Shoes = 皮鞋 [pí xié]

A crane on tracks hoists a giant leather shoe into the air while a tiny worker on the ground waves it in. That shoe is a 皮鞋.

皮鞋 (píxié) means “leather shoes,” the polished kind you wear to the office. 皮 is leather or skin, and 鞋 means shoe.

The general word for shoes is 鞋 or 鞋子 (xiézi); sneakers are 运动鞋 (yùndòngxié). Count shoes by the pair with 双 (shuāng): 一双皮鞋.

他穿着一双黑皮鞋。 — Tā chuānzhe yì shuāng hēi píxié. — He is wearing a pair of black leather shoes.

我的皮鞋该擦了。 — Wǒ de píxié gāi cā le. — My leather shoes need polishing.