Age: 19
Greenwich, CT
Location: N/A

Context: My friend brought this up when I was talking to her about specific things our families do/believe in. She is originally from Connecticut but now lives in Los Angeles to attend USC. She informed me that this belief was taught to her by her parents and assumes that it might be a part of her Indian heritage.

Content:
Interviewer: “Can you explain to me what you were mentioning about your shoes and their significance?”

Interviewee: “This is something that I saw my parents do growing up. I’m not sure really if it’s a culture thing or just maybe respect thing, but I was always taught that when you’re sitting down to always point your feet at the ground like the bottom of your foot.

For example, I’m sitting down and crossing my legs, the leg that is crossed over should not be pointing at anyone like the bottom of my shoe should not be facing the person next to me or like facing upwards.”

Interviewer: “When you were taught this as a kid, did your parents explicitly tell you why the bottoms of your shoes shouldn’t be facing anyone?”

Interviewee: “I think this is just a sign of disrespect, but also just know bad energy that’s just being put out towards another person.”

Analysis:
This belief functions as a folk custom that reinforces ideas of respect in everyday interactions. The bottom of the shoe becomes a marker of impurity and negativity, so pointing it at someone communicates disrespect or bad energy. Even without a clear origin, the rule seems to be learned through observation and then repetition on the observer’s part. This shows how cultural values are often transmitted implicitly through families. Overall, it reflects how folklore shapes body language and social etiquette by attaching morality to ordinary actions such as crossing your legs.