Sammy’s shoes are a recurring symbol throughout the novel, and they emphasize the leitmotif of running. When Al first meets Sammy as a young copy clerk, he is continually, literally running. This image quickly becomes a visual symbol of his character, as he is incapable of standing still, ceaselessly scheming to rise in wealth, power, and status. Al often notices Sammy’s fine shoes, signaling that he has risen in status and wealth. Sammy also often obtains new shoes immediately after having tricked someone or taken their job. Sammy’s first new pair of shoes, for example, are bought with money he got by taking advantage of both Al and another coworker at the newspaper. This sets the tone of Sammy’s increasing wealth, as it is always gained at someone else’s expense. His shoes grow increasingly expensive and gaudy as he becomes more and more successful.

Sammy’s obsession with his shoes and the repeated focus they garner also factor into Al’s questioning of what made Sammy the way he is. Al eventually learns that Sammy often went without shoes as a child, showing the relevance his fine shoes have to his own self-perception. Sammy is continually trying not only to outrun everyone else, but also to outrun his own childhood.