Is someone allowed to walk home from shul wearing leather shoes on Tish'a B'Av?

Question

Since Tish'a B'av begins immediately after Shabbat, this year, this can present a shoe problem on Motza'ei Shabbat.

The conditions / halachot:

• One is not allowed to wear leather shoes on Tish'a B'Av.
• One is not allowed to prepare for after Shabbat on Shabbat, itself.

Assume that neighborhood shuls have Shabbat mincha which is followed by a shiur then Ma'ariv; and that they recommend that people bring their non-leather shoes to shul before Shabbat, and leave them in shul. Suppose someone cannot do this. (Say, he arrives for Fri. eve. davening immediately from work wearing his shoes, and can't get home to retrieve his non-leather shoes.)

He goes to shul for Shabbat mincha. He can't wear sneakers to shul, nor can he carry them (assume there's an eruv) since that is preparing for after Shabbat. In shul, at the start of Ma'ariv, he removes his shoes, so he's in his socks.

Walking home barefoot or in his socks could be harmful. The street frequently has broken glass shards, nails and other sharp objects which cannot easily be seen at night, and it's quite likely that the person may step on one of these and severely injure his foot. When shul is done, can he put on his leather shoes to walk home?

Answer 1

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayyim 554:17:

אבל ומנודה שמהלכים בדרך מותרים בנעילת הסנדל וכשיגיעו לעיר יחלוצו וכן בתשעה באב >מיימוני והגהות מרדכי ריש פרק קמא):

Shulchan Aruch seems to suggest a general leniency to wear shoes when walking in a public thoroughfare consisting of mainly non-Jews.

Magen Avrham explains:

Magen Avraham 554:17:

מותרים בנעילת.

נ"ל הטעם דטורח גדול הוא לילך רחוק יחף אבל כשהולך לשדה סמוך לעיר אסור לנעול וה"ה לבית הקברות עבי"ד ססי' שפ"ב אא"כ יש טיט ורפש או בין העכו"ם ונ"ל דכשיושב על העגלה או רוכב צריך לחלוץ אפי' בדרך רחוק:

The reason is that it is a great difficulty to walk a long distance barefoot. However, if he walsk to a field outside the city, he is not allowed to wear shoes. The same idea applies when visiting a cemetery unless there is mud or if he is walking among Gentiles. And it seems to me that if he is sitting or riding in a wagon, he must take off his shoes even if he is going a long distance.

Mishnah Berurah 554:33 adds:

לג) מותרים בנעילת הסנדל - וטוב שאז יתן עפר במנעלים:

If you do wear shoes, you should put dirt in them (I assume so that there is some discomfort.)