AGE

21

Date_of_performance

5/1/25

Language

English

Nationality

American

Occupation

Student

Primary Language

Spanish

Residence

San Martin, CA

Superstition: Leaving shows or sandals flipped upside down or on the side is bad luck. 

Context + Text: The individual is my roommate in college for the past 4 years. He had told me about this superstition his mom taught him about leaving footwear not right side up. “Whenever I got home, my mom always yelled at me to make sure my shoes are right side up, or the next car ride would be bad luck”. He continued to say he truly believed in it and would make sure that no one in his family left their shoes in the wrong position. It was something he believed in so much that he would make sure his college roommates followed the same rule. “One time, I had come back from a midterm, and I didn’t believe I did well on it, once I opened the door home, I saw my sandals were upside down”. That was the final straw for him, and he became even more attentive to his footwear anytime he came home, as he could not afford any more bad luck. He has continued his superstitious acts till this day and has even converted all his roommates to follow suit, so no footwear is left in the wrong position in our entire house. While we may not have experienced bad luck from this situation, his strong belief and emotions about this have made us all believers. 

Analysis: The idea of bad luck stemming from misplacing footwear can have various different interpretations. Some believe that it is a message from the universe for mistreating our sandals and shoes. They protect our feet from the ground and dirt, the least we can do is put them right side up whenever we are done using them. This interpretation is interesting as it gives a life to the shoes we wear, treating them as if they were pets or even human. We must show them respect because they protect us, but it’s just shoes. Another way to dissect the bad luck can simply stem from the annoyance and clutter that shoes can cause if they aren’t set properly. People have bad days all the time but having a bad day and coming home to see your shoes all upside down and backwards can be the final straw. Whether it stems from a dislike of seeing your shoes messed up, or as a respect to your shoes for protecting you, the superstition has made many people more anxious about how they take care of their shoes, and more careful whenever they come home.