Hi Kate.
I actually just took a few minutes of my time to read the story of "The Skipping Shoes". Given that the story puts emphasis on the little girl, Kitty's, shoes, we can determine that the story will have something to do with the importance of a person's shoes.
Here is a part of the story that catches my eye:
"Just as she said that, the shoes gave a skip, and set her on her feet so suddenly that it scared all the naughtiness out of her. She stood looking at these curious shoes; and the bright buttons on them seemed to wink at her like eyes, while the heels tapped on the floor a sort of tune." (Lines 9-12)
This particular part of the story introduces the shoes and the connection that Kitty and them initiate. As a bonus, this provides a sense of figurative language ("and the bright buttons on them seemed to wink at her like eyes, while the heels tapped on the floor a sort of tune").
I hope this answer helps you out, Kate!