Heels off under desk / around office

[lizzyh9]

Simple question - is this acceptable?

Boyfriend say should keep them on at all times!!

You can be an Ah and wear flats

Nope, nope, nope. Can't do it myself.

My staff on the other hand... I have lost count of the number of times I've had to ask them to put their shoes back on. We work in a medical centre FFS! And this is nurses and receptionists. I have had to get over the jandal type shoes on receptionists but personally it'd be a no for me.

I did once work somewhere that was always freeeeeeezing cold in the winter. I used to have a blanket on my knees and a hot water bottle under my desk which I would rest my stockinged feet on - but never walked around.

There's a woman in my office does this, and I want to stamp on her toes. I realise this is not a good thing.

Get a pair of flats to change into!

Wear your heels if you must then under your desk, change to your indoor flats.

I can't power dress in flats!

What on earth is the point of wearing shoes to work that you can't keep on because of discomfort? I can see the point of slipping them off under your desk for a few minutes if it's hot, but walking around barefoot because they are uncomfortable isn't really power dressing.

snowberry - you can't power dress in bare feet / stockings / no shoes either. Any shoes are better than no shoes.

It's not sending a great message to your students IMO Snowberry. It reinforces the perception that for a woman appearance is more important than function.

Heels off under desk totally fine - as far as I'm concerned the under desk area is your personal territory so let it all hang out. Well, all bar the foof. Probably.

Heels off walking around office - fine if wearing tights, less fine if barefoot. Tights are big socks and I walk around the office in socks loads - adds a frisson of interest to the day. Barefoot is just a bit gross for all concerned I think.

I always felt a bit like I was being saucy when I had shoes off at work, like ppl around me would consider me a liberated shoeless being. As you can tell, didn't take a lot for me to find a frisson of interest at work. Don't even get me started on the first day without tights in summer.

I take my shoes off when I'm in my office (which isn't often) as it's heated to volcano temperature and I hate having hot feet. I also walk around in my socks with the exception of going to the kitchen or the toilets. My feet don't smell and I don't do it barefoot. I really don't see the problem and wouldn't have a problem with anyone else doing it.

Any men judging should try wearing heels and see how long before they take them off under their desk.

How does having shoes you can't work (or walk or run or do anything useful in) in equate to power?

Hiccugirl, the men wouldn't be daft enough to wear the heels in the first place...

Just to clear up walked around I was only person behind till counters wouldn't do it otherwise . I do have a physical disability so sometimes any shoes kill me .

This thread is making me so glad that I work in an office that doesn't have a dress code!

If you need to power dress to full your role as s teacher you're doing it wrong.

Just wear flat shoes. What's the point in wearing heels if you have to take them off all day?

I don't need to power dress in my role as a teacher, I need to power dress in my role as assistant head. I am 28 but look about 20 max without good make up and being dressed up.

My heels are comfy enough to wear all day, but because I am tall anyway (5ft7) I find it difficult to be nimble enough to nip round the desks in a classroom (my classroom is tiny and often filled with 32 students!). I only take them off in my classroom, never if I am not teaching.

Teaching is only a small part of my job (10 hours a week) out of of the 50 hours a week I spend in school. So I dress for the other side and then adapt for a classroom by taking off my shoes and jacket and rolling my sleeves up if needed.

I don't think it sends any messages to the children at all. None of them have ever questionned it, it is just what I do!

As for the man/woman thing- a man looks smart in a suit, with flat practical shoes. I would expect them to want to remove their jacket when teaching but to wear it at all other times. For me, only my opinion, a woman looks smartest in the workplace in a skirt/dress suit which looks best with heels!

It is not acceptable imho to teach barefoot unless going for the hippy vibe!

So unprofessional to teach without shoes on

Just buy a pair of flat ballet pumps and put those on when teaching

I think its ironic that in order to "power dress" and look "professional" some people end up padding around at work with no shoes on.

I don't really go inn for dress codes at all but I thought wearing shoes was a given!

agree - Nuts

Sadly some of us have to work with people like this.

So Snowberry you think that teaching barefoot is a more professional look than just wearing a pair of flat ballet style pump. I think you need to readdress your priorities here because if I was a parent of a child at your school I would question whether your thought processes are up to scratch. You may be a damn good teacher and AH but often people make assumptions about someone on a more superficial level

No-one has actually given a reason as to why it is "nuts" in their opinion!

How is teaching bare foot unprofessional? How does it affect the quality of my
teaching at all?

Baking aedict- I would welcome any parent into my classroom who wanted to check "my thought processes were up to scratch".

They are feet.... Everyone has them!

I could keep ballet pumps under my desk... I have just never bothered. I have never seen any issue what so ever in teaching barefoot until this thread!

Maybe my thought processes aren't up to scratch after all.... I must be a terrible teacher!

Really Snowberry as an AH you have to ask why teaching bare foot is unprofessional? I am flabbergasted at your naivete