Would it bother you if your doctor was wearing shoes like these?

[BloodyMaud]

I love them, but can't really justify them unless I wear them for work, at least sometimes. They have loads of styles - some are definitely innappropriate but wondered if some would be ok. Rest of outfit is usually colourful but fairly smart/ conservative.

Really interesting range of opinions on this one.

Personally, I think they are vile, ugly, and inappropriate, and I'd find it hard to take the wearer seriously.

But obviously lots of people would find them a happy thing to see, which is lovely

What outfit would you be wearing with that? I can’t imagine a lot of thing go together...

I really would not care less. It matters more to me that the HCP I'm seeing (once managing to get an appointment) is approachable, actually listens to what I'm saying and helps me to the best of their abilities.

I'm assuming all the other things like good body/oral hygiene. I once had a series of appointments with a great physio who had absolutely terrible breath and I had to hold my own breath when she was up close..)

I guess the shoes might well be a good ice breaker for a nervous patient.

OMG they're horrible - sorry but these are not very nice.
Wouldn't bother me though if my dr had them on.

I’m happy to just get an appointment with the dr.

People have been called out on innapropriate slogan tops and spaghetti straps, so there could have been complaints, yes...

I'd think you were great! go for it!

I'm quite partial to the Gregory House TV doctor look, that is, the 'I-don't-care-about-what-I-look-like-because-all-my-energy-is-going-into-figuring-out-the-correct-diagnosis' look. So a nondescript no-nonsense pair of slightly scuffed Mary Janes would be my preferred doctor-footwear option as a patient. However, in the end, the most important thing would be that my doctor had comfy well-fitting shoes, so they don't have to devote any headspace to their blisters.

It wouldn’t mean that I had less confidence in you as a doctor but I do wonder why any grown woman would want to wear what look like little girl’s shoes. Maybe I’m not a fair judge as I can’t stand anything cutesy/overtly girly.

Having just looked at the website, you do realise that you will have to adopt a pigeon-toed pose at all times. 🙄

Wouldn't bother me at all. I had to have surgery to do a skin flap on my armpit and it was under local. I was really really scared about it and the lovely guy who was monitoring me had two full sleeve tattoos. I spent the whole 90 mins clutching his hand while he explained his tattoos to me and asked about mine
If he had unusual shoes I would have focused on them instead!

I am an HCP and would not advise wearing these. Not because they are bright or quirky but -

1. They send out a trying to be cutsy/kooky vibe that unless you are 12 seems highly inappropriate. I get all the comments that if you are desperate to see a GP as long as they clean thats fine but I don't think thats the point. if you are a paediatrician maybe less of a concern as they look like children's shoes

2 Mumsnet is a specific demographic and while people on here don't necessarily mind that's not the same as the general population's perception

1. Medicine (particularly hospital medicine) is still a male dominated field especially at senior levels and it does remain a struggle for women to be taken seriously and this really doesn't help. Men when they try to be quirky go for the bow tie look but they are hoping to send out a vibe of eccentric super intelligent old fashioned professor rather than ditzy child.

Lastly and I accept this is highly subjective they are beyond hideous - but each to her own. Do a locum and knock yourself out and buy 5 pairs to wear in your free time but whatever people say on here they are not appropriate in a professional environment. If I saw a lawyer in these I'd run for the hills

Men when they try to be quirky go for the bow tie look but they are hoping to send out a vibe of eccentric super intelligent old fashioned professor rather than ditzy child.

I'd suggest that quirky bow ties et al are seen as the clothing of an 'eccentric super intelligent old fashioned professor' at least in part because they're worn by men, rather than bow ties (or quirky women's shoes) actually having any inherent 'vibe'.

Or, in other words, men wear unconventional things and have words like 'eccentric' and 'super intelligent' ascribed to them; women wear unconventional things and are perceived as weird, childish or having a problem.

Do you honestly think you’d care about the doctor’s shoes if you were being told you had terminal cancer? Wouldn’t you have other things to think about?

Genuine question, I’m not trying to be goad

Yes, I think I would. I would be quite likely to be looking down at the floor while receiving bad news (I can't listen properly while making eye contact) and the doctor's feet would be likely to be the major visual input I was receiving. No doctor would ever grin in your face while telling you something distressing, but wearing clothes or shoes with smiley faces is no different.

This makes a refreshing change from the teacher-bashing threads I suppose.

The inherent sexism of how men and women are seen in the workplace and how much harder women have to work to be taken seriously in a professional capacity is perfectly valid, of course.

That doesn’t take away from my conviction that in certain sectors professionalism in attire absolutely does matter, and should continue to matter. The only time I might consider it appropriate for a doctor to wear that kind of ‘wacky’ thing is on a paediatric ward.

I'd think they were cool

I think that’s a little different though.

To me the shoes above are akin (almost, but not quite) to turning up to work in a tutu with glitter on your face.

Tbh if you worked at my local surgery, I would be so stunned at actually getting an appointment to notice anything

DarlingNikita I don't think its so much the male/female thing as the image they are trying to project. Men in Donald Duck ties and socks outside the paeds wards give an equally weird, childish vibe.

I’m surprised they make them in adult sizes. It wouldn’t bother me really.

Ninkaninus
Sometimes I think workplace dress choices can hinder women in the workplace.
I'm in a school and that typically means business casual. We don't expect men in full business suits, but do expect smart trousers and shirt, usually a tie. Jumpers, cardigans, waitcoats, jackets optional.
Women would generally be expected to wear smart trousers or skirts of appropriately professional length and style, blouses or office tops, even smart long tunic dresses and leggings with smart shoes.

In the summer some of my female colleagues over the years come in in flimsy cocktail dresses, open toes night out shoes, jegging, t shirts, casual skirts and general summer casual attire. I'm yet to see a classroom based male member of staff turn up in shorts and flip flops.

I think (with kindness) that the shoes scream "It is all about me", as a doctor, it shouldn't be.

Meh. I wouldn't judge your ability as a GP based on your footwear as long as you didn't choose a totally inappropriate design.

So, no to the smiley faces. No to the astrology ones as I'd be concerned about a GP that gave off vibes of being into woo rather than science.

And definitely no to these 'Drug Store' ones even though technically they're the closest match to your job