The barefoot habit of Australians surprises many visitors from developed countries.
While Americans are known for wearing shoes indoors (many families, but not all), and the Japanese have their traditional Geta sandals, the story of the shoe-wearing habits in the land down under is quite unusual.
Recently, British vloggers Curtis and Darcie shared a video online titled “Confirmed: Australians Hate Shoes…” The video features a series of images of Australians comfortably going barefoot everywhere, from the streets to shopping malls, restaurants, and shops. The video also includes the caption “Serious question, why do so many Australians walk around without shoes??”
This is indeed strange for those who have never been to Australia. In response to the question, an Australian with the username Śïṟ-be-gøŋę commented, “We were born this way,” while another user, alliyahhhhhh, remarked, “It’s just an Aussie thing.”
Only in Australia.
Some opinions suggest that this practice is somewhat unhygienic and could be dangerous, given that Australia is known for its many venomous creatures. There were even comments like: “In the U.S., no shoes or no shirt means no service!”
It’s not just the everyday Australians who have this habit; many celebrities are also seen walking barefoot in the streets. “Thor” Chris Hemsworth has been spotted comfortably going barefoot around the city. Besides Hemsworth, Euphoria star Jacob Elordi even brought this “tradition” to Malibu, USA.
Many Australian stars also enjoy walking barefoot on the streets, even when they are no longer at home.
According to the Australian travel blog Outback Tourist, there are both natural and cultural reasons for this habit.
The primary reason why people go barefoot in Australia is likely due to the weather. The weather in Australia is very hot, except for a short winter. Many feel they cannot help but go barefoot in the typical hot and dry climate. Furthermore, Australia is famous for its beaches, which greatly influences this habit (perhaps they want to hit the beach but are too lazy to wear shoes?).
Of course, one might ask why they don’t wear flip-flops. The simple answer is… Australians like it that way, and because they can, as Australian culture is quite laid-back and doesn’t really care about how you dress.
Most of those who go barefoot are quite young. They also tend to be quite confident, as the streets in Australia are generally clean. Another point is that in central cities like Melbourne, you won’t see many people walking barefoot. This is more common among those living around beach areas, especially in the summer.
Australians also believe that going barefoot is beneficial when it’s hot, and some even say it can help prevent dehydration and make the feet more resilient.
