In all her work, Mary Jo states that she is trying to face a difficulty in life. "The Foot That Stepped There" is no different. When she made the "shoe cup," she was thinking about aging, and her sister who had been diagnosed with breast cancer - a disease that would eventually claim her life a year later. Mary Jo said that she was thinking of a child's foot that no longer fits in the Mary Jane style shoe, about youth, and about being carefree at that age. She was also thinking about traveling, and passing in and out of places, as she traveled to many places for artist residencies during this time period. An imprint of a key and the words "MADE IN CHINA" grace the bottom of the shoe. Mary Jo doesn't remember why the key is there, but thinks it may be an obtuse thought about fleeting time, or a key from a previous address. The mystery is almost more fun than knowing, and causes us to contemplate what it could mean in the context that she presents.