Pair each left-hand and right-shoe so that the unshaded letters on each side spell out a clue, and the shaded letters (reading left to right across both shoes, then top to bottom) spell out a third clue.
The answer to each shoe clue is a type of shoe. However, in each clue the letter L or R has been changed.
The answers to the left-hand and right-hand shoes correspond with one of the shoeboxes provided at the beginning of the puzzle:
- The left-hand letters of the left-hand shoe answer are the left-hand letters of one of the shoeboxes.
- The right-hand letters of the right-hand shoe answer are the right-hand letters of one of the shoeboxes.
Combining the left-hand and right-hand answers, and removing the box, leaves the type of shoe with one letter changed on each side. If the shoe clue's changed letter was L, take the correct letter from the left-shoe. If the shoe clue's changed letter was R, take the correct letter letter from the right side. In shoebox order, these letters spell "SOLUTION BOOT JACK."
| Shoe Clue (Shaded) | Corrected Shoe Clue | Shoe | LH Clue | LH Answer | RH Clue | RH Answer | LH+RH | Left-Handed Change | Right-Hand Change | Correct letter in Shoe Clue | Final Letter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use Italian ox Russian | ox->or | DRESS | Popular dog breed | POODLE | Sullen or crabby | SURLY | POO|DLESU|RLY | L->R | U->S | R | S |
| Controversian comma | controversian->controversial | OXFORD | Take a load off rest | RELAX | Fabulous decade | FORTIES | REL|AXFORT|IES | A->O | T->D | L | O |
| A stubboon animal | stubboon->stubborn | MULE | Like five or eleven | PRIME | Stolen goods dealer | FENCE | PRI|MEFE|NCE | E->U | F->L | R | L |
| Question heavity | heavity->heavily | PUMP | Leather leggings | CHAPS | Cut into small pieces | MINCE | CHA|PSMI|NCE | S->U | I->P | L | U |
| Joel song oz blade | oz->or | STILETTO | Extract the essence of | DISTILL | Act badly online | TROLL | DI|STILLTRO|LL | L->E | R->T | R | T |
| Show with a dorphin | dorphin->dolphin | FLIPPER | Engage in ransacking | RIFLE | Stab with a sword | PIERCE | RI|FLEPIER|CE | E->I | I->P | L | I |
| Mike unemotional acting | mike->like | WOODEN | Sound from a pooch | BOWWOW | More stressed | TENSER | BOW|WOWTEN|SER | W->O | T->D | L | O |
| Pachydemmic animal | pachydemmic->pachydermic | ELEPHANT | Breakfast option | OMELET | Quicken or hurry up | HASTEN | OM|ELETHAST|EN | T->P | S->N | R | N |
| It helps a finearm aim | finearm->firearm | SABOT | Game played in a park | CHESS | The electorate | VOTERS | CHE|SSVOT|ERS | S->A | V->B | R | B |
| One way to task in Dublin | task->talk | BROGUE | Member of a dazzle | ZEBRA | Heroic journey | QUEST | ZE|BRAQUE|ST | A->O | Q->G | L | O |
| Septile familiarly | septile->reptile | CROC | Function smoothly | CLICK | Bloodhound trail | SCENT | CLI|CKSC|ENT | K->R | S->O | R | O |
| Poe’s view on issues | Poe->Pol | PLATFORM | Taneshima of Working | POPLAR | Fail to remember | FORGET | PO|PLARFORG|ET | R->T | G->M | L | T |
| Spiderman’s bedheaded gf | bedheaded->redheaded | MARYJANE | Tweety Bird is one | CANARY | Most rational | SANEST | CA|NARYSANE|ST | N->M | S->J | R | J |
| One younging around | younging->lounging | LOAFER | Decay rot or filth | SQUALOR | Imagined the worst | FEARED | SQUA|LORFEA|RED | R->A | A->R | L | A |
| Water byank or snake | byank->blank | MOCCASIN | Not proper, maybe | COMMON | Cupboard with doors | CABINET | COM|MONCABIN|ET | N->C | B->S | L | C |
| Stealthy penson | penson->person | SNEAKER | Board game mechanic maybe | ENGINE | Mean in a sense | AVERAGE | ENG|INEAVER|AGE | I->S | V->K | R | K |