"Dead Man's Shoes" is not a great, but nonetheless very competent and enjoyable "Twilight Zone" episode. The credits list the name of the almighty Charles Beaumont as writer, but the plot seems based - or, at least, heavily inspired - by the legendary Maurice Renard novel "The Hands of Orlac". This classic horror story already got adapted into a handful of genre milestones (including the silent "Orlac's Hände" starring Conrad Veidt and "Mad Love" starring Peter Lorre), and revolves around a talented pianist who loses both his hands in an accident. Via a medically ground-breaking transplant operation, he receives a new pair of hands, but they belonged to an executed murderer and gradually force the new owner to commit horrible crimes.
Although uncredited, this episode is a slick variation on the same plot. The homeless Nate witnesses how mobsters dispose of a dead body in a dark alley. The corpse wears brand new and funky shoes, and Nate isn't too shy to try them on. As soon as he wears the shoes, however, Nate somehow becomes the dead gangster - Dale - and remembers where he lived, what his favorite drink was, and who killed him. The shoes naturally force their new owner to seek revenge. There's nothing extraordinary about "Dead Man's Shoes", but the performances are good, and the end-twist is fairly original and unexpected.
Although uncredited, this episode is a slick variation on the same plot. The homeless Nate witnesses how mobsters dispose of a dead body in a dark alley. The corpse wears brand new and funky shoes, and Nate isn't too shy to try them on. As soon as he wears the shoes, however, Nate somehow becomes the dead gangster - Dale - and remembers where he lived, what his favorite drink was, and who killed him. The shoes naturally force their new owner to seek revenge. There's nothing extraordinary about "Dead Man's Shoes", but the performances are good, and the end-twist is fairly original and unexpected.