Sandals and crusty feet at work

[Offherrockingchair]

AIBU to think that walking sandals and flip flops are not professional workwear? Yes, it’s been ridiculously hot, but I don’t want to see brittle yellow toenails, crusty dry skin and, in one case, flakes and chunks of skin hanging off the manky trotters of my colleagues 🤮 At the very least, if we are going to be subjected to your toe cleavage, have a pedicure first. And don’t get me started on the smelly ones!

I'm interested to wonder at which point you would stop saying 'avert your gaze' and start expecting people to show a bit of decorum in public. People adjusting their bits in public?

No, flossing isn't bollocks, neither is taking care of your feet - keeping them clean and dry etc. BUT you can brush and floss your teeth and still need dental work, and you can keep your feet clean, dry and moisturised and they can still look disgusting because that's bodies.

When we are babies and small children or very old, other people help us take care of being clean and in good condition because that is considered to be important. Yes, we all sweat, we all poo, we all have dead skin but if we soil ourselves, reek of stale BO and are covered in dandruff or crusty skin that is not a good thing. And if you left a child or elderly person uncleaned and unkempt, that would be considered neglect. If we have a pet, we would be reported for animal neglect / cruelty if we didn't get toenails clipped, hooves shod or failed to groom coats etc.

Yet there always seem to be posters on MN for whom personal grooming of the most basic kind is seen as only done as a performance for others, rather than fulfilling a fundamental requirement for good health.

Being clean and ensuring that the skin on your feet or anywhere else on your body is healthy and well looked after is a GOOD thing - not an indulgence.

people are complaining that others have hairy toes

under what reality are hairy toes unhygienic toes?

You can be doing all of that though and STILL look horrendous. Due to genetics or health issues. And not all health issues can be resolved some just have to be managed (hyperhidrosis, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, eczema, psoriasis, severe hyperkeratosis etc) and those people have as much right to be comfortable in hot weather as anyone else.

For sure @hecalledmecaptain . I have psoriasis myself. I don't see specific health conditions, disabilities and deformities as what this thread was really about. I also don't think that people with health conditions, disabilities and deformities do look "horrendous" either.

My points are addressing the claims that basic grooming is somehow performative or for others and not necessary for good health.

It’s what is classed as basic grooming that is the issue

for some it’s about basic cleaning

for some basic cleaning involves activities such as exfoliation that others think are beyond basic cleaning - a shower and towel dry is all that is needed

then there are the people who equate beauty with cleanliness. It’s can’t be clean if it doesn’t look nice to them ( irrespective of what the owner of the feet thinks )

@backformoreofthesame I guess for me it is what I would do for those who can't do it for themselves. I think of my elderly parents and their needs and it does involve helping keep their feet in good order, which is more than just a wash and towel dry.

Obviously, when you are young and your cells turnover quickly then a wash and towel dry is going to be fine, with a clip of the toe nails once a week.

As people get older or wear ill-fitting shoes then they are going to get unhelpful build ups of dead skin, foot fungus, ingrown toe nails, corns etc. They may not, in which case a wash and dry is fine, but if someone has crusty feet with yellow toe nails and peeling skin that strongly suggests that all is probably not well!

You are very wrong. Talk to orthopedic surgeons and they know exactly why proper foot care (including foot exercises) is fantastically supportive of knees and hips etc. Talk to dentists and they know exactly why proper foot care supports the jaw and teeth. The way feet are placed on the ground and the proper alignment of muscles, tendons etc is critical to bodily function and the reduction of pointless wear and tear.

If they have problems they should be fixed - but calling out hairy toes as unhygienic seems very off

and if someone clearly has problems and isn’t fixing them then I would be worried about more than the fact their feet look ugly ?

I don't think I have ever mentioned hairy toes @backformoreofthesame or ever said anything about anyone having ugly body parts.

So we agree that not exfoliating or moisturising your feet isn’t bankrupting the NHS, then?

And I’m not sure dentists are exactly the best people to advise on foot care but I guess if they’re happy to talk to you about it then crack on!

No but others down thread did - the diversity of opinion is quite interesting!

Because I love shoes. I enjoy seeing what shoes other people are wearing. I'm not sure that's so weird is it? Some people notice hair, or clothes or glasses, whatever they enjoy. Shoes is my thing!

We don't agree. Ensuring that your feet are in perfect condition is a public good as well as a personal hygiene matter.

My husband had an Achilles tendon repair. Six months later he was at the dentist and she could tell by looking in his mouth that he'd had an accident and sent him straight off to the osteopath to realign his body and jaw before even more damage was done to his teeth.

I take care of my feet with filing and moisturising but I find hard skin cracks and then it’s painful which I dislike so that’s my main reason. I do it myself though, just foot cream every night

Well, what are you going to do about someone choosing to pick their nose, dear? Reprimand the person for picking their nose, or look away?

I know what I would do.

My husband's toes are hairy; his feet are clean.

Ludicrous!

Dry feet and cracked heels aren't causing financial distress within the NHS 🙄.

You’re just talking crap now

Without wanting to speak for the pp you were addressing, personally I'd have to bite my tongue to stop myself telling them it's disgusting to do that in public. I'd definitely consider letting my facial expression convey my thoughts.

Incidentally why do you keep calling people dear? It's very patronising.

I haven't seen that claim made on this thread, but I may have missed something.

Personally for me, hairy toes are f'ing ugly. Them being clean wouldn't change that.

I wear open toe sandals, pretty much all summer. My comfort is important to me. Pretty much don't care if someone doesn't like feet. They are clean, and as soft skinned as I can get them (as I'm diabetic so do look after my feel as best I can). Never bother painting my toes.

I should think you would bite your tongue if you saw someone digging their nasal passages.

There's no use having an altercation with someone who chooses to pick at their dried nasal mucus.

It's a forum - I am not trying to offend other users.

Head held high. Cast your focus elsewhere if hairy toes are so abhorrent?