A question for people who don't wear shoes in the house.

[isittheholidaysyet]

I know the whole shoes in the house thing is controversial on mumsnet, so let's not go there.

My children don't wear shoes in the house, but they keep hurting their feet. They accidently kick walls or furniture or each other as they move around. They catch their big toes on corners. They run doors over their feet and rip their toenails/skin. They accidently stand on sharp things like toys, Lego or worse. They get cold feet.

All this results in regular crying sessions because of hurt feet. Plasters etc. And I get sick of have to deal with another child who hurt themselves for something I see as easily preventable.

My DH and I would solve this by telling them to wear the shoes we've spent a fortune buying, but if you don't wear shoes in the house, how do you protect feet?

Are you just careful?
Do you wear slippers which are basically like shoes?
Do you actually wear shoes but just 'indoor' shoes?

My kids have had slippers in the past, but they don't wear/like them, and they wouldn't provide much protection.

As they are at home bare-footed all the time now, it's becoming a problem.
Any ideas?

(Kids range from 9years to 15years, so not littlies)

We all go barefoot. Possibly slipper socks in winter. Not cold in my house (warm house, horror of cold draughty houses).

One of mine did once have a toe related accident aged 8, she dropped a drawer on her toe and it became infected. That was horrible and due to poor supervision by her dad

Other than that, which was not at home, I can't think of many toe or foot related injuries. If glass falls, I clear it up, hoover then wipe the area down with a wet tissue/kitchen roll.

I think someone once stood on a needle.

Basically the incidence of injuries is about once per childhood so doesn't seem worth wearing shoes to me!

Hate slippers as synthetic and uncomfortable, sliders/crocs prob better, but we wear nothing.

No magic solution, some children (and adults!) are just really bloody clumsy!!

DS won't wear shoes in the house and we have to yell at him to wear clogs or shoes in the garden too. He jumps around a lot without looking where he's going and as a toddler his shrieks of excitement regularly turned into shrieks of pain as he always banged his toes on a table/chair/door edge - it was so predictable a scream was met with "which toe is it this time, love?"

DD rarely hurts her toes.

They'll learn to protect themselves, or they won't. (I personally try and keep my slippers on these days because I'm a chronic toe-banger and once broke a toe on the corner of a brick fireplace when DS was a baby. Took me a while to learn!!)

Slippers all the way.
I am currently sporting a lovely, comfy, warm pair of sketchers.
Love them!

I wear slippers, thick socks in winter of bare feet dd is the same (toddler) but I also have slip on plimsoles for her instead of slippers. Cheap ones 5 quid.

Socks, slippers, or a pair of sandals for wearing inside only. When I was a child I was always told not to run indoors too.

Also sounds like you need doors that don't have huge gaps at the bottom!

We all just wear socks, adults and kids. Never hurt ourselves. I might have stubbed my toe once but its not something that happens regularly

Slippersox

DH and I wear socks and the children are bare foot. I have no idea why you need to wear shoes indoors to protect it. In NZ children often go barefoot outdoors and no one cries because they kick their feet on furniture or step on lego.

I am visually impaired, so can’t see things like bees before I step on them… And believe me, I’ve had this experience a couple of times… I’ve also stepped on huge millipedes, cockroaches, and some other unfortunate things… We also had a dog, and I’ve had a guide dog in the past… So you can imagine what unfortunate things this might have been…

Since flip-flops really bothering my feet, and I can’t keep them on, I wore ballet slippers a lot, and even now, or some type a very soft flipper that will stay on my foot. Something with the back.

We are a year round barefoot family (except dh who is diabetic) We just hate the feeling of being enclosed in shoes. We have no problem with anyone who wishes to keep their shoes on when visiting. No injuries to report except I did break my big toe in the middle of night on my iron bed frame.

Bare feet or just socks in this house, we have toys etc on the floor (it looks like we have been burgled at the minute). I don’t stand on things, my four year old very rarely stands on things and I don’t think he’s stubbed any toes.

@NotGenerationAlpha I always joke that DS2 should really be a kiwi. He hates wearing shoes (and socks) and will whip his off at the first opportunity. I prefer to be barefoot too, but he seems to resent footwear. Always has.

I prefer barefoot and particularly for growing DC but my DB swears but 'house flipflops' which could be an alternative to slippers

I’m either barefoot or wear sturdy slippers. Flip flops for the balcony.

Sliders, Birkenstock’s or slippers.

We just put up with the odd stubbed toe or lego injury. Being careful eliminates most of those anyway.

amazon.co.uk/Andres-Machado-Unisex-Slippers-Outsole/dp/B07G9FYNP7/ref=sr_1_1?_encoding=UTF8&dchild=1&qid=1588347694&refinements=p_4%3AAndres+Machado&s=shoes&sr=1-1]]

Croc type shoes?

I'm always barefoot in the house. If I stub my toe (which I can't remember doing don't want to jinx it ) or tread on something, well, I should have picked it up/been more careful then.

Except for the kitchen. Indoor, slip on trainers go on when in the kitchen - I fancy knitted ones next time.

Indoor plimsolls or trainers.

I broke my toe once tripping over something when barefoot - it bloody hurt!

I wear ‘house’ flip flops in summer as hate my feet being hot, socks or slippers in winter. DH wears slippers all year round. DC wear slippers if really cold, socks or more usually barefoot.

Floor is pretty clear and can’t remember any injuries apart from me dropping my floor scales on my big toe which I’m still growing out the black toenail from 4 months later! If anything is smashed in the kitchen, which is a regular occurrence, there are yells of ‘everyone get your slippers on’ ringing round the house’.

Slipper socks. They used to be a thing!

Indoor shoes, vary according to season. Have done for years. Could not bring myself to wear outdoor shoes inside!

How odd. I'm from a culture where no one wears shoes indoors (guests included). And it's not working/middle class or rich/poor thing (both don't wear them), it's more about hygiene and respect. Some people wear slippers, some just socks, some go barefoot. I hate slippers and never wear them, I caught my toe on a corner once or twice in all my life. And never heard anyone hurting their feet multiple times/every day, that's seriously weird.

What I don't understand about wearing shoes in the house is this. Ok, you come back from outside. March straight in, and go about your business: cook dinner, watch telly, etc in your home wearing the same shoes. Ok. Now lets say you want to lie down on the sofa/bed (to watch telly/read/etc) to put your feet up. So you plop on your bed with the same shoes you were outside? Walking on muddy streets covered in spit, snot, dog shit, remnants of vomit, piss, etc - you put the same feet on your sofa/bed? OR you take shoes off, put your feet up and, say, 5 mins after you decide to have a cup of tea, so wear them again, go make tea, come back, take if off? And 10 mins after you want to wee? Then repeat. Seems.. So pointless.