Interesting. It reminds me of debates about the difference between 'space' as a kind of emptiness and 'place' as meaningful space. Perhaps you tiptoe in response to an alertness to (and a willing participation in maintaining) the shared meaningfulness of a space/place?

While it might feel involuntary, I suspect it's a deep-seated cultural (and therefore constructed) response.
Sometimes, you may need to be educated when and where it is appropriate to tiptoe.

This is so exciting; theological geography!

I'm looking forward to reading what you come up with. I remember liking Henri Lefebvre's The Production of Space. Also, I enjoyed reflecting Heidegger's essay The Thing and thinking about the contrast between nearness and proximity.