“What’s Going On?”: Gent Removes His Shoes Before Entering a Store and Starts a Trend
- A car guard shared a video showing how he removed his shoes before entering a retail store
- Other people walking into the store noticed the shoes at the entrance and started copying him by taking off their own shoes too
- South Africans found the video hilarious, with many joking about what they would have done in the same situation
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Source: Facebook
A Johannesburg comedian and car guard who shares funny videos on his Facebook page posted a clip on 24 November 2025 that had South Africans laughing and confused. The video showed people at a shopping centre copying the man's strange behaviour before entering a retail store. The video went viral, getting over 10,000 reactions and more than 80 comments.
He captioned the post:
"Would you have taken your shoes off also?😭💔😂"
In the video, a woman stood outside a retail store entrance, holding her child's empty Purity packet and closing it before they went inside. The content creator walked up and, before entering the store, stopped and removed his shoes at the entrance. The woman looked at him, surprised and confused. Another man then arrived while talking on his cellphone, and he also removed his shoes and left them at the doorway before walking in.
More people started arriving at the store, and each one removed their shoes before entering. A young man approached and noticed all the shoes lined up at the entrance. Just as he was about to walk in with his shoes on, he stopped, walked backwards, and bent down to start removing his own shoes. The woman standing outside spoke to him, telling him he didn't have to do that because she wasn't sure why everyone else was taking off their shoes. The person recording also captured footage of a store employee at the entrance looking just as confused as everyone else about why people kept removing their shoes.
The video showed how one person's behaviour caused a chain reaction, with others assuming they had to do the same thing.
Source: Facebook
Mzansi reacts to the shoe removal
Social media users shared their thoughts on what they would have done on the clip:
@Nzwaki Monchusi joked:
"🤣🤣🤣 Spring cleaning."
@Shantel Mawedze shared:
"I have that habit even in shops, I take my shoes off."
@Kui Wan wrote:
"Best video... Had a bad day but at least I've smiled."
@Agnes Khoaeane said:
"Imagine if I were wearing torn socks."
@Snowy Mashiloane added:
"Never, I would've picked them up and run away. I'm too childish 😭😭😭"
Why do people remove shoes indoors
According to Wikipedia, the way people handle shoes when entering a home is very different around the world. In many Asian countries, it’s normal to take your shoes off before stepping inside. In places like India and the Middle East, people remove their shoes before entering temples or mosques because shoes carry dirt, and taking them off shows respect in a holy place.
In Japan, there’s a special area called the genkan right at the door where you take off your outdoor shoes and slip into indoor slippers. In Korea, it’s also common to leave your shoes at the entrance—wearing shoes inside is seen as disrespectful. Over in Canada and Northern Europe, especially Scandinavia, it’s considered rude and unhygienic to keep your shoes on indoors. It's unclear as to why people followed the Facebook user @Papak Bee Carguard's behaviour and removed their shoes, especially since it isn't a custom practised in South Africa.
Watch the Facebook video below:
More shoe and fashion stories
- Briefly News recently reported on SA trolling Focalistic's Louis Vuitton sneakers and comparing them to the Cool Cats shoe brand.
- A beauty content creator shared details about Crocs' birthday sale, offering shoes for R23 with free shipping.
- Mrs Bullock addressed critics after receiving hate about her Adidas shoes at Grace Mondlana's year-end party.
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Source: Briefly News
