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I've often see Cambodians leave their shoes at the door by simply walking out of them without breaking stride. They leave them like footprints in mud. I've tried it to no avail and am reduced to removing them in a conventional manner. Can any Westerner just walk out of them without them sticking to their feet?

I can't.

taabarang wrote:I've often see Cambodians leave their shoes at the door by simply walking out of them without breaking stride. They leave them like footprints in mud. I've tried it to no avail and am reduced to removing them in a conventional manner. Can any Westerner just walk out of them without them sticking to their feet?

Surely you have noticed how they wear their shoes. If the shoes are not 'slip ons' and are just regular shoes, they'll stand on the heal leather squashing it down so that it becomes a 'slip on' shoe. No laces to untie. No pulling the heal out of the shoe.

I didn't realise this. Is it really special?

I've tried. It always ends up being more trouble than it's worth.

There's also that moment my momentum is already moving, I think I've got the shoe off nicely, but I don't, and I end up having to sling it off across the room to get it off before crash landing of my next step. 

I also try to leave them in a position where I can "walk" back into them when I leave. Also a disaster most of the time.

I can't squat like a Khmer either - our Cambodian friends think we're defective in that respect.

taabarang wrote:I've often see Cambodians leave their shoes at the door
by simply walking out of them without breaking stride. They leave them like footprints in mud. I've tried it to no avail and am reduced to removing them in a conventional manner. Can any Westerner just walk out of them without them sticking to their feet?

The thing that annoys me more is their shoes are left in the door way or at the bottom of the stairway, usually on the bottom step, and one has to climb over them.

i should have mentioned I was talking about flip-flops; I live rurally and only see proper shoes at special occasions like weddings. I, myself, have not worn anything but flip flops for many years now.

Samouth inquired, "I didn't realise this. Is it really special? " Well, it's special only in the sense that I can't do it and many Cambodians can. Besides creating horrible governments based on corruption, driving like institutionalized maniacs on a weekend pass, it's one of the few things they excel at.
And Duncan, yes I know that problem well The front of my door is littered with pairs of shoes that look like they are lost.