straw sandals
鞋 centers on traditional straw sandals, a specific type of footwear. The meaning is narrow and concrete, referring to this particular woven footgear.
鞋 combines 革 (leather) with 圭, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to leather shoes, but in Japanese it came to mean straw sandals specifically.
The left side 革 suggests leather or footwear, and the right side 圭 looks like stacked earth. Picture walking on earthy ground with woven straw sandals protecting your feet.
For アイ, imagine an eye (アイ) on each straw sandal, watching where you step. The eye sound cues アイ while the sandals carry you.