What is the nuance of the expression "二足の草鞋を履く"


I've come across this interesting expression which doesn't seem to be listed
in many Japanese to English dictionaries:

> 二足の草鞋を履く

From what I could gather, I believe it has a meaning of "being engaged in two
trades" (?) But since this is the first time I've seen such an expression can
someone explain its nuances?




Roughly speaking, 草鞋｛わらじ｝ is a shoe made of straws.

I'll show you the nuance:  
You say "to stand in someone's shoes" which is an idiom meaning "to see from
another's point of view; to feel what another feels". If you stand in your own
shoes, and at the same if you stand in someone's shoes, what happens? You can
see from the point of both your view and someone's, right?

So, in Japan, if you wear two kinds of 草鞋 at the same time, you can be engaged
in two trades.

I'll tell you why.

Literally 草履｛ぞうり｝を履｛は｝く means to put on _zohri_ shoes, and 草履｛ぞうり｝を脱｛ぬ｝ぐ means
to remove _zohri_ shoes. From these literal meanings, 草履｛ぞうり｝を履｛は｝く means to
_start a trip_ , and 草履｛ぞうり｝を脱｛ぬ｝ぐ means to _finish a trip_.

And, 草履｛ぞうり｝を脱｛ぬ｝ぐ means metaphorically to _retire from one's occupation_.  
From the metaphorical meaning of 草履｛ぞうり｝を脱｛ぬ｝ぐ, the metaphorical meaning of
草履｛ぞうり｝を履｛は｝く could be implied as to find one's occupation and start to engage
oneself in it, though we don't use this metaphorical meaning usually.

From these metaphorical meanings, it is somewhat natural that to **wear a pair
of _zohri_ shoes** **一足｛いっそく｝の草鞋｛わらじ｝を履｛は｝く** has a nuance of being engaged in
a certain occupation or trade.  
So, 二足｛にそく｝の草鞋｛わらじ｝を履｛は｝く has a meaning of being engaged in two different
occupations or trades.

