When the pinch comes, you remember the old shoe.
This proverb means that when we face difficult or challenging situations, we often remember the things or people we took for granted in the past. It highlights the importance of appreciating what we have and being grateful for the people and things in our lives.
In times of hardship or difficulty ("the pinch"), you recall or appreciate simpler, more comfortable, or familiar things/people ("the old shoe") that you might have overlooked, often referring to past hardships that made current struggles seem manageable or highlighting the value of old comforts/support when new ones fail. It's a variation of "only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches," emphasizing personal experience of trouble, but adding the element of nostalgia and perspective gained from past struggles, like an old, worn-in shoe that's comfortable despite its age.
"The pinch": A moment of difficulty, pressure, or trouble.
"The old shoe": Represents something familiar, comfortable, unpretentious, or a past time that now seems better or more grounding.
