Americans appalled by beloved Aussie lifestyle: ‘I can’t think of anything dirtier’

For many people down under, going barefoot is a way of life.

When we’re not walking around in thongs (flip-flops, for the dirty minded), we often forget our shoes when we go for a quick trip to the supermarket, petrol station or Maccas.

But now, the rest of the world has discovered our collective lack of footwear, leaving many stunned and even horrified.

A video montage of Sydneysiders walking barefoot has gone viral on TikTok, amassing over 4.4 million views, 200,000 reactions and 7,000 comments.

In one clip, the bikini-clad locals can be seen wandering around a Woolworths in Bondi Beach barefoot while picking up their groceries – bare heels on full display.

In another, a group of teenagers hung out outside Boost Juice on Campbell Parade, all similarly shoeless on the pavement.

Residents took to Hall Street as they walked their dogs, again, without shoes, and were seen wandering across the zebra crossings, barefoot with their wheels on the tarmac.

The video exposed our dirty habit, with the poster saying: “POV: You’re in Australia” with a crying emoji.

Although we pride ourselves on being a clean country, people still seem to take issue with our lax attitude towards the hygiene and safety of our feet.

“But why?? So many insects, broken glass, urine, etc.,” reads one comment, with 1,500 likes.

“There are mosques everywhere in the eastern suburbs,” claimed someone else.

Even our countrymen chimed in, with one saying: “I’m from Melbourne and I can’t think of anything dirtier than being barefoot on public floors.”

“I don’t know what’s worse, America wearing shoes at home or Australia walking around barefoot,” said someone else.

Other international commentators thought it was a joke.

“Can anyone confirm if this is true?” asked a confused onlooker.

“What?! So people don’t have shoes??” another man wrote in shock.

“Aren’t there bugs and snakes and strange plants everywhere?” someone else answered.

However, some locals defended our national custom, saying it’s not as bad as it seems.

“As a born and bred Aussie this is true, but only in the suburbs by the beach, more people wear shoes than not, but definitely have memories of hot days barefoot in the supermarket getting ice cream,” said one.

“It’s only acceptable if you’re close to the beach,” someone wrote.

Others went so far as to specify the exact distance from the beach that it is acceptable to go barefoot.

“10km or less,” said one.

“Here, it’s 5 km,” said a second.

Others could not see the issue and even argued that it was our “natural state of being”.

“We weren’t born with shoes, why is it so strange to some people?” one asked.

“It’s ‘grounding,'” joked another.

Actor Jacob Elordi made headlines this time last year for bringing our barefoot behavior to the world stage when he decided to head to a coffee shop in Malibu with his big feet pounding the concrete like he was back in Brisbane.

Chris Hemsworth is another A-lister who’s known for getting his clip clapped out when wandering around Byron Bay, and his wife Elsa Pataky is also partial to some skin-on-skin pavement time.

There is no clear reason why it is so common to go barefoot in Australia.

Some have put it under the influence of our indigenous culture.

Others see it as a reflection of our casual, relaxed society.