From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfollow in somebody’s footstepsfollow in somebody’s footstepsIMITATEto do the same job or to work or live in the same way as someone else before you, especially someone in your family He is a doctor and expects his son to follow in his footsteps. → follow
Examples from the Corpus
follow in somebody’s footsteps• We will watch with interest what happens to these two women officers and to the young women who wish to follow in their footsteps.• And what would become of the two remaining women cadets, and the many more who hoped to follow in their footsteps?• Other talented women are fast following in her footsteps.• My father was always disappointed that Joey didn't follow in his footsteps and take over the farm.• He had hopes of following in the footsteps of Dositej and becoming minister of education.• The division has followed in the footsteps of Pochin's mobile concrete pumping division who achieved the accreditation last year.• You can follow in the footsteps of the legions at Fishbourne Roman Palace: one of the finest built outside Rome itself.• There were few chuckles in this heavy duty drama, which followed in the footsteps of Widows, Prime Suspect Civvies.• Now the powerful midfielder is following in Shearer's footsteps towards stardom.• Popular dancers who tried to follow in his tapping footsteps understood what he had accomplished. 