Walking around the office barefoot

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Replies

  • goalss4nika
    goalss4nika Posts: 529 Member
    :noway: That's GROSS! No matter how many people are in the office... YUCK
  • doctorsookie
    doctorsookie Posts: 1,084 Member
    I slip my shoes off under the desk, my feet tend to swell when I walk to work in the heat. I always put them back on before I go walking around though.

    I might do this once in a while. We would have our butts handed to us if we walked around the office barefoot.
  • norahwynn
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member
    Ill take my shoes off at my desk but if I have to get up... they go on...

    ^^this^^
  • sheenarama
    sheenarama Posts: 733 Member
    I'm all for being comfortable at the office. I'm more comfortable without pants. Hmmm......
  • goalss4nika
    goalss4nika Posts: 529 Member
    Ill take my shoes off at my desk but if I have to get up... they go on...

    ^^this^^


    This sounds about right!
  • smallpalehuman
    smallpalehuman Posts: 38 Member
    I work in a big corporate office & it's not uncommon to see people slipping their shoes off & going for a wander around the office.

    It don't personally take my shoes off , but it certainly doesn't bother me when I see other people do it. What's the worst that can happen? I stand in my shoes where someone has stood with bare feet?

    I can assure you you'd catch worse things from your own keyboard :-)
  • sakuragreenlily
    sakuragreenlily Posts: 334 Member
    I work in a medium size "corporate" office. In the summer months there seems to be an epidemic of people walking around the office without shoes. Not only around the office, but also to the bathroom and back. I can't stand it !! I hate feet. I have gone to my supservisor but she is one of the offending people.


    What would you do? Am I overreacting? Do people in your office do the same thing?

    Meh... it probably shouldn't bother you so much. It's just feet. It's not like they're walking around naked. Keep your shoes on if it bothers you and ignore it.

    I used to work with a woman who would get all bent out of shape because she couldn't stand that this one girl sat with her legs, up in her chair, crossed. She made a HUGE fuss about it even though it really didn't effect her at all... in the end the girl was told to sit with her feet on the floor and the other woman was happy but everyone just thought the other woman was an insufferable nag.

    You tell that girl to have HR or management show her the policy that states she cannot sit with her legs crossed in her chair. That is just about the stupidest thing I've ever heard... and I work in HR

    It was pretty stupid but the woman had seniority (she'd been there for 20+ years) and we were just lowly part-timers. The supervisor who asked the girl to sit with her feet on the floor was very apologetic and even said something along the lines of, "Sorry to ask you to do this but it would just make things a lot easier then having to listen to SOMEONE complain about it for the next 6 months." This was years ago back when I was in college.
  • Nikki31104
    Nikki31104 Posts: 816 Member
    I always have my shoes off. In the summer I wear sandals so when I am at my desk they come off automatically. In the winter I wear nylon socks and dress shoes. It is usually freezing in my office so I take my shoes off and sit on my feet to keep them warm. I can't even tell you how many people sit at their desks barefoot all day every day. We don't wander the halls like that though. I don't see it as a big deal at all but who am I to tell you how to feel.
  • bbbgamer
    bbbgamer Posts: 582 Member
    gross
  • kellyskitties
    kellyskitties Posts: 475 Member
    I'd say get you a pair of flip flops - you can get away with those in the office if the rest are barefooted. Then you are controlling what you do. It's usually tricky to control what others do.

    I slip mine off under desk, but when I'm in classroom I keep them on. Would look awfully unprofessional if teacher is barefooted! I have a pair of houseshoes under desk for days when no students are around to run to the coffee pot and bathroom (but I have my own bathroom). Most of the teachers keep slippers and flip flops under their desks. But if students are in the building - they'll put their real shoes on. It's just how our culture works. It's nice when you work a long winter day to have your slippers and hot coffee at the desk. :)
  • ren_ascent
    ren_ascent Posts: 432 Member
    Hey, I have a rep to maintain here! I'm originally from West Virginia!

    High 5 West Virginia!

    I don't wear shoes most of the day, but I work from my house and often from on top of my bed (like right now!). I don't like getting my shoes on the furniture so I just don't wear them most of the day. Or out to my mailbox, even though I stepped on a bee once and I'm mildly allergic and my foot swelled up huge. You think I'd learn...

    But public areas, especially bathrooms, ALWAYS shoes. Not even flip flops: if I'm wearing sandals they have to push me a good inch off the floor with thick soles.

    Are you like me and get all giddy every time I see someone from WV? I live and work in Utah and miss it terribly!
    Those are my kinds of shoes! Mainly because I'm 4'11" and every cm counts.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I used to walk around the office in either bare feet or socks on occasion. I'd kick my shoes off under the desk and while I didn't go to the bathroom without them (eeeew!) if I had to get up and walk a short distance it just wasn't worth it for me to put on my shoes every single time.

    Now I work at home so I'm always either bare foot, in slippers or socks.

    For what it's worth I'm not a fan of feet either. I think they're nasty and gross.
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    While it would gross me out a teeny bit to see someone else walking around barefoot in the office, it is their choice. Most of us in my office know that the carpet only gets vacuumed about once a year (we literally had to beg to get them to do it for some VIPs a year ago) so if someone wants to risk it, not my problem. Also, as long as their feet don't smell and you're wearing your own shoes around they really aren't affecting you with their barefootness.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    its not professional. I've done it under my desk and a few times snuck over to one of coworkers office barefoot. Most of the time it isnt polite...the smell of a dirty foot office is pretty gross.

    I'm always amazed at the number of people who can't smell their disgusting foot smell.
  • sillygoosie
    sillygoosie Posts: 1,109 Member
    My office is extremely casual. I'm always barefoot unless it's winter and then I'm in slippers. I really don't care because I'm the office manager and I rule this place. I do slip my shoes on to use the restroom because that's just nasty.
  • Monkey_Business
    Monkey_Business Posts: 1,800 Member
    I'm pretty sure it's a healthy/safety violation. You might want to investigate that angle and then present it to your supervisor.

    Plus, going barefoot to the bathroom is just nasty.

    I slip my feet out of my shoes at my desk if I wear heals, but I would never walk around that way.

    Ok can understand at desk, but anywhere else is a no-no.

    I like to present wierd solutions for wierd problems. Next time she comes out of the bathroom without shoes on just pee on her feet, same thing right?
  • GTAFrank
    GTAFrank Posts: 730 Member
    They're feet... 99.99% of humans are born with two of them.

    Get over it.

    THIS

    BTW Female feet are BEAUTIFUL

    +1
  • That is disgusting! I don't care if you work in an office with 2 people, keep your shoes on. No one wants to see your crusty gross feet!

    How unprofessional.
  • Cheeky_0102
    Cheeky_0102 Posts: 408 Member
    we always did it at my other office, the place was kept really clean and we had no customers. It was also a super casual office. My boss wasn't wearing shoes last time i went in to work (i work from home) I actually chuckled. It really depends on the office culture, but if supervisors are doing it, you're not going to win that battle. (you could take it to whatever health and safety authority is in your area, but if they find out it was you who reported it, you might find yourself in a hostile environment) It's likely against the rules
  • gzus7freek
    gzus7freek Posts: 494 Member
    I work in an office of about 15 ppl and all us females go barefoot.
    The Males do not.
    However shoes on for potty breaks.....
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
    People who are complaining about bacteria: I grew up in a tiny village where people would just walk around the village barefoot all the time. No one died because of it.

    But in the office, yeah keep your shoes on. It's really unprofessional to just treat your office like your home.
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    Hey, I have a rep to maintain here! I'm originally from West Virginia!

    High 5 West Virginia!

    I don't wear shoes most of the day, but I work from my house and often from on top of my bed (like right now!). I don't like getting my shoes on the furniture so I just don't wear them most of the day. Or out to my mailbox, even though I stepped on a bee once and I'm mildly allergic and my foot swelled up huge. You think I'd learn...

    But public areas, especially bathrooms, ALWAYS shoes. Not even flip flops: if I'm wearing sandals they have to push me a good inch off the floor with thick soles.

    Are you like me and get all giddy every time I see someone from WV? I live and work in Utah and miss it terribly!
    Those are my kinds of shoes! Mainly because I'm 4'11" and every cm counts.

    I usually do, the first time I see someone in a forum from here. Especially when it's somewhere I don't expect a lot of my fellow Mountaineers to be based on our demographics, like a fitness or gaming forum. Utah's almost as pretty a place as WV, so it can't be that bad. ;)

    I'm 5'8", so height isn't my issue; I just have really high and strong arches in my feet and need all the support I can get. Even my flat sandals have platforms just to compensate for my sheer arch-iness.
  • cadaverousbones
    cadaverousbones Posts: 421 Member
    I am walking around the office barefoot right now. Except I do not leave the call floor without shoes (call center) That would be gross walking into the bathroom/break room.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    In the bathroom... yuck you are not over reacting. In the general offica area? Lighten up.... it's summer, it's a new world now that the traditionalists have passed the torch to the boomers. Just wait until us Gen Xer's are in charge... casual everyday and NO MORE DANG MEETINGS TO DISCUSS EVERYTHING!!!!

    (Said the HR Employee)

    I seriously can't wait for this day... I have worked in federally controlled areas that were way more relaxed than a lot of places. I miss it!!
  • sillygoosie
    sillygoosie Posts: 1,109 Member
    That is disgusting! I don't care if you work in an office with 2 people, keep your shoes on. No one wants to see your crusty gross feet!

    How unprofessional.

    I love how so many people keep assuming others have "crusty gross" feet. Some of us take proper care of them and they are always well manicured...or pedicured, if you prefer.
  • littlelaura
    littlelaura Posts: 1,028 Member
    I have kicked my shoes off while under my own desk, but never walked around barefoot at my office and
    would never go to a bathroom without anything on my feet, that's just gross!
  • They're feet... 99.99% of humans are born with two of them.

    Get over it.

    THIS

    BTW Female feet are BEAUTIFUL

    +1

    Why do you care so much about other people's feet??? Germs are EVERYWHERE.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 3,697 Member
    Does the company have an escalation path, since your super seems to be an offender.
    It is against OSHA and it can be taken to HR if no other route is available to you.

    To go to the restrooms is so unprofessional and just GROSS.

    I do sit at my desk and slip off my shoes, I have a foot roller thing to help relieve the stress, but I put my shoes back on to move outside my workspace. So I am not anti-take off your shoes, just think it is civilized to put them back on when moving beyond personal space.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 3,697 Member
    I like to present wierd solutions for wierd problems. Next time she comes out of the bathroom without shoes on just pee on her feet, same thing right?

    Now that is thinking outside the box. I like it. :wink:
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Does the company have an escalation path, since your super seems to be an offender.
    It is against OSHA and it can be taken to HR if no other route is available to you.

    Um...no. It's not. Unless you work somewhere with exposed electrical wires or that requires steel-toed shoes, or other such hazardous environment. An office is not such an environment. (Source: http://www.barefooters.org/osha.html )