History Main / SmolderingShoes

* As the OrderOfTheStick example indicates, anyone hit with a ''Disintegration'' spell in D&D 3.5 and failing their save[[hottip:*:and not surviving the up to 40d6 damage]] will be reduced to dust, but leave their equipment intact. In earlier editions both wearer and equipment was destroyed, but this lead to the spell being wholly underused and hated because most players want to keep their loot intact.
** But magical items were allowed a saving throw, so turning into fine ashes everything save boots ''was'' a possible outcome.

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* ''RiseOfTheTriad'' did this when you died.

* In ''Never Say Never Again'', the unofficial Bond film (oddly enough a remake of ''Thunderball'' staring SeanConnery, who played JamesBond in the original ''Thunderball''), [[spoiler: Fatima Blush is killed by a delayed-fuse rocket propelled grenade fired from Bond's pen, leaving nothing but her heels and marking the first time Bond was seen killing a woman directly in front of him.]]

See also EyesAreUnbreakable for the eye version, and FreeWheel for when the obliteratee is a wheeled vehicle. Compare EmptyPilesOfClothing for when there's more than just shoes left behind.

See also EyesAreUnbreakable for the eye version. Compare EmptyPilesOfClothing for when there's more than just shoes left behind.

** Also comes up in Thud! A team of dwarfs are sent to kill Sam Vimes' family. One attacks his wife (who is tending the dragons at the time)...with a flamethrower. [[{{Understatement}}The dragons are not impressed.]] Cue white hot iron boots sitting in a pol of molten sand, and the outline of a dwarf scorched onto the doors beyond.

** Also comes up in Thud! A team of dwarfs are sent to kill Sam Vimes' family. One attacks his wife (who is tending the dragons at the time)...with a flamethrower. The dragons are not impressed{{Understatement}}. Cue white hot iron boots sitting in a pol of molten sand, and the outline of a dwarf scorched onto the doors beyond.

** Also comes up in Thud! A team of dwarfs are sent to kill Sam Vimes' family. One attacks his wife (who is tending the dragons at the time)...with a flamethrower. [[Understatement The dragons are not amused.]] Cue white hot iron boots sitting in a pol of molten sand, and the outline of a dwarf scorched onto the doors beyond.

* {{Asterix}}'s punches often have this effect on the Roman Mooks he fights.

* In the ''{{Supernatural}}'' episode "Hunted," Sam walks into a grenade trap set by [[WellIntentionedExtremist fellow hunter Gordon Walker]]. After the explosion, Gordon sees Sam's [[SmolderingShoes smoldering shoe]] on the floor. The trope is subverted when Sam walks up behind Gordon and holds a gun to his head. It helps that Sam had recently met a fellow psychic who had foreseen his death.

** In Paranoia 2nd Edition, there's a picture of a smoldering boot with a laser gun sticking out of the ash heap... and a nice big [[superscript:TM]] next to the picture. It's not just a [[RunningGag recurring motif]] in the game - it's a ''trademark''.

** At least in my copy of Paranoia 2nd Edition, there's a picture of a smoldering boots with a laser gun sticking out of the ash heap... and a nice big â„¢ next to the picture. It's not just a recurring motif in the game - it's a ''trademark''.
*** In the XP edition, a pair of smoking boots is the symbol for the Zap playstyle, which advocates wild slapstick, [[ExcusePlot excuse plots]], and bad puns.

See also EyesAreUnbreakable for the eye version.

* The ''Prince of Persia''-esque game ''Heart of Darkness'' is an E-rated game whose pre-teen protagonist can be [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential killed in dozens of ways]], [[NightmareFuel most of them only leaving his shoes]].

* In StephenKing's novel ''TheTommyknockers'', two cops are almost completely disintegrated with a science-fiction weapon. All that remains is a single smoking shoe. With a foot still in it.

In many less serious works,when a character gets disintegrated, struck by lightning, or otherwise blown away, there is a tendency for the character's shoes to be left behind, wisps of smoke rising from each.

When a character gets disintegrated, struck by lightning, or otherwise blown away, there is a tendency for the character's shoes to be left behind, wisps of smoke rising from each.

* In ''{{The Curse of Monkey Island}}'', this happens to LeChuck when the flaming voodoo cannonball he was about to use against Elaine gets knocked out of his hand. A pair of pirates later find the boots and fish them out of the sea, only to get turned into two more members of LeChuck's undead crew when he recorporates from his boots not long afterwards.