Trainers for interview?

[fivebyfivefaith]

I have 3 interviews this week, none are customer facing but one is in an old bunker (don’t ask!) at a MOD site
struggling with what to wear
tops I have plenty, and a relaxed blazer from M&S in black
trouser options are grey wide leg, check wide leg, or ankle grazer black
shoes I have these trainers (new not scruffy) or these black flats)

I think you’re fine in wide leg trousers with the trainers, to me they look pretty smart.

Edited to give a bit more context but I work in public sector in a customer facing role and I wouldn’t think anything of it if someone turned up to interview in those. I think they’re smarter than the others.

Yeah the others look crap in photos but once on they’re quite bland if that makes sense? They just look like ballet type flats

I think the trainers are smart too! I have white ones as well but they stand out more

Id go for the black flats over the trainers but either will be ok

I cannot imagine going to a job interview in trainers unless it was for a job in a sportswear store or for the company that made the trainers!!!! Always dress “up” for job interviews. As you’ve already said that it is the sort of interview to which you’ll wear a jacket, definitely wear the smarter shoes, even if you think they look “worse”.

I think they look fine! But I would absolute wear smart trainers to an interview - I wear trainers every day at work so if I wouldn’t get the job because of that then it’s not the workplace for me.

Flats then your footwear can't distract anyone interviewing if they are a bit formal about interviews.

Do you know what the appearance policy at the office? Some are more relaxed than others.

I wouldn't wear trainers to an interview - depending on who is interviewing, trainers could give a "too casual" impression. But the boring flats will go unnoticed.

It’s less a question of smartness, more about what’s weather appropriate. It’s cold and wet outside the train I’m on. I’m afraid if I were interviewing someone today I would be distracted by wondering just how straitened their circumstances must be if they cannot afford even a supermarket pair of boots. (And I’m speaking as someone who once lived for months with just seven items of clothes, including footwear.)

Unless your job will be uniformed, I wouldn’t wear the fabric shoes.

It’s wet here but I’ll be driving then indoors
i I have boots but with a heel which don’t go with the trousers
I can’t afford anything new as I got let go from my job with a weeks pay

It’s not technically a jacket job at all but I like the blazer and it’s one I wear with jeans and trainers so I could wear that or a long smart coatigan thing but thought the jacket is nicer

it’s a call centre job

No clue on either
both call centre jobs, don’t think either have uniform

Boots wise I have these plus others but none that go with the trousers or are smart enough

In that case I’d go with the trainers.

(Bad luck about your previous job - that must be stressful.)

If the wide legs are long enough to cover most of the boot I'd wear the second pair under the wide leg trousers. From your first post, you could probably get away with the black flats. Don't wear trainers to an interview, always err on the side of caution. Some people may do it and be fine (especially if interviewing for jobs where they already have significant experience in the industry), but just don't do anything that might (fairly or unfairly) go against you.

You would probably be fine in the trainers but on the off chance I wouldn't wear them

I would think for a call centre job looking alert takes precedence, so the trainers win. The fabric shoes look like slippers and would give quite the wrong impression!

I think either would be fine, unless you have reason to think that the dress code is very smart (difficult to know in advance though). Good luck with the interview!

I wore something similar to the black pump slip-on. Mine were sketchers. I looked smart and I got the job! Like you, I didn't have much money to buy new shoes and clothes so had to make do. As long as you look clean and clothes are ironed, I'm sure you'll be well received. Good luck, I hope you get it 🍀

Congrats!
I have plenty of work clothes but trainers were allowed in my last place so I’ve got maybe 4-5 pairs of smart ones and not many smart shoes

No do not wear trainers to an interview

Why would someone’s financial circumstances have anything to do with their ability to do the job, though?

I used the words distracted by, @Ddakji. I didn’t say I would conclude they couldn’t do the job.

That’s good. I might conclude that an interviewer who gets distracted by wondering about the candidate’s financial status due to their footwear might not be up to the job, though.

You may be right but OP is not there is assess the interviewer, its the other way around