C1idiomworkIELTS-friendly
fill someone's shoes
USUK
to do someone's job as well as they did after they leave it
Often negative or doubtful: 'big shoes to fill', 'no one can fill her shoes'. Different from 'put yourself in someone's shoes' (imagine their situation).
In context
Our old head chef was brilliant, so whoever replaces him will have to fill his shoes.
Nobody thought she could fill her mentor's shoes, but she did it within a year.
More idioms about work
- a baptism of firea very difficult first experience of a new job or activity
- a cushy joba job that is easy and pleasant but still pays well
- a dead-end joba job with no chance of promotion or of learning anything new
- a jack of all tradesa person who can do many different kinds of work fairly well
- a labour of lovehard work that you do because you enjoy it or care about it, not for money