1 B2 informal
To put on one's shoes or athletic footwear, typically before exercise or going out
"Shoe up, everyone — we're heading to the track in five minutes."
shoe up
B2 informal intransitive
To put on shoes, especially before a physical activity
In plain English
To put your shoes on
What does "shoe up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
To fit a horse with horseshoes
"The farrier came out early to shoe up the horses before the competition."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To equip oneself upward with shoes — relatively transparent
Actually means
To put your shoes on
Usage tip
Fairly uncommon; heard mainly in sports and fitness contexts (e.g., before a run or gym session). More common in American English. Can also refer to fitting horses with horseshoes.
Words that pair with "shoe up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
quickly properly before practice for the gym horses
How to conjugate "shoe up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shoe up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shoes up
he/she/it
Past simple
shoed up
yesterday
Past participle
shoed up
have + pp
-ing form
shoing up
continuous
Hear "shoe up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "shoe up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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