 It may have something to do with death, and the idea of placing a new pair of shoes on the table would signify that someone had just died, or you would have bad luck for the rest of the day, quarrel with someone or lose your job.Even among people who are not superstitious, shoes can be associated with contamination.Power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice mention the superstition in their cover of the Stevie Wonder song, "Superstition".