diff --git a/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/Model.java b/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/Model.java
index 498a9c36e49..dac1702ead9 100644
--- a/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/Model.java
+++ b/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/Model.java
@@ -202,6 +202,27 @@ public Shape expectShape(ShapeId id) {
                 "Shape not found in model: " + id, SourceLocation.NONE));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Attempts to retrieve a {@link Shape} by {@link ShapeId} and
+     * throws if not found or if the shape is not of the expected type.
+     *
+     * @param id Shape to retrieve by ID.
+     * @param type Shape type to expect and convert to.
+     * @return Returns the shape.
+     * @throws ExpectationNotMetException if the shape is not found or is not the expected type.
+     */
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    public <T extends Shape> T expectShape(ShapeId id, Class<T> type) {
+        Shape shape = expectShape(id);
+        if (type.isInstance(shape)) {
+            return (T) shape;
+        }
+
+        throw new ExpectationNotMetException(String.format(
+                "Expected shape `%s` to be an instance of `%s`, but found `%s`",
+                id, type.getSimpleName(), shape.getType()), shape);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gets a stream of {@link Shape}s in the index.
      *
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/shapes/Shape.java b/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/shapes/Shape.java
index fb329672128..78a980c176d 100644
--- a/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/shapes/Shape.java
+++ b/smithy-model/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/shapes/Shape.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.Model;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.SourceException;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.SourceLocation;
+import software.amazon.smithy.model.node.ExpectationNotMetException;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.traits.TagsTrait;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.traits.Trait;
 import software.amazon.smithy.utils.MapUtils;
@@ -207,6 +208,19 @@ public final <T extends Trait> Optional<T> getTrait(Class<T> traitClass) {
                 .map(trait -> (T) trait);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Gets specific {@link Trait} by class from the shape or throws if not found.
+     *
+     * @param traitClass Trait class to retrieve.
+     * @param <T> The instance of the trait to retrieve.
+     * @return Returns the matching trait.
+     * @throws ExpectationNotMetException if the trait cannot be found.
+     */
+    public final <T extends Trait> T expectTrait(Class<T> traitClass) {
+        return getTrait(traitClass).orElseThrow(() -> new ExpectationNotMetException(String.format(
+                "Expected shape `%s` to have a trait `%s`", getId(), traitClass.getCanonicalName()), this));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gets all of the traits attached to the shape.
      *
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/ModelTest.java b/smithy-model/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/ModelTest.java
index 6377907d8a7..d5a9114fac0 100644
--- a/smithy-model/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/ModelTest.java
+++ b/smithy-model/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/ModelTest.java
@@ -21,8 +21,12 @@
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.not;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import software.amazon.smithy.model.node.ExpectationNotMetException;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.node.Node;
+import software.amazon.smithy.model.shapes.IntegerShape;
+import software.amazon.smithy.model.shapes.ShapeId;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.shapes.StringShape;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.traits.TraitDefinition;
 
@@ -56,4 +60,22 @@ public void modelEquality() {
         assertThat(modelA, not(equalTo(modelB)));
         assertThat(modelA, not(equalTo(null)));
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void successfullyExpectsShapesOfType() {
+        StringShape shape = StringShape.builder().id("ns.foo#A").build();
+        Model model = Model.builder().addShape(shape).build();
+
+        assertThat(model.expectShape(ShapeId.from("ns.foo#A"), StringShape.class), equalTo(shape));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void throwsIfShapeNotOfRightType() {
+        StringShape shape = StringShape.builder().id("ns.foo#A").build();
+        Model model = Model.builder().addShape(shape).build();
+
+        Assertions.assertThrows(ExpectationNotMetException.class, () -> {
+            model.expectShape(ShapeId.from("ns.foo#A"), IntegerShape.class);
+        });
+    }
 }
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/shapes/ShapeTest.java b/smithy-model/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/shapes/ShapeTest.java
index 8d47561874f..5c37bb73dfe 100644
--- a/smithy-model/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/shapes/ShapeTest.java
+++ b/smithy-model/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/model/shapes/ShapeTest.java
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.Model;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.SourceLocation;
+import software.amazon.smithy.model.node.ExpectationNotMetException;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.node.Node;
+import software.amazon.smithy.model.traits.DeprecatedTrait;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.traits.DocumentationTrait;
 import software.amazon.smithy.model.traits.Trait;
 
@@ -126,6 +128,7 @@ public void hasTraits() {
 
         assertTrue(shape.getTrait(MyTrait.class).isPresent());
         assertTrue(shape.getMemberTrait(model, MyTrait.class).isPresent());
+        assertEquals(shape.getTrait(MyTrait.class).get(), shape.expectTrait(MyTrait.class));
 
         assertTrue(shape.findTrait("foo.baz#foo").isPresent());
         assertTrue(shape.findMemberTrait(model, "foo.baz#foo").isPresent());
@@ -150,6 +153,13 @@ public void hasTraits() {
         assertThat(traits, hasItem(documentationTrait));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void throwsWhenTraitNotFound() {
+        Shape string = StringShape.builder().id("com.foo#example").build();
+
+        Assertions.assertThrows(ExpectationNotMetException.class, () -> string.expectTrait(DeprecatedTrait.class));
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void traitsMustNotBeNull() {
         Assertions.assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> {