Online user asks, ‘Is it a cultural thing to drag feet while walking?’

SINGAPORE: “Is it a cultural thing to drag feet while walking?” This was the question an online user asked in a forum on Monday (Mar 10). “Just curious because I noticed that in Asia in general (including Singapore, but also in Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.), I have been encountering people dragging their feet while walking, which creates some sound coming from the friction with the floor,” he pointed out. “I’m trying to understand as I thought dragging feet while walking can lead to bad posture as it’s not the most ergonomic way of walking, or is it culturally encouraged?”

A handful of online users responded to the post, making for a rather interesting online conversation about people who drag their feet while walking. A good number answered the writer’s question, saying that it’s not behaviour that is encouraged, but rather a bad habit. Some gave their reasons for doing so, such as having a bad knee, reducing the tension on their toes, or preventing certain types of footwear from falling off, while others blatantly called out the behaviour as their pet peeve.

One online user shared an instance when he accidentally scared someone at night because he wasn’t dragging his feet. “That person scolded me for not making some sound when walking, but I didn’t really care as it’s just the way I walk,” he said. “I find that wearing shoes with a rubber outsole will prevent me from dragging my feet as it will generate a squeaking sound when I drag (them) across the floor and the friction will make it less desirable to drag my feet.”

Another argued, “It’s not culturally encouraged, but it’s a bad habit from wearing flip flops or slippers most of the time. Picking up your feet while wearing flip-flops or slippers tends to result in your footwear falling off.”

After sharing that he was punished for dragging his feet both in school and at national service, a third wrote, “Guess the system is ineffective in training us.”

However, one shared, “It reduces toe tension when walking in flats and slippers. I don’t think it’s rude or cultural, just toe preservation and a pretty smart relaxation technique too…until there’s uneven ground and you trip.”

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Featured image by Depositphotos/Mizkit (for illustration purposes only)