There is a difference between what dreams actually are and interpreting what they mean.
Without getting too in-depth here, what dreams are is your subconscious mind processing recent events. The subconscious stores everything it experiences during the day, through all your senses, plus the emotions you felt about those experiences. It stores them in short-term memory for later processing. When we sleep, we go through several phases of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) where the subconscious begins sorting out what is important and what is not. Think of it like going through your mail. File away things that need attention later and discard junk mail. Dreams are the way junk is discarded. We experience them as a form of "training" to teach us not to worry about them.
As for interpretation, what I see is a common theme: loss of control over where you are going, uncertainty, and a lack of preparation (no shoes) for what's to come. If we combine this information, it appears that you are worried that you may not have total control over where you are headed (we all have that worry), that you may be uncertain if that is the right direction, and that if it is inevitable, you may have forgotten something that might be important that you need to be fully prepared for what's to come. This is a very reasonable concern.
The good news is that your mind recognizes that they do not apply to you. You have been thorough in recognizing where you want to go, you are certain of your general direction, and you are prepared for what's to come. The fact that you dream about it means the mind is discarding these thoughts as "junk" and not something to worry about. Since the thoughts persist, you dream about them to train your mind to relax and worry less about them. When you reach that point, those dreams will be replaced by something else.
In my own recurring dreams, it is similar: I am always being pursued by a group of men who wish me harm, and I am searching for something I need, so I can't just escape. Usually, what I am searching for isn't important (shoes, clothing, etc.), so it isn't defensive, but rather a reason I can't just run away and escape being pursued.
I hope this provides some perspective, and I'll put away the head-shrinker's couch now.
😁
