3 Simple Ways to Spot a Local By The Way They Walk 

The Hawaii Walk. Is that a thing?

My husband is FROM Waipahu born and raised in his 70s now. We moved to mainland and I am always telling him to pick up his feet! Even in tennis shoes he shuffles and drags his feet LOL

This is too funny. The heel drag, the clacking of the slippers hitting the heel, the shoulder sway, I call it scooping air. I also wonder why my mainland friends would ask me why I walk this way. Apparently they lift there feet more with slippers then we do. Thanks again for the videos, just another reminder why we call the islands home. Mahalo's bradah 🤙

You nailed it. Okay, true story. While visiting Florence, Italy about 17 years ago, I was walking on the streets next to some street vendors. Then from behind me, I hear “eh, Hawaiian”…I think whaaat…then again “eh, Hawaiian”. I look back and one of the vendors is calling out to me and waves me over. “You from Hawaii yeah…he said kind of excitedly. I said maybe. No, I can tell. I saw you from down the street coming. Come to find out he used to live in Kaneohe for years with his wife that graduated from Castle. I told him to show me his Hawaii driver's License…he whipped it out proudly. He is originally from Florence and needed to move back to help with the family business. We had a good visit and a few laughs about my walk.

Japanese men (mostly young guys) in Japan drag their feet while walking, so this is probably why your grandfather's gait was so prominent. I often wonder how it is they have any soles left on their zori, the predecessor of the Hawaii rubba' slippa'. I think this has something to do with the way samurai and other court officials walked in palaces during the Edo period wearing tabi socks since as we know, footwear is not allowed inside with the exception of indoor "bedroom" slippers. You're absolutely right about the "click clack" while walking. Sometimes it's intentional, most often not...

From the beginning of this video I thought "oh dragging slippers" 🤣 and then it actually came up

Absolutely true. When I moved up here to go to college I kept getting shocked all the time. The woman in charge of the health clinic was from Maui and when I complained to her she just looked at me and said, "That's cause you walk like you from Hawaii. Pick up your feet." LOL And I've had people tell me that they can tell it's me from the back by the way I walk. Too funny. Also, I get a kick out of the mainland newscasters and " health professionals" who have a blurb every Spring about how walking in slippahs is so bad for your feet etc. Really???

The sound is the dead give away for me...lived in Hawaii for 10yrs. Also walking that way avoids broken toes. 🤣🤣🤣

I'm from Honolulu born and raised and living here on the mainland I still have the Hawaii walk for sure . Cheeehooo

Awesome!!! It’s the relax style.

My dad definitely has this walk, I can always hear him when he’s walking down the hall way, back to our apartment. I had to train myself to “walk properly” ‘cause it was messing up all the heels of my shoes too much 😂

I always knew I liked your channel, but who knew it would be a video about slippers that would make me love your channel. Mahalo for giving me a great big laugh tonight

Very interesting. What amazes me is that even though I've only been to Hawaii twice, as soon as you started describing this I immediately knew what you meant. How interesting that this distinctive "Hawaii walk" registered with my brain almost subconsciously at the time even though I didn’t realize it or even really stop to consider it until now!

nice palm tree fawns&flowers,too that’s cool.

I've been enjoying your videos and your take on things. I like your commentaries. Thanks for the videos.

Excellent job describing the characteristics of a typical hawaii walk. When I wear sneakers or shoes my walk is the same no matter where I am. But when I wear slippers in Hawaii versus the mainland, I know my walk is different. The environment and surroundings determine where my mind is at. On the mainland being usually in a hurry I picked up my feet and my slippers rarely dragged on the ground and walked like everyone else. Making a consious effort to do so and blend in. Now that I'm back home and my mind is at home, I'm back to walking the hawaii walk that I grew up with (a slower heal led, deliberate walk with the torso rotation as you described). Sometimes making a consious effort to do so that way people know that I'm from here. I think it'll take a little while since I was on the mainland for a long time. Hopefully it'll become natural again.

I just find this video funny and amusing. I moved from St. Louis, Missouri where I was born to Hilo where I live, work mostly with locals with a 3rd generation local family business, and my young children attend school here, so the subtle nuances I pick up that make me realize that although I might visibly blend in, the little things that might make me stand out as not from here originally are so amusing. I really enjoy your channel. Thank you!

Spot on! I live in California and can spot a person from Hawaii by the way they walk!🤙🏼

You hit it right on da head braddah...its the sound esp the hawaii drag and flap!

Thank you for another Wonderful Video.

You right about dat bruddah! I don’t know how many times people recognize my walk. Of course I was wearing slippahs so that might have been a factor too but I think it’s the walk because I recognize Hawaii people by the walk too!

Haha this was fun!! During the 9 times that I ( European) have been on the islands I always said thst I could recognize the real Hawaiians from the tourist. Everyone said I was nuts and now I hear you talk about the ‘ Hawaiian walk’ ! I totally agree! I couldn’t describe what it was like you did but I just noticed. Like I can recognize someone I know by the way they walk. Mahalo, this was funny 😄

The last time I was in Hawaii was 2009, so I’ll have to go back to look. I’m trying to remember and I think I get you!

Brah you got me crackin up 🤣🤣🤣 I moved to Arizona almost 3 yrs ago and the 1st thing I was told was I walk different and I need to pick up my feet when I walk 🤣🤣🤣 I was like nah I'm good, that just the way kanaks walk lmao! Mahaloz for the video my braddah aloha 🤙🤙

This is spot on! Makes me miss home!

Adorable video. .......and oh so TRUE!!! I'm not from her but been here a very long time. I stay because of the people (like you), the food, and the slippahs!! 🩴 I definitely have the drag slap when I walk. 😂🤙🌈☀️

I'm so conscious of my walking gait now lol. I think I do this too (born in Hawaii, live in SoCal). Thanks for the fun vid man haha

So true. It's really true!

Just another reason why I was meant to live in Hawai’i. My wife is always teasing me about my heel drag lol. Such a good tutorial, man

The torso rotation is so true! 😁 Me, I'm a slippah draggah! ☺️

I just call it the drag your feet. Reminds me of my father when he wears slip-on shoes and he shuffles across the floor. But thank you for the video so I get a better understanding

I am a majah heel dragger. My slippahs have that classic u-shaped cutout in the heel from dragging, also the bottoms are worn out the most back there. My body sway is subtle but definitely noticeable. Back home friends would say they could tell was me walking down the street from a ways off.

Dragging the slippers 😂😂😂😂 yuup💯💯

Recently found your channel and find your topics interesting and frank. Watched this video and had to nod a lot with your take on the slippah walk. But I think the heel to toe step is actually more correct then walking with the front of the foot hitting the ground first...at least that is what my PT told me. And the slippah drag I think is because people are trying to keep their slippers on their foot so that's why we don't pick up our feet much. Also shoes tend to have a more solid/stiff bottom on their footwear so maybe that's why non locals don't seem to hit their heel first and push off with their big toe (PT again). Lol. Maybe or maybe you're right. Lol.

That’s so funny! And so right! Filipino same way.

I had a thin friend 6'2" that walked like the "big guy" walk so I asked him if he was chunky before and he said, "yeah, how you know"? I laughed and told him about your video. I saw a black man in the mainland walking the "big guy" walk so I smiled at him and struck up a conversation and he responded, " aunty, I'm part Hawaiian." This was in Tennessee, what a small world. This video brought back fond memories.🙂

So true!

Small kid time the kamaboko slippers lasted only a year or less, but you get the rainbow on the bottom as it wore out. When the peg comes out between your big toe and the second and you cannot put it back, you gotta hold the slipper on with your toes grabbing on the top.

Fo sure, luau feet. I had em when i moved to the mainland. We grew up running around barefoot or wearing slippers. So it tends to flatten our feet. So this effects our walking. I still laugh at times because in the back of my mind i can still hear the flip flops clapping the ground and the bottom of my feet. Aloha all.

Perfect depiction of the local walk! This also may be due to locals having wide feet (mine is 9-1/2 4E) ! Next video is the local hunch!! :)

The heel drag is so true. I am from O'ahu but live in Spain and every summer I keep building up tons of static electricity and shocking everyone around me cause I keep dragging my feet.I didn't realize we walk different until this video but when my mom comes up to visit me I always poke fun of her for walking so funny compared to everyone else.

Im watching a live of waikiki beach right now so its nice

Here in Indonesia we walk like that too dragging our feet flipflop n sneaker heels part is the first to go worn out 😁

Lol....was walking the dog watching your video and yup heard my hawaiian walk....hahaha

Nice video man

I spotted a kanaka from Molokai walking behind the cooks prep line in a restaurant 5,000 miles off the aina. His walk/ glide was so familiar with his chef slippas. Pure aloha.

Reminds me of Puertorico. With the puertorican chancletas everyone would hear the clapping everyones used to it I guess no one really knows its a thing until a foreigner/outsider brings it up. 😅😅

Hahaha the local walk. I love it. All that's missing is the... "Eh, U go (insert high school here). I always got McKinley for some bizarre reason. I'd always tell em that I went to both Mililani High School (Freshman - Sophomore year) & Kalaheo High School (Junior & Senior year). Go Trojans & Mustangs lol

So funny Brah! Now afta all diz years, I know why my soles stay uneven, my knees get lock-jaw, and my sway says; Wat! Bodda you? Tanks yah!

Haha! So true. My hubby totally has that walk. I always tell him pick up your feet or I give him stink 👀😂

The funny part about this is that it is all so true. When I was in the military, stationed away from Hawaii, I remember sitting with other former Hawaii residents in the "chow hall"/dining facility. While we were eating, we would occasionally hear someone enter the building dragging their slippers, and with the little snap of it hitting their heels. We would snap around and ask the "troop", "Eh, you from Hawaii?" 100% of the time we would be right! The slipper drag and snap is distinctively Hawaii. It just a more casual laid back way that people walk in the islands. Lastly, if you were to go to a mainland house, and there are slippers outside, just look at the bottoms of them. If the instep heel portion is worn out, they're from Hawaii.

AMAZING! You should be a Physical Therapist! GREAT gait analysis! 🤙🏼❤

Haha...now I’m gonna pay attention to how everyone walks 😂

I love Hawaii.visit again.

I'm in SoCal and I noticed lots of kids in middle school dragged their feet. I thought it was really annoying and I wondered how much their parents spent on shoes every couple or so months! I strove to walk "normally" because I didn't want to be a kid who dragged his feet. I wear slippers a lot but I don't drag my feet. Maybe that's why my slippers last so long! Now that I think about it, I do notice the "Hawaii Walk" here, or something like it.

Y'all got that ol' Hawaiian swag

I gotta laugh. We were vacationing in Hawaii last week and my wife who is not from the Islands, kept slamming me for dragging my slippahs on the floor in the beach cabin. Now I know, I grew up that way. It was extremely hard for me to walk quietly on the concrete floor because of the sand. Thank you for enlightening me.

Born and raised in Kaua'i . When moved to San Diego I still was in slippaz all year round dragging feet ...hahaha

Please follow up with an Advanced version of the Hawaii Slippah Walk. We have different walks for different occasions. There is the normal point A to point B walk. The slow shift weight side to side walk. The loud "Jap Slap " stride. The "Throw Form" walk. The Ready for Beef walk. The cocky walk .....the list goes on. Mahalo

I have that walking style, and I am NOT from Hawaii. I'm a "Katonk" from California. When I was growing up always wearing "ZORIs", I have that walk. I've been living in Kona for 5 years.

Here in S Florida by the beach we have it too. Lol 😎🤙

Back in da day, we used to drag our zōris/slippahs.

Hahahaha you can hear my slippa's from a mile away! 🤣

Lmao now it makes sense why all my pairs of jordans have heel drag 😂

Ha!!! That’s to funny. I lived in Hawaii for 6 years and I did notice the Hawaii walk but I didn’t know there was a name for it. I always attributed it to the laid back attitude and the wearing of sandals. Mostly I noticed it in women but that’s probably because I was always looking at the women. Ha!! I wish I was still living on Oahu.

I always wear dumpsta brand slippah ..no match each other but already broke in..can always find raplacements on the beach...havent bought any since last century

Chris, we need follow up study on whether it's only the guys, generational and/or Oahu mostly. I'm thinking mostly the guys and it might decrease, as now, lots of the younger people are starting earlier to have shoes for running, school, sports... where as the older generations, we were lucky to have a single pair for school/church growing up.

What about the leather cross slippahs. Used that to go holo holo.

The human body is pretty adaptable to various environments. I am not medical doctor so this is just a personal theory based on growing up here. The dragging feels more efficient and cleaner and safer in sandy and dusty locations. lifting your feet to walk on a beach just is harder and also causes way more dust lifting or mud to get on the the back of your legs and clothes. sliding or dragging especially with heals seems minimize this problem. not every sidewalk was fully paved when walking home home from school and it sucks mud and dirt all of over clothes before class starts. The heavy heal thing feels more stable to me where the heal is set down and the front of the foot is used to stabilize if the ground is uneven or slippery. The type of shoes matter - if you see people wearing platform shoes it is easier to walking in an almost stomping type walk whereas if someone if wearing high heals then it is easier to walk with almost a roll of the foot from heal to toe. I vary my walk gait depending on how late I am and how much I care that I am late....

OMG I'm 72 yrs old and have lived on the mainland for over 30 yrs and I still walk that way even in shoes.

I'm not sure about "sounds", but the term "flip-flops" definitely does not apply to locals wearing zori. You can always tell a tourist who is wearing their new ABC Store slippahs. The heel drag is real. You missed the point. Most locals, like you in the video, will wear zori a couple of sizes too big. Why? If they drag their heels when it's muddy or rainy, the slippahs won't flip mud and crud up the back of the lower leg, and the slippery zoris are more likely to stay put. Fun video!

I walk just like you said, landing on the heel first. Got shin splints a few times from running because of that 😂

Hey, what microphone are you using? I like the cover and clip on. Sounds good too. Mahalo.

Got to get the Scotts slippahs brah 🤣

Omg I was told i strut when I walk..it was probably this Hawaii walk 😂

hahaha yup my flip flop sounds and speedlimit the most basic mode of transportation. I walk to the store because I still can.

The shuffle is also a sort of expression. Like, "I'm coming here", or when I was a teenager in Hau'ula, the tough guys used to go down the street in a group and all shuffle LOUD so you could tell they were coming. The slap is if your foot is tight, the back of the slipper slaps your heel. Happens with those new to wearing zoris, or they haven't worn them for a while. The trick is, you gotta have your foot tight enough to keep the zoris on, but not so tight that they do the slap. But sometimes you can't help it like running for DaBus. And also, it can be a way to say "I'm coming here" like Aunty might be walking behind you and want you to know she's there, and she's not gonna shuffle 'cos she's not one tita, so she lets those zoris slap a little. Also this is slippers only, these "rules" don't apply to other types of shoes. The big guy torso rotation thing yeah, I think on the mainland big guys if they move their torso at all it's side-to-side not the rotation. As for walking being heel-led, I do that and I dunno if it's right or wrong but I sure do it. I grew up doing tons of walking/hiking barefoot in Hawaii so I think it's fairly natural. Another thing is I'm surprised you're wearing zoris that big. I always had a preference for the smallest ones I could wear, and I think a lot of people like to wear them that way. Interestingly, if you look at traditional Japanese art where the people are wearing zoris, their toes are often hanging a little off the front. So they liked them small too. I don't know the stats but I'd not be surprised to find out people in Hawaii walk more than people on the mainland.

Ho brah. You got the cadence of the rhythm of gait on point. Try talk to a fellow podiatrist or physical therapist or fellow orthopedic specialists for this biomechanical gait analysis worthy of being further documented in a journal paper! The flimsiness of our Local slippers don't allow for the full pivot off the ball of the foot (1st metatarsophalangeal joint), so the drag is "fo' real". Appreciative of your content. Chee - hooo!

When I went away to the mainland for college, in a crowd of hundreds changing class i could spot out my hawaii peeps from far away. Was soo obvious. Shoot even when my mom called me on the phone I could tell the way she spoke sounded weird. I could tell hawaii people speak w a different speech pattern then mainland people too.

Das fo real Brah lol !

You forgot about the walk that you need to have if the front part of the slippahs came out and are held in by a stick or safety pin.

Interesting...

The sound of the walk is related to relaxed state of mind of the people living in Hawaii, and the rotating torso is related to hula dancing :)) But there is another theory, the walking style is a predictor of longevity.

I haven’t worn slippers since 1985. I have cerebral palsy and it affects my left leg. My left slipper always comes off. I’m really excited to go to Hawaii in April. I bought some Olukai nohea mesh slippers. Because usually I wear Stan Smiths.

VERY INTERESTING AND FUNNY. WHAT IS THE SLIPPAH YOU LIKE THE MOST, BRAND?

Aloha, Chris! Is there any way you can elaborate a little more on how locals walk? Frankly, what you said is characteristic of how a lot of people walk, and not just locals from Hawai’i. Maybe I missed something in this video? Happy Holidays to you and your family. 😊

I live on the Big Island. I am definitely going to check out the “local walk.” Does it vary slightly from Island to Island?

😂😂😂frfr when I moved to the mainland lol they say why u walk to hard and slide pick ur feet up so I said oh yah lol I walk harder 😂

Do you wear a size or two larger than your shoes size? You seem to have a lot of length behind your heel

At castle high School I would be sitting in the classroom n I could hear my friends walking down the hallway coming to get me for cut class for smoke one joint 😆😆😆😆

This is pretty much the same walk as Filipinos do back in the Philippines. We were born with flip flops on, we get spanked by it, we use them as toys. The only time we didnt really wear them was when we would play street basketball :D

It’s a comfortable walk. No need for hurry.

100% real

Someday like to visit friend.bye

My theory of how this is a thing.. the shuffle sound is less intrusive then the sound the back of the slipper makes when it slaps your heels if you were to walk "normally".. as an island culture being considerate to others is a big deal. That and if the ground is wet you wont flick up water to the back of your legs.. eww! Funny thing about walks.. my aunty says you can almost tell what high school someone went to.. I went to St Louis and she says we all have this sort of strut.. I don't see it but I'm kind of dense. I should make it a point to take her to Ala Moana and people-watch and see what she means. Hey that might make a funny video!

Yup, can spock'em in the grocery stores here on 9th Island Las Vegas 😂😂😂

OK, now that explains why I always have more wear on the heal part on my slippahs and a whole lot less up front. Yup I’m 67 Y.O. and been here since I was 7 Y.O. and I still do the drag thing a little. My 21 Y.O. that bugga drags his feet since he was a little keiki and to this day, we all know his slippahs by the front door, the ones with the two big pukas on the heel part and I mean haft dollar+ size pukas. I tell him, hey, what you have no shame? People gonna think we’re broke a_ _. Buy new slippahs and no drag your feet and throw out your old ones and no save em... Lolo kids,. Like my mother which is from Japan, she says embarrassing...🙄😲

Fast walker here. Yup. Gotta get on the street or the grass. 😂

Brah! I just realized I DO drag my feet....😂😂😂

Of course, if we wear shoes, we need wide widths. All those years of wearing slippas to school and letting our feet breathe.