TikTok is warning those in relationships not to gift your partner shoes this Christmas.
Young women have recently been frightened to learn about the widespread "shoe theory", especially since Christmas is upon us.
Here's what you need to know about it.
What is the shoe theory?
According to a Chinese superstition known as the "shoe theory break-up", giving someone a pair of shoes is said to trigger a curse, effectively causing them to "walk away".
Although the superstition dates back years, the viral jinx first appeared on TikTok a few months ago. Since then, unmarried women have been sharing their heart-breaking stories, including stories of those who were left shortly after getting a pair of shoes.
@fay_holder ♬ original sound - speakerbleed225
A TikToker by the name of Angela Chan revealed that her mother initially introduced her to the theory when she was a little girl.
"Gifting someone a pair of shoes will make them walk out on you eventually," she claimed, noting that the Chinese term for "shoes" has a pronunciation akin to "evil" or "bad luck".
Since then, a large number of users on the platform have examined theories independently and said whether or not they agree with them. For instance, Katie, a TikToker, shared that she first thought the hypothesis was "dumb".
This was before she had a "lightbulb moment" and realised that the one occasion she had ever given a present to someone was when she had given a pair of shoes to her ex. She declared, "They definitely walked out of my life".
@hannahgtown Merry Christmas, we had a good run x
♬ original sound - angela chan
@sarzbear The theory doesn’t discriminate types of shoes apparently #fyp
♬ original sound - <3
@brookejamesxx And if your not then why u buying him shoes anyways💀 if he leaves hes simply✨not the one for you✨
♬ original sound - speakerbleed225
Is it true?
The theory has turned out to be true for some people
One TikToker said, "I've never heard of this but literally the only person I've bought shoes for is the only person who's 'walked out of my life' unexpectedly".
Another agreed, saying, "Got my husband a pair of shoes for Christmas two years ago. The following March, days after our daughter’s bday, found he had been having a one-year affair".
What other trends have people shared on TikTok?
The "name a woman" craze, which saw women asking their husbands or lovers for the name of any random woman, also was another trend. Afterward, viewers and commenters judge whether or not the individual in question provided a "acceptable" response based on the name that immediately comes to mind.
