This subject was requested by Silva, one of my friends and co-workers, in regards to the incapability of the men in her life to walk properly. Remember, boys: the sidewalk isn't designed for your fancy-walking, so step in line with your ladies to avoid any undue embarrassment.
The problem is this: there isn't any laid-out etiquette when it comes to something so simple, but, apparently, we've all been managing to do it wrong. When you're escorting your date down the street, or down the aisle, or into a party, it's important to match your walking style to the mood and environment. Don't go into a funeral doing a jig.
Walking in tune with the weather is important. When it's sunny out, it's, from what I'm told, acceptable to have a minor bounce in your step when there's, say, music playing along the pier; should you feel the need to stop and dance a little, you may do so, but not for such a long period that it becomes awkward. There's a point where your date stops laughing out of mirth and starts laughing out of embarrassment, and you don't want to get to that point.
Winter-walking lends itself to both romance and danger. The romantic portion comes in when you pull her close to combat the cold, and the danger portion comes in when you're both so entangled in one another that you slip on the ice and die. It's very important to be sure-footed in winter, and, as the man, it's your duty to keep a steady balance and make sure that she doesn't fall. If you fall into a snowbank, she's allowed to laugh, but if she falls into a snowbank, you're in a lot of trouble and the relationship is probably over. That's just one of the many double-standards that men will have to live with in the dating world.
The speed with which you're walking is also important. If you're the taller one in the relationship, you should be aware that your strides take you much farther than those of your partner. What may be a comfortable step for you could be a brisk jog for your date, so make sure you don't leave them behind for too long. If your date has to run to keep up with you, you're no longer their date, you are their personal trainer.
On the other hand, if you're walking so horribly slow that your date is tripping over their feet in an effort to hang back with you, then you need to get a move on. Time is money, people.
Something that people unconsciously do is walk on the same side of the walkway that they would drive on the street. If you go against this, you're going to run into the oncoming rush of people, and you're going to get a lot of nasty glares. You should also be well aware that, if you're dating someone from across the pond, they may have grown up walking and driving on the opposite side, and it's your duty to keep them in line with you.
Keep in mind the chivalrous man will keep his step in between his lady and the traffic. Fact.
I can't imagine how difficult it is for women to walk in some of the shoes that they choose, and it's likely made all the worse when they're forced to carry a myriad of objects. This is why, in olden-times, young men would carry their steady's books to class. Show her you're confident by carrying her purse, and if any meat heads send disparaging comments your way, such as sarcastically complimenting you on your bag, thank them and tell them it goes with your shoes. You'll appear even more confident in your sexuality and she will be both impressed and amused.
Not everyone can pull off a swagger. Scratch that, most everyone cannot pull off a swagger, so it might be best to walk tall instead. That's the difference between walking with undue cockiness and walking with confidence, the latter is always preferable.
This last part may just be my personal opinion...well, everything that came before this was, too, but this part is directed towards the women's actions: hand-holding versus arm-linking. Hand-holding is perfectly fine with me, you can swing your arms in tandem, you're both fully able to navigate your surroundings. Arm-linking is...well, maybe it's just that the women I've known have had such an immobilizing grip on my arm that they would lead me to stepping in dog poo and cut off my circulation, but ease up, girls, I wasn't likely to run until you tried to trap me.
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