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SHOE TRADITIONS In most parts of the world(Asia, Eastern Europe, parts of the Middle East and Africa, much of Northern Europe and Canada, as well as Alaska) it is customary to remove shoes when returning to one's own home or visiting others. People do this to avoid tracking in dirt, mud, snow, or other unpleasant things stepped on in the street. This is because people in most countries wish to keep their homes and carpets clean. On the other hand, in some countries(e.g. the US and Western Europe) many people are displeased if others take shoes off in their company. This is considered rude and/or strange due to a violation of cultural norms, although it is often explained by potential foot odor. However, many Americans leave their shoes on when returning to their own home, even if there is no one around to offend by potential foot odor. In almost all parts of the world, people will remove their shoes if they have been walking through snow or mud; this applies to countries where the "foot odor" stigma exists as well. It might be mentioned that foot odor most often results from wearing shoes for many hours; this is a possible explanation for the "foot odor" fear in countries where shoes are worn for most of the day. People in these countries sometimes do not remove their shoes until they absolutely must, for example, bathing or going to sleep. In the Middle East and Thailand, it is considered rude to show the soles of the feet to others(even accidentally, such as by crossing the legs). In addition, in Thailand, it is an extreme insult for the foot, socks, or shoes to touch someone's head or be placed over it. Although feet touching heads is an extremely rare occurence in any society, some Muay Thai boxers insult each other by "kicking" the opponent's head with their foot (most Muay Thai kicks are executed with the shin). Units for shoe sizes vary widely around the world. European sizes are measured in Paris Points, which are worth two-thirds of a centimeter. The UK and American units are approximately one-quarter of inch, starting at 8¼ inches. Men's and women's shoe sizes often have different scales. Right-handed, Left-Footed - For most people, the larger foot is the opposite from the hand they write with. Try on shoes starting with your larger foot. Shoes come in a variety of styles, and fashions in shoes change as often as fashion clothing. |
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