Đây là một đôi giày.

A natural word-by-word breakdown is:

• Đây = this / here is
• là = is / are
• một = one / a
• đôi = a classifier meaning pair
• giày = shoes

So the structure is literally close to:

This is one pair of shoes.

In natural English, that is usually just This is a pair of shoes.

Đôi is used because shoes normally come in pairs.

In Vietnamese, many nouns use a classifier or unit word. For things that naturally come in twos, đôi is very common.

Examples:

• một đôi giày = a pair of shoes
• một đôi dép = a pair of sandals/slippers
• một đôi đũa = a pair/set of chopsticks

So in this sentence, đôi is not optional if you want to say a pair of shoes in the most natural way.

Because the sentence is talking about the pair, not one single shoe.

Compare:

• một đôi giày = a pair of shoes
• một chiếc giày = one shoe
• một cái giày = one shoe

Chiếc and cái can both be classifiers for a single shoe, though chiếc often sounds a bit more specific or natural for individual items like shoes, vehicles, etc.

So:

• Đây là một đôi giày. = This is a pair of shoes.
• Đây là một chiếc giày. = This is a shoe. / This is one shoe.

Not always, but it is natural here.

• Đây là một đôi giày. = This is a pair of shoes.
• Đây là đôi giày. = This is the pair of shoes / These are the shoes.

The version with một is usually indefinite, like English a pair of shoes.

Without một, the phrase can sound more definite or context-dependent, as if you already know which shoes are being discussed.

So if you are introducing something for the first time, một đôi giày is a good choice.

Là is the Vietnamese copula, similar to to be in English when linking one thing with another.

In this sentence:

• Đây = this
• là = is
• một đôi giày = a pair of shoes

So:

Đây là một đôi giày. = This is a pair of shoes.

You will often see là in identification sentences like:

• Đây là giáo viên của tôi. = This is my teacher.
• Đó là nhà của tôi. = That is my house.

Yes. Đây often points to something near the speaker and can feel like this or here depending on the sentence.

In Đây là một đôi giày, the best English translation is usually:

• This is a pair of shoes.

But in other contexts, đây can be more like here:

• Tôi ở đây. = I am here.

So đây is a proximity word: it refers to something near the speaker.

Because đôi already tells you that the shoes are being treated as one pair.

In English, shoes by itself is plural:

• These are shoes.

But Vietnamese often organizes the idea around the unit:

• một đôi giày = one pair of shoes

So the most accurate translation matches that unit:

• This is a pair of shoes.

That is why the sentence uses is, not are, in English.

Usually that would sound incomplete or unnatural in this context.

Vietnamese often prefers a classifier or some kind of determiner when presenting a concrete object. So:

• Đây là một đôi giày. = natural
• Đây là giày. = possible in a very special context, but not the normal way to identify the object

For a learner, it is best to use:

• một đôi giày for a pair of shoes
• một chiếc giày for one shoe

Đôi is pronounced roughly like doi with a level tone, but there are two important details:

• đ is not the same as English d. It sounds more like an English d.
• The vowel combination ôi is like a glide, somewhat similar to oy in English boy, but not exactly the same.

So đôi is approximately:

• doy (rough approximation)

Tone matters too: đôi has the ngang tone, which is relatively level and neutral.

Because những marks plural, and this sentence is talking about one pair.

Compare:

• Đây là một đôi giày. = This is a pair of shoes.
• Đây là những đôi giày. = These are pairs of shoes.

So if you are pointing to just one pair, một đôi giày is correct.

There are a few possibilities depending on exactly what you mean.

If you mean these are shoes in a general plural sense:

• Đây là giày. or more naturally in context, another structure may be used

If you mean these are pairs of shoes:

• Đây là những đôi giày.

If you are pointing to one pair and using natural English:

• Đây là một đôi giày. = This is a pair of shoes.

So English and Vietnamese do not always match word-for-word in number. Vietnamese often focuses on the classifier and the noun phrase as a whole.

The pattern is:

Đây + là + một/classifier + noun

More generally:

demonstrative + là + noun phrase

Examples:

• Đây là một quyển sách. = This is a book.
• Đây là một cái bàn. = This is a table.
• Đây là một đôi giày. = This is a pair of shoes.

This is a very useful beginner pattern for identifying objects.