‘It’s a curse’: Viral ‘shoe theory’ taking over TikTok has Gen Zers terrified they’re going to get DUMPED this Christmas – all because they bought their partners a new pair of kicks

• The shoe theory that is trending is derived from the old superstition that gifting loved ones footwear is bad luck and will lead to them walking out of your life
• Both dumpers and dumpees have shared videos detailing how their past relationships came to an end following the purchase of a pair of shoes as a gift
• The hashtag #shoetheory has six billion views on the platform, and many of the more recent videos are set to Lana Del Rey’s ‘Mariners Apartment Complex’
• Some Gen Zers are freaking out over the fact that they bought their partners shoes for Christmas before they ever heard of the superstition 

Gen Zers are living in fear they are headed for a breakup this holiday season because they bought their partners a new pair of shoes for Christmas. 

The viral ‘shoe theory’ taking over TikTok is derived from the old superstition that gifting loved ones footwear is bad luck and will lead to them walking out of your life. 

Both dumpers and dumpees have detailed how their past relationships came to an end following the seemingly innocuous purchase of a pair of shoes as a gift. 

TikTok user @taylor.castroo is among the believers of the viral ‘shoe theory’ that has taken over the platform this holiday season 

The theory is derived from the old superstition that gifting loved ones footwear will lead to them walking out of your life. TikTok user @yrfavtaurus claimed that her boyfriend dumped her right after she bought him sneakers for his birthday 

The hashtag #shoetheory has a whopping six billion views on the platform, and many of the more recent videos are set to lyrics from Lana Del Rey’s ‘Mariners Apartment Complex.’

TikTok user @megan.grace20 shared that she ‘just found out about the theory’ and is living proof that it is real. 

‘I bought my [boyfriend] the Lightning McQueen Crocs for Christmas this year, and he broke up with me three weeks after I bought them and a month before Christmas,’ she wrote in the on-screen text. 

‘It’s a curse,’ she added in the caption. 

it’s a curse. #fyp #crocs #cars #lighteningmcqueen #foryou #christmas #shoetheory #ex

TikTok user @megan.grace20 shared that she ‘just found out about the theory’ and is living proof that it is real

TikTok user @lilbih923 noted that she and her boyfriend were together for ‘almost two years’ when she bought him a pair of Jordans. He dumped her a month later 

The now-viral video has been viewed more than 3.3. million times, and she isn’t the only one who is blaming her heartbreak on shoes. 

‘Shoe theory is 100% accurate because one time I bought a man $400 Jordans for Christmas, and he broke up [with] me a month later,’ TikTok user @lilbih923 shared. 

She noted in the caption that they were together for ‘almost two years,’ and he didn’t even bother to give her the pricey sneakers back. 

‘I just found out what the shoe theory is and IT IS REAL,’ agreed Taylor Castro, whose handle is @taylor.castroo. ‘I bought my ex the pair of shoes he really wanted for Xmas, and we broke up a week after. He even put the shoes up on Depop the day we broke up.’ 

this is odd #fypシ #shoetheory

TikTok user @ok.kati.2 admitted in a recent video that she initially thought the theory was ‘dumb,’ but then she remembered her ex ‘walked out’ of her life after she gifted a pair of shoes

TikTok user @anniep recalled how she broke up with her boyfriend after he bought her a pair of shoes for Christmas 

TikTok user @ok.kati.2 admitted in a recent video that she initially thought the theory was ‘dumb,’ but then she ‘had a lightbulb moment’ after doing some research. 

‘Funny enough I had gifted an ex of mine a pair of shoes, and mind you this is the only I’ve ever gifted someone a pair of shoes…. and yeah, not gonna lie, they definitely walked out of my life,’ she said. 

The shoe theory seems to be a modern take on an old Chinese superstition. According to the South China Morning Post, giving shoes as a gift is believed to ‘bring bad luck.’ 

‘The word “shoe” sounds similar to the word “evil” in Mandarin or “rough” in Cantonese, so giving footwear as a present is a big no-no,’ the article states. 

Despite the wave of shoe theory stories that have gone viral this month, it’s important to remember that the so-called evidence is merely anecdotal — and likely coincidental.

There have also been a number of people who have set out to disprove the superstition, including TikTok user @victoriaclemxxo

However, that hasn’t stopped people from freaking out over the fact that they bought their partners shoes for Christmas. TikTok user @amy.mcgillivray pointed out that the theory is all over her ‘For You’ page

TikTok user @cryingwithgab was upset that she didn’t hear about the theory until after she bought her partner a new pair of shoes 

There have also been a number of people who have set out to disprove the superstition, including TikTok user @victoriaclemxxo. 

‘Ladies I’m proof the shoe theory is a myth!!’ she captioned her video. ‘He put a ring on it years ago, and I buy him shoes every year!’

One commenter claimed that the real issue is the price of the shoes, arguing that giving a new partner ‘anything expensive’ can lead to a breakup because it looks like you are ‘trying too hard.’ 

However, that hasn’t stopped people — particularly young women — from freaking out over the fact that they bought their partners shoes for Christmas. 

‘Why is the shoe theory just now coming out?’ user @cryingwithgab asked in her video. ‘Like after I bought his present? Really? I didn’t just buy a 100 dollar pair of shoes just to get broken up with.’ 

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