A woman who gifted her mom a pair of designer Ugg slippers was left stunned after seeing what she was using them for.
In a video posted to TikTok by user Sarah (@sarahlllm), her mom can be seen opening a can of paint and preparing rollers—all while wearing the expensive Ugg slippers.
The overlaid text reads, “This is your sign to tell your family the real price of your gifts,” with Sarah adding in the caption, “I think she thinks these shoes are only 10 euros.”
The slippers actually retail for €124.18 ($145).
The clip quickly attracted attention, with viewers divided over whether revealing the cost of a gift changes how it’s valued.
Several TikTok users rushed to defend the mom’s laid-back attitude, with one writing, “She’s just being iconic.”
Another remarked, “This is your sign to get people gifts they’ll appreciate, and not gifts YOU appreciate.”
“This is actually a good indicator that something is unreasonably expensive,” one contributor pointed out.
The discussion taps into a broader conversation about gift-giving psychology—specifically, whether the monetary value of a gift matters to the recipient.
Research suggests that gift givers often overestimate how much surprise or creativity will be appreciated.
In an interview with BBC Worklife, psychologist Elizabeth Dunn explained, “People are better at choosing something for themselves, so if you have something in common with somebody, get something that shares the same affinity, because something you would like will more likely be something they like.”
‘That’s a shame’
The same article notes that asking recipients directly what they want may be more effective than attempting to wow them with a surprise.
“Asking somebody what they want is seen as taboo. And that’s a shame,” Jeff Galak, an associate professor of marketing at the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business, told the outlet.
“We would all be better off if we gave people what they want.”
In the case of Sarah’s video, some viewers suggested that the mom’s behavior showed she valued practicality over price.
Gift-Giving Etiquette
Others argued that if someone doesn’t treat a high-cost gift delicately, it could signal a mismatch between the giver’s expectations and the recipient’s preferences.
The BBC also notes that monetary value may not carry the weight many assume.
“People want to be creative and surprise the recipient,” Dunn told BBC Worklife, “but the better gift will be whatever it is they say they want.”
For many viewers, the viral moment was less about paint-stained slippers and more about shifting norms around spending. If a recipient doesn’t know the price tag, they may use an item more freely—perhaps even more authentically.
Newsweek has reached out to @sarahlllm for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.