perform, complete, footgear, shoes, boots, put on (the feet)
履 centers on the act of stepping into or carrying out something: putting on footwear, and by extension performing or completing an action as if walking through it.
履 combines 尸 (a body or person) with 復, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of returning or repeating. Together they suggest stepping or walking, leading to the meanings of footwear and performing actions.
The outer 尸 looks like a person bending forward, and inside is 復 (return). Imagine someone returning home and stepping into their shoes at the entrance—履 means putting on footwear and, by extension, stepping into a task to perform it.
For リ, picture a person putting on their favorite leather boots: leather -> リ, and the boots are ready to perform any task.
to put on (lower-body clothing, e.g. pants, skirt, footwear); to wear
personal history; background; career
taking (a class); studying; completion (of a course)
performance (of a duty); fulfillment (of a promise); fulfilment; execution (of a contract); discharge; implementation
default; nonperformance
zori; traditional Japanese thonged sandals
hallway slippers; indoor shoes
footwear; footgear; shoes
tank tread; continuous track; caterpillar track; endless track; crawler track
Paramecium spp. (esp. Paramecium caudatum)
error history
command history
rubber thongs; rubber flip-flops
wearing sandals
indoor sandals; slippers
outdoor shoes
to inflate (figures); to jack up (e.g. a score); to pad
wearing wooden clogs
residential building in which the first floor is occupied by businesses
defective performance; imperfect performance