Van Gogh made Pair of Shoes from a pair of boots he purchased at a flea market. He wore the boots on an extended rainy walk to create the effect he wished for this painting, which may have been a tribute to the working man. There is speculates that they may also be symbolic for Van Gogh of his "difficult passage through life. Of his walking through mud to make the shoes look more worn and dirty, Van Gogh was known to say: "Dirty shoes and roses can both be good in the same way".