Heels off under desk / around office

[lizzyh9]

Simple question - is this acceptable?

Boyfriend say should keep them on at all times!!

I think perhaps people aren't aware that when you have your shoes of in the office it's unpleasant for others around you. They'll never say it to your face, so you might think it's fine but is not.

Yes I have taken my shoes off at work. I share an office with a colleague and there are engineers walking around at times. I'm pregnant and my feet and calves ache a lot of the time and I can't put my feet up if I'm wearing shoes due to the desk (it has a half back which means my feet don't fit underneath, stretched out with shoes on. So they come off. I have yet to hear any complaints about the potential of my feet smelling, but frankly my colleague takes a billion (more like 6 during my part time shift) cigarette breaks a day and comes in reeking of fag smoke (bleugh). So she can shut up before she starts

I'm in a creative industry too and it's considered acceptable in our office. People often pad around in their stockinged feet.

I have never given this a great deal of thought before as I am a nurse so clearly having no shoes on is never acceptable. However I have to admit I am surprised to read that an AH teaches children in bare feet... It does seem to send mixed messages about what is acceptable to people who may be heading out into the workplace themselves fairly soon. I wouldn't be very pleased to find my daughters teacher in bare feet in the classroom I would find it concerning and unhygienic. Also from a practical point of view who knows what could've been left lying around on the floor that you could stand on??

Autumnroses... You can't tell me flat shoes look as good with a pencil skirt or suit surely? It isn't ridiculous... It's basic fashion!

Not sure fashion basic or otherwise should be your priority here snowberry!! You sound rather immature now...

Keep your shoes on at work please, everybody. It is the thin end of the wedge.

And whilst you are at it no eating stinky cup-a-soups at your desk.

Flat shoes look a lot better with a suit than no shoes!

It's very naive to think that the way you dress doesn't impact the way people think of you. I'm a lawyer and if I wore a very low cut top it wouldn't technically be against the dress code but would be unprofessional and I would be judged for it. Likewise, going barefoot may not technically be against the dress code but it seems ridiculous to purposely dress up in heels around adults and then slum it around students. All the while telling them "do as I say, not as I do". Hardly a good message to send is it.

The term "Power dressing" needs to stay in the 80s!

Very well said Queenbean, as a nurse people expect me to be dressed in a professional manner that gives them confidence that I know what I'm doing and they or their loved ones are safe in my hands. I think children and parents have the right to expect no less of a teacher who has an incredibly influential role in these young people's lives!!

Ha ha, I'm immature for being interested in fashion?

I really don't see how this thread has got so long- do people really have nothing better to do than worry about whether or not I wear shoes in my classroom?

I have explained my rationale- my personal choice of work wear is a skirt/dress suit and jacket- which I personally feel heels look better with. In a classroom I like to be able to move in between the desks quickly and freely and find that I am more able to do this by taking off my shoes. It's really not the huge issue people are making it out to be!

Each to their own... Live and let live and all that! Does no harm what so ever and so I don't see why I should change something I am comfortable with just because the powers of mumsnet tell me I shoukd!

Let's hope I never teach any of your darling children in the future, if I do I will be doing it bare foot and you are welcome to complain about me. I only ask that you speak to your child first- 99.9% of the children I teach love being in my classes, make excellent progress and don't give two hoots about whether or not I wear shoes!

What a lot of fuss over a pair of bare feet.

If you say you're a great teacher, I'm sure you are

I just don't understand the rationale:

Suit with heels looks best
Suit with bare feet looks next best
Suit with smart ballet pumps looks worst

A suit with bare feet conjures up images of drunk city workers in bars on a Friday night

Btw, ballet pumps and pencil skirts can look beautiful - if you're in to fashion there are plenty of looks that can show you this

I dunno, I hate seeing feet!

shoes off in the work place - Totally unprofessional, teachers with no shoes on - same

" I need the heels to go with my pencil skirt and suits. However they are not ideal to teach lessons in as you can't be quite nimble enough to nip round desks, and they make your feet ache. Simple solution- I teaches lessons bare foot."

"Luckily I don't care too much about what others think."

"Perhaps part of why I wear heels is to do with society norms."

why do you wear heels that you cannot move around in?, sorry to be picking on you, i dont mean to, i'm just confused how you say you dont care about society norms and then in the next sentence you do care.

dresslikeaparisian.com/how-to-wear-flats/

My main reason for wearing heels is because I like the look of them with my outfit. Perhaps part of why I personally like this is to do with society norms, that is usually how society tend to come to the same conclusions a lot of the time about when something looks good.

I generally don't care too much about what others think, I do care however about what I think and how I perceive myself. I like to wear heels and have no issues with bare feet in a classroom... So that's what I do!

We have a few permanently barefoot hippies in our office. They don't wear shoes at all between April and October, although will occasionally tie a bit of thread between toe and ankle. Otherwise we have to be quite smart.

On the other side we also have gentlemen who wear stilettos so we are clearly a live and let live company as long as you're business up top.

I don't see the problem with slipping your shoes off under your desk where no-one can see (or hopefully smell) them, walking around with no shoes on though isn't on really IMO
And teaching a class barefoot is just ridiculous! And a bit gross, and isn't it a health & safety issue? What if you dropped something on your naked toe and broke it, or stood on something sharp and cut your foot you would therefore have to disrupt the class to get yourself sorted. Also what if there was an emergency like a fire and instead of getting the children out of the building as quickly and safely as possible you're faffing about putting your shoes on?! So yes, very very unprofessional and I would be making complaints if you were teaching one of my children

Most people on here are telling you it's not a societal norm when teaching children to do it bare-foot and that you are undermining your position and the image and ethos of the school.

I personally don't give two hoots as to how you teach, I don't know you or have my children taught by you but I just find your recalcitrant stance on this issue seriously worrying in an educator. You sound immature basically

Interesting that everyone's saying the same and you're not interested snowberry. That's what makes you sound immature not being interested in fashion!! It IS unprofessional to teach barefoot! Fact! Everyone agrees but you, just because you haven't been pulled up for it doesn't make it ok. I'm very glad you don't teach my child because I would have a massive issue with it.
You're making an impression on people even if nothing is said. You could be the most amazing teacher ever but people will just think of the lady with no shoes. You're also making an impression on those young people and it's not the right one!!

I can see why people would think it isn't very professional, but to have a 'massive ' issue with it seems a bit over the top.

Are the kids in this school allowed to walk around barefoot or are they expected to stick to regulation shoes? If they find their shoes uncomfortable and can move around the school easier without them are they allowed to go without?

no-one is saying 'no heels' - dead flat silly ballet pumps are bad for feet anyway.

but top tip - a shoe is an object designed to fit a foot and allow the function of the foot, which is walking. If it doesn't do that, it is a useless shoe.

if your shoes are so high that they make you walk like the bloke on the insurance ad: remember they aren't laughing WITH you...

Actually, the bloke in the insurance adverts can walk better in high heels than most women I know!!

Wow, this thread is brilliant :-S

I don't think people are unprofessional if they don't wear shoes in the office, and would not have a problem if Snowberry was teaching my child barefoot. This is not an issue, it really isn't.