How much do your shoes affect you life? Maybe more than you think. Blue Bloods star Bridget Moynahan had a hunch, and set out to prove it in her new book, Our Shoes, Our Selves.

Bridget Moynahan's 'Our Shoes, Our Selves'

Highlighting a group of uniquely fascinating women, Moynahan explores how their shoes have influenced their lives through some incredible stories.

Naturally, the stroke of inspiration for this book came from Moynahan's own shoe collection.

“It all started with me cleaning out my closet and wanting to donate all of these shoes I was never wearing anymore.”

“When I put them in that pile to get rid of, I slowly started taking them away, and I was like ‘What is happening? I’m not even wearing these. Why am I holding onto them?’ It turned out, it was memories.”

She called her friend Amanda Benchley who said “I think a lot of people might have the same feeling about these shoes.” Benchley became her co-author.

“It turns out women do have emotional attachments to their shoes, for many different reasons.”

Together, Moynahan and Benchley sought out people to talk about their most influential shoe-moments.

Misty Copeland

One sparkling example came from Misty Copeland, whose life was changed when her ballet coach bought her a pair of shoes.

“Misty Copeland could have very well stayed a cheerleader and had a completely different path.”

Although she did not start ballet until the age of 13, Copeland would not only embrace the art, but transform it as the first African American woman promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre’s history.

While shoes played a key role in Copeland's success story, Moynahan uses them as a jumping off point to also illustrate how people can come into your life and offer you the choice of going in a whole new direction -- if you let them.

If you're looking for inspiration, you can look to your feet or to Our Shoes, Our Selves.