This happened to me (for clarity: in the UK) and I had to get a credit card and use it for a year.

No idea where the card is now, but the credit systems seemed to become aware of me after that.

You don't have to have running shoes to be able to run. I haven't owned a credit card for 15 years and my credit score is just fine.

That's not how it works in the UK though. You need to be having credit in order to build up credit score.

Sure, I've taken out loans, had several mortgages, multiple bank accounts, paid all my utility bills. All of that can influence your credit scores.

It is possible some people could have so little credit history that having a card for a while might be beneficial. I don't know enough about the system to be sure, so maybe I was being a bit flippant, for which I apologise.

That only applies to the US.

It's wildly overstated in the US. Having a CC and not paying it off in a timely manner definitely affect your score but the difference between having a card and not having one isn't as big as people make out.

If you have proof of income you're going 90% of the distance.

Nope, that also applies in the UK.