The project states it can help people approach global issues such as prejudice, conflict and inequality by expressing empathy to change relationships.
Notable book donors include Jay Rayner, Kate Raworth, Lemn Sissay, Ian McKellen, Chris O'Dowd and Suzanne Moore.
The library presents a selection of "Living Books": people who tell a story about their life and discuss it with a member of the public visiting the installation.
Visitors are invited to walk a mile in someone else's shoes by temporarily exchanging their footwear for a pair in the museum's collection.
Stories have been collected in various languages, including English, French, Italian, German, Latvian, Slovenian, Dutch, and Portuguese.
A Mile in My Shoes has been presented across England and internationally, including in Belgium (2017),[8] Australia (2017,[9] 2019[10]), Ireland (2017),[11] Brazil (2017),[12] Scotland (2018),[13] the USA (2018),[14] Latvia (2020),[15] Slovenia (2020),[16] Italy (2021),[17] Germany (2021),[18] and Romania (2021).