Shoeboxes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A lightweight cardboard box designed to store and protect a pair of shoes, typically with a removable lid
2. A simple rectangular container made of sturdy cardboard in which shoes are packaged and sold at retail
3. A basic cardboard receptacle used to hold and organize footwear, commonly kept for storage after purchase

Etymology: "Shoeboxes" is the plural of "shoebox", a compound formed simply from "shoe" and "box". The compound describes a box in which shoes are kept or sold, and it needs no special history to explain it. Both parts are old, native English words, so the term is transparent: a shoe, placed in a box.