Does anyone else take their shoes off in work?

[ejayne]

A friend of mine was shocked that I do.

I love my heels, but myn office is a converted old town house with steep stairs ans thick carpets so heels are'nt terrible practical!!

I tend just to go stockinged footed around the office unless aclient comes in when obviusly I put my heels back on.

Anyone else do this.

I wouldn't do this as it looks a bit too casual.

I'll slip them off whilst sat at my desk, but put them back on to go and see anyone, even if just a couple of desks away.
I always have socks on.

Often take them off at my desk, wouldn't walk about without shoes though. I also usually wear trainers into work as I have PF and carry another pair if flats in a bag.

Lord yes, especially when weather is hot. Bare feet all the way....

I do but obviously not if we have visitors.

Do people really think sandals are unprofessional? (A previous poster mentioned it)

I do. I barely wear shoes at all at this time of year - just from the house to the car, just from the car to the office, just from the office across the road to the lunch place. I do wear them when I walk to meetings, but kick them off almost the second I am sat down again.

I do wear shoes when I'm working in the datacentre, but then, besides the H&S issues, it's got fairly fierce aircon, and my feet would get cold.

My toenails are rather pretty in blue and green colours at the moment - and because they get lots of fresh air, they don't get sweaty, so they don't smell.

I do! I am one of the only ones who does but I don't care

I keep pair of Lulu Guiness mule slippers in work to wear.

Work in a B Soc so mostly behind the counter where people can't see!!

Much more comfy than my heels, plus in the bad weather my shoes often get mucky walking down the lane to bus stop.

When I had my own office I used to kick off my shies but generally I think it's not very professional. Even with just one other person in the room I would keep my shoes on.

I work in a building society and am always in my stockinged feet around the branch.

We have a uniform (jacket and skirt) but off my shoes are off before my coat

There aren't quite as many others as I thought at work. I realised one of my colleagues was wearing nude-coloured shoes today, rather than being barefeet. Took me a little while to catch on, though...

No I wouldn't go barefoot. I do change my shoes, though -
flats or heels depending on comfort/ smartness needs at any one time.

I think going barefoot/ stocking-heeled is a bit unprofessional, you could get away with it being cute if you're young enough I suppose (I'm not - ).

But also I don't fancy walking barefoot on carpets that other people have walked on in their shoes - think what they might have walked through on their way to work - grit, spit, oh yuk.

I find it a bit grim and unprofessional - ok under the desk, but put shoes on to walk around please!

The exceptions would be foot injuries/health reasons and occasions when someone has got soaked on their way into work.

Some people take it too far - I have just arrived at my university library and found an old trainer sock under the workstation desk!

Yes - work for Barclays and am always in stockinged feet behind the counter.

We are in the middle of Slippergate in our office at the moment- one of the directors says slippers are fine (so long as there aren't any visitors expected), the other one says they're 'unbusinesslike'. He frigs off by 4pm though, after that it's Slippatime in here.

Bare feet are a complete no-no for me; slippers or flip flops, ok, but I don't want peoples' toe jam on my office carpet. They aren't cleaned that often.

I have never in my life seen a barefoot/ stocking footed / slipper footed person at work. I bet there are some people who don't take you seriously because of it. You need to get more comfortable shoes if they can't be left on for the day.

Nope. Work in a shop so would probably end up with glass in my feet.

My dad caused quite a stir a few years ago when he turned up at work with sandals on. He worked for the council in a senior management position so he was expected to wear a shirt and tie, which he found very stuffy. He was told by his boss that he wasn't allowed to wear sandals, at which point he refused to remove them unless the women in the office were told they had to work in shoes too. His argument was that if there was a valid H&S reason then nobody should wear them, but if it was just that he was a bloke it was gender discrimination. By the end of the week almost all the men in the office had followed his lead; apparently they'd all been sweating away for years hoping somebody else would stick their neck out first

I don't mind people with socks/slippers on at work, but I have issues with bare feet so I don't like that. I have to wear shoes at work; slippers in the dispensary wouldn't quite work...

do it all the time whilst in my chambers and even sometimes in court if I cannot be seen and I am not due to be on my feet

babybarrister

PLEASE do not do this in court. It is very, very unprofessional. Your opponent or anyone sitting alongside you at the bar can always see. It's a formal environment and it's inappropriate. Men don't do it and you make yourself vulnerable to criticism.

When I was a pupil, my pupil supervisor (senior man) made some snide but witty comment to the judge about the fact his woman opponent had taken off her shoes. He was trying to rattle her and it worked. The Judge (also aged man) looked really pissed off and you could almost see him thinking "women really don't know how to behave".

Generally, I think shoes off is fine if it's under your desk and no one can see. If you are walking around an office, put your shoes on. Very unprofessional. And I'm afraid to say an easy way for men to attack women for lack of professionalism - seen it action as above.

I would never do this. But then I would never wear heels to work, so I have no need to take off my shoes.

I always did. I was office based though and rarely walked further than the photocopier outside. If I went out into the galleries or other offices I always put shoes back on but around the office I was barefoot or in socks if colder. No one ever commented or cared.

I often do but then I work with little kids and we are often in sand pits building castles!!

I do. If I'm sat at my desk. I keep thinking about getting slippers.

I work for a house builder selling new homes and our office is in the showhome.

Yes I change into slippers all the time, - partly becuase of the new carpets and also for comfort. Plus my shoes get muddy on site and I don't have to bother with cleaning them.

Okay, here's my uncompromising opinion OP!

I have a horror of tights and think be-tighted feet look utterly revolting, (especially American Tan

Also don't like bare feet or tights on carpets as the foot smell leaches into the carpet. Just wear comfortable shoes (or sandals/flip flops if you can get away with it) - high heels are incredibly bad for you and are a trip hazard even in an office.