Learn Hardcore Japanese: watasi ha kutu wo motte ikimasu.

は is the topic marker, showing that “as for me” we’re talking about what I do. It sets 私 as the topic of the sentence. Using が would simply mark the subject (“I”), but here the focus is on the action related to “me.”

What role does を play after 靴?

を is the direct‐object particle. It marks 靴 as the thing being carried. Without を, the verb wouldn’t know what object you’re acting upon.

Why do we say 持っていきます instead of just 持ちます?

持ちます means “I hold/carry” in a general sense. By using the て-form 持って plus いきます (行く in its polite form), you express “to take (something) away from here to somewhere else.” The て-form connects 持つ (“to hold”) with 行く (“to go”), giving the nuance of carrying something off to another location.

How do you form the て-form 持って from the dictionary form 持つ?

持つ is a godan verb ending in ‐つ. To make the て-form, you change つ to って. So 持つ → 持って.

Does 持っていきます mean present tense or future tense?

Japanese “present” tense covers both current and future actions. So 持っていきます can mean either “I’m taking (them) now” or “I will take (them).” Context tells you whether it’s happening now or planned for later.

How would you say “I will bring the shoes here” instead of “take them away”?

You swap 行く (いく) with 来る (くる).
So it becomes:
私は靴を持ってきます。
Here 持ってきます means “to bring (toward the speaker).”

Can 私 and は be dropped in casual speech?

Yes. Japanese often omits clear topics or subjects. If context makes it obvious who’s doing the action, you can simply say:
靴を持っていきます。

Is there any nuance between 持っていきます and 持っていく?

持っていく is the plain dictionary form, used in informal speech or before attaching auxiliary verbs. 持っていきます is its polite (ます) form. The nuance of “taking away” remains the same; you’re just choosing formality level.