Canada is the hat on his head as America is the shoes on his feet.

Everyone thinks Canada is offended when America calls him his hat. Little do they know it's almost like an inside joke. He calls Canada his hat because he's the thing that keeps him from losing his head; that protects his ears from cold words.

What America never told him was that it also symbolized how he holds Canada above himself.

Canada was his hero.

He does so much good for the world, not as much as a country they both could admit, but as a person. Despite all the years he never lost touch with his native roots, and even found a way to mix old traditions in with the new. He wasn't too prideful to cry or ask for help when he needed it, he's stood up to that commie bastard Russia in a hockey match and won multiple times. Hell he's won so many impossible battles with mere words, and although he wasn't well remembered he was well respected when he was.

Canada had all the traits a superhero should, selflessness, humility, and a desire to do good without anything in return.

Well that and it helped that he had these badass powers of invisibility, and he carried around a freakin' polar bear! How awesome is that!? That thing had to weigh a ton! And it had sharp teeth!

...not that he was speaking from experience…

Sure it's not a very warm hat, and it may blow off his head without him noticing, as well as being totally unstylish, hard to find, and a tiny bit larger than him, not to mention there were way cooler and more interesting hats!…

…but he wouldn't trade this cap for any in the world.

The few people that heard the second part of their little joke thought it was because he could walk all over America.

While both the personifications knew this to be a little true, that wasn't the real reason America was his shoes.

America was he shoes because America was the thing that drove him forward. If he didn't have his brother, sure he would probably be noticed more but then what? His country was a little mild in terms of excitement. Don't get him wrong he wouldn't change a thing about his peaceful home but when all his European friends went home, he would be all by himself with no one to propel him forward into new adventures.

What Canada never told him was how it also symbolized that America was what grounded him.

When the whole world forgot him he remembered he just needed to stomp his foot down and remind them 'yeah, I'm America's badass northern brother. Just remember if you need fresh water in the next fifty years you best not forget it!'…of course he'd be much more polite about it.

That's another thing; America shows him how to be down to earth. His Don't-take-no-for-an-answer attitude inspired him to speak up more so that they can be seen as equals rather than the lesser half of a whole. America is the sole that protects his vulnerable feet from getting hurt when he dares to tread on a new path. He would go places no one else thought of going or even had the guts or brains to go; he wasn't afraid to fight for what he though was right and apologize if he was wrong.

America put the bounce in his step and keeps him on his toes, he's confident, brave, and everything Canada doesn't have himself. Sometimes even America doesn't believe in himself, but Canada always knew he was a hero.

He had the super strength to back it up too, something Canada learned the hard way, and re-learned every time he was suckered into playing another game of baseball…

…not to mention he's loud. He's like those pair of shoes that squeak all throughout the halls and no matter how you walk their just as obnoxiously loud! And then people get angry at you! And you meekly say 'I'm sorry, I'll try to walk more carefully but there's nothing I can do about it'! or when they track mud in and ruin the floor you just cleaned! Or when they-...but despite all the annoyed looks you get, you wouldn't dare put on another pair.