16 CLERK 9: and paddle-canoe shoes.

17 ALL CLERKS: Which shoes do you choose?

Stage direction: (All these shoes are piled on the floor on the left).

18 KATIE: I want shoes that are slicky, not sticky.

19 ALL CLERKS: Hmmm. Let me see.

20 CLERK 1: We have jog shoes,

21 CLERK 2: and log shoes,

22 CLERK 3: and hop-like-a-frog shoes.

23 CLERK 4: We have tied shoes,

24 CLERK 5: and wide shoes,

25 CLERK 6: and carnival-ride shoes.

26 CLERK 7: We have trail shoes,

27 CLERK 8: and snail shoes,

28 CLERK 9: and wind-in-your-sail shoes.

Stage direction: (All these shoes are piled on the floor on the right).

29 ALL CLERKS: Which shoes do you choose?

30 KATIE: I want shoes that are spiffy, not iffy.

31 ALL CLERKS: Hmmm. Let me see.

32 CLERK 1: We have black shoes,

33 CLERK 2: and snack shoes,

34 CLERK 3: and ride-on-a-track shoes.

35 CLERK 4: We have wet shoes,

36 CLERK 5: and pet shoes,

37 CLERK 6: and super-speed-jet shoes.

38 CLERK 7: We have moon shoes,

39 CLERK 8: and goon shoes,

40 CLERK 9: and hot-air-balloon shoes.

41 ALL CLERKS: Which shoes do you choose?

42 KATIE: I choose all these shoes.

43 ALL CLERKS: (gasp)

Stage direction: (The clerks all rush around gathering the shoes to the
register so Katie can pay for them).

44 NARRATOR 1: She bought the shoes and took them home.

Stage direction: Katie instructs the clerks to her car where they open the
doors and pile it from the floor to the ceiling with bags of shoe boxes.

45 NARRATOR 2: And now the store has

46 ALL CLERKS: (to audience) NO MORE SHOES TO CHOOSE

Stage direction: (The clerks turn and head out the shoe store door).

1. What does the author suggest by using the word despair in the
introduction?
a. Katie experienced excitement as she thought about shoes.
b. Katie felt depressed as she looked at her shoes in her closet.
c. Katie knew joy as she matched her outfit with just the right shoe.
d. Katie was hopeful that she would find what she needed as she
looked at the collection of shoes she owned.
2. In line 6, why does the author have Katie ask for “braggy” shoes instead
of “baggy” shoe?
a. Katie wanted a shoe that could tell great stories; stories about all
the places she walked in them.
b. Katie was tired of walking on the backs of her shoes.
c. Katie wanted shoes that others would envy; shoes to boast about.
d. Katie wanted dancing shoes; shoes to wear to the school dance.

3. What is the importance of the stage direction after line 17 and line 28?
a. The clerks know to put the shoes on the left after Katie sees them.
b. The clerks know to put the shoes on the right after Katie sees them.
c. The clerks receive directions about shoe placement on the stage.
d. The director’s job is important to the play.

4. What can be concluded about the clerks in line 43?

a. The clerks are not happy with Katie and her inability to choose.
b. The clerks are confused by what Katie says about all their shoes.
c. The clerks do not think it is fair that no one else can find a pair of
shoes in their shop.
d.The clerks are shocked that Katie bought all the shoes.

5. The photograph after the title of the play helps the reader—
a. see the process Katie will use in picking shoes.
b. gain an insight in to the kinds of shoes girls wear.
c. start thinking about different shoes that Katie might choose.
d. understand that shoes are for feet.

6. What idea do “Getting Ready” and “Which Shoe Do You Choose” have
in common?
a. Making choices
b. Hurry to get your clothes right
c. If you don’t give up, you can make the right decision
d. Try until you find the exact right outfit

7. What is the difference between the girl in the poem “Getting Ready” and
Katie in “Which Shoes Do You Choose”?
a. The girl in “Getting Ready” never found her shoes; Katie has lots of
shoes.
b. The girl in “Getting Ready” made some choices from what she had;
Katie just took them all.
c. The girl in “Getting Ready” had her mother help her; Katie had no
help.
d. The girl in “Getting Ready” could not get ready; Katie got all the
shoes she wanted.