Jason: Hey, Michael, I found the perfect birthday gift for my girlfriend. A pair of beautiful running shoes. She’s been talking about them for weeks.
Michael: Wait. You’re buying her shoes?
Jason: Yes. Why do you look like I’ve just announced my retirement?
Michael: Mate, don’t do it. Giving shoes as a gift is bad luck. It can make the person walk away from you.
Jason: Seriously? I’m buying her shoes, not a one-way ticket out of my life.
Michael: Laugh all you want. My grandmother always said that shoes symbolize separation. You give someone shoes, and eventually, they’ll walk away.
Jason: Then what about people who buy shoes for themselves? Do they walk away from their own homes?
Michael: That’s different! The superstition applies when someone gives shoes to another person.
Jason: Ah, of course. The universe has a very specific gift policy. Self-purchased shoes are safe, but gifted shoes trigger a relationship cancellation.
Michael: You can joke, but these traditions have been around for generations. There’s usually a reason behind them.
Jason: There might be a reason they developed. That doesn’t mean the prediction is true. Think about it: has anyone ever demonstrated that receiving shoes actually increases the likelihood of a breakup?
Michael: Not scientifically. But I’ve seen things happen.
Jason: Tell me.
Michael: My cousin gave his girlfriend a pair of expensive sneakers for their anniversary. Three months later, they broke up.
Jason: That’s unfortunate. Did they break up because of the shoes?
Michael: I don’t know. But the timing was suspicious.
Jason: What if they had broken up three months later without receiving those shoes? Would you have blamed the shoes they were already wearing?
Michael: Don’t be ridiculous.
Jason: I’m trying! Relationships end for all sorts of reasons—arguments, incompatibility, money, changing priorities. You have one breakup after a shoe gift. That’s a coincidence, not evidence of causation.
Michael: Fine. But what about bad luck? Maybe it’s not just relationships. Shoes can represent a burden, too. You’re giving someone something that makes their journey harder.
Jason: A burden? Have you ever worn a comfortable pair of running shoes after walking around Hong Kong all day? That’s practically a public health intervention.
Michael: Unless they’re the wrong size. Then you’ve gifted someone two painful blisters.
Jason: Finally, a consequence we can actually explain! Poorly fitted shoes can hurt your feet. That’s biology, not bad luck.
Michael: You’re missing the cultural side of it. In some Chinese traditions, certain gifts have unlucky associations because of how words sound or what objects symbolize. People take those associations seriously.
Jason: I understand that. Culture matters, and I wouldn’t deliberately give someone a gift that makes them uncomfortable. But respecting a tradition doesn’t require believing that it controls reality.
Michael: Easy for you to say. Imagine I give my girlfriend shoes, she remembers the superstition, and then she worries that we’re going to break up. Now the gift has created a problem.
Jason: That’s actually a fair point. Her belief could affect her feelings and behaviour. If she gets anxious, we might argue about it. But that’s a psychological effect, not supernatural bad luck.
Michael: So you’re saying the superstition could cause the very problem it predicts?
Jason: Exactly. If someone expects a relationship to fail, they might interpret every little disagreement as a sign. That anxiety could damage the relationship. The shoes themselves don’t possess some mysterious breakup power.
Michael: Hmm. My mother once refused a pair of shoes from my aunt. She insisted on giving her a small amount of money in return. Apparently, that made it a purchase rather than a gift.
Jason: I’ve heard of that workaround. And honestly, if paying a symbolic coin makes everyone happy, I don’t see the harm.
Michael: So you’d actually pay your girlfriend one dollar for the shoes you bought her?
Jason: Absolutely. I’d hand her the shoes and say, “These cost HK$1. Inflation is terrible.”
Michael: She might throw them at you.
Jason: Then the real danger isn’t bad luck. It’s my terrible sense of humour.
Michael: But seriously, Jason. What if you give her the shoes and something bad happens the next day? Suppose she loses her job or gets into an argument with you. Wouldn’t you at least wonder?
Jason: I’d probably wonder why something bad happened. But I’d look for a plausible explanation. If she lost her job, I’d look at what happened at work. If we argued, I’d look at what we said to each other. I’d need evidence before blaming the shoes.
Michael: And if nothing bad happened?
Jason: I’d probably enjoy the fact that she liked her gift. But that’s the problem with these beliefs: when something bad happens, people remember the superstition. When nothing happens, they forget about it.
Michael: Confirmation bias?
Jason: Exactly. We notice the events that support what we already believe and overlook the ones that don’t. If a thousand people receive shoes and their relationships continue normally, nobody tells that story at family dinner. But one breakup becomes legendary.
Michael: You make it sound so obvious.
Jason: It isn’t always obvious. Humans naturally look for patterns, especially when we’re worried about losing someone we love. Superstitions can offer a sense of control when life feels uncertain.
Michael: That’s surprisingly sympathetic coming from someone who thinks my beliefs are nonsense.
Jason: I don’t think you’re nonsense. I think you’re a good person trying to avoid bad outcomes. I just don’t think every traditional explanation for those outcomes is accurate.
Michael: All right, Mr Scientist. One final question. If you were buying a gift for someone who strongly believed this superstition, would you still give them shoes?
Jason: If they genuinely hated the idea, no. I’d choose another gift. There’s no point turning a birthday into a debate about folklore.
Michael: So you’d respect their belief even if you didn’t share it?
Jason: Of course. But I’d distinguish between respecting a person and treating their belief as a scientific fact.
Michael: Fair enough. I suppose the real question is whether the person wants the shoes, not whether fate approves of the footwear.
Jason: Precisely. Buy someone shoes they love, and you might help them walk comfortably for years. Buy shoes they hate, and they’ll walk straight to the returns counter.
Michael: You know what? I’m going to tell my girlfriend about this conversation.
Jason: Why? Planning to buy her shoes?
Michael: No. I’m planning to buy her a watch.
Jason: Oh, come on! Now what superstition are we dealing with?
Michael: Never mind. I’ll get her a cake.
Jason: Don’t even think about it. What if she eats it and gets fat?
Michael: Jason!
Jason: I’m joking! Relax. It’s just a cake, mate.
They burst out laughing as the waiter arrives with the bill.
Michael: You pay. Giving money to a friend might bring bad luck.
Jason: Here’s my scientific conclusion: you’re paying for both coffees.
Michael: And here’s mine: I need smarter friends.
Jason: Too late. We’re already friends. You’re stuck with me.
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