Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches

Meaning: Only the person experiencing a difficulty truly understands its depth.

Origin: English proverb from the 14th century, parallel to the Latin Calceus nemo melius quam sutor.

Translations

• French: C'est celui qui porte la chaussure qui sait où elle fait mal (literally: The one who wears the shoe knows where it hurts)
• Spanish: Solo quien calza el zapato sabe dónde aprieta (literally: Only the one who wears the shoe knows where it pinches)
• Japanese: 靴の痛みは履いている者だけが知る (Kutsu no itami wa haite iru mono dake ga shiru) (literally: Only the one wearing the shoe knows where it hurts)

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