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It can be easy to assume that just because a country speaks the same language as you, you’ll have things in common with them.
But while Americans and Australians might both share the English language, there’s definitely some key cultural differences.
In fact, tourists on TikTok have only just started discovering one of the biggest differences between Aussies and themselves, and it is pretty mind blowing…
Yep, while in the US and the UK shoes are a compulsory part of your outfit that you’d simply never leave the house without, the same cannot be said for Australia, where it’s not unusual to see people walking the streets or round supermarkets in bare feet.
A TikTok account run by Brits Curtis and Darcie, who are currently travelling in Australia, recently asked the question on why so many Aussies opt to go shoeless in public.
“Serious question, why do so many Australians walk around without shoes on?” they wrote, over a series of clips of people walking bare foot.
“We’re just built different,” one Aussie commented, while another added: “Just the Australian way.”
Not everyone was satisfied with that excuse though, with one TikToker commenting: “I don’t know why but it gives me the ick,” while another added: “This is disgusting.”
Meanwhile, others raised safety concerns, especially given all the wildlife in Australia and it’s a fair point.
“Health and safety alert! You could step on something sharp and get diseases. Please be safe,” they wrote, while another added: “This looks painful.”
If you were ever in any doubt that it really is the Australian way then you need look no further than stars like Chris Hemsworth and Jacob Elordi, who are regularly papped walking around shoeless.
Earlier this year, the actor was spotted walking barefoot through Byron Bay with twin sons Sasha and Tristan, and if it’s good enough for Thor, perhaps it should be good enough for us.
In all seriousness though, you’ve got to have some pretty hardened skin on the bottom of your feet to be comfortable walking around on hard ground with no shoes, because we’ve all experienced the discomfort of walking without shoes after coming off a sandy beach or after a swim at the local pool – and it hurts.
It might be something we never come to understand, but let’s not knock it until we’ve at least tried it. That’s only fair, right Aussies?
