# Are shoes clothes?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 9, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449 "2015-09-09T17:42:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/1 "2015-09-09T17:42:09Z")
Shoes seem to be clothes in some sense, but they often are separated in lists. For example, “Clothing and Shoes Organizer”. They are generally worn not to keep one warm or for modesty as with most clothes, but to offer protection to the soles of your feet. Because of that, my opinion is that they are not included in the set of objects labeled “clothes”.
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### Author:  [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/2 "2015-09-09T17:48:49Z")
I think they are worn to keep the feet warm some 7 to 9 months of the year in many areas. And you wear trousers or a skirt in part to protect your ass from some of the evil stuff you might sit on.
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### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/3 "2015-09-09T17:51:20Z")
When that supermodel that you somehow managed to get back to your condo says “take your clothes off…you studly stud you” do you leave your shoes on?
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### Author:  [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/4 "2015-09-09T18:25:31Z")
Even those not purposed for warm are purposed for dry. And yes, most people don’t want to see other people’s feet that keenly.
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### Author:  [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/5 "2015-09-09T18:55:53Z")
I would include shoes as as a sub-set of clothes. They certainly are worn for warmth and I don’t know why something must be modest in order to be considered clothing.
Also, most clothing doubles as protection. If you doubt me, go cook bacon nude and then go ride your bike for an hour. Let us know how that worked out for you without clothes. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/6 "2015-09-10T01:02:19Z")
> [@billfish678](#):
>
> When that supermodel that you somehow managed to get back to your condo says “take your clothes off…you studly stud you” do you leave your shoes on?
More like he finally got a good hand in strip poker & doesn’t want to settle for manolo blahniks.
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/7 "2015-09-10T01:46:04Z")
I was at first leaning toward “yes, they are clothes.” But now, I say NO! They are not. They are a sort of protective gear. Typically, the only modern one we need day-to-day.
I would describe clothes to be made mostly of fabric, so socks would count. However many shoes are made of leather, and while some sneakers might be made of materials like canvas, the sole needs to be hard and protective, so a lot of modern shoes have rubber, or some sort of a polymer sole. This is not even to speak of boots.
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### Author:  [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2015, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/8 "2015-09-10T02:09:23Z")
> [@billfish678](#):
>
> When that supermodel that you somehow managed to get back to your condo says “take your clothes off…you studly stud you” do you leave your shoes on?
beware [the sock gap](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs1zz4zZhdM)
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2015, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/9 "2015-09-10T03:23:43Z")
It’s akin to “medical and dental.”
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2015, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/10 "2015-09-10T12:27:15Z")
Are hats clothes?
Are coats clothes?
Are neckties clothes?
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2015, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/11 "2015-09-10T13:13:19Z")
> [@billfish678](#):
>
> When that supermodel that you somehow managed to get back to your condo says “take your clothes off…you studly stud you” do you leave your shoes on?
You can leave your hat on.
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/12 "2015-09-10T15:38:05Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#):
>
> Are hats clothes?
>
> Are coats clothes?
>
> Are neckties clothes?
Accessories, except the coat. The coat’s protective.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/13 "2015-09-10T19:55:36Z")
I suppose the question here is what reasonable definition of “clothes” does not contain “shoes” in a subset? I suspect that it would be difficult to come up with one that doesn’t include at least certain types of shoes (and coats, and neckties, and hats).
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### Author:  [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/14 "2015-09-10T20:20:39Z")
It completely depends on who’s defining the categories and what their purpose in doing so is. There are no rigidly defined bodywear categories with category police fining category abusers.
Are you arranging the layout of a store? You’ll set up categories one way.
Are you proposing tariffs? You’ll probably set them up another way.
BTW, according to tariff regulations, most action figures are dolls, but X-Men action figures aren’t.
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2015, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/15 "2015-09-11T03:41:41Z")
> [@cmyk](#):
>
> I would describe clothes to be made mostly of fabric, so socks would count. However many shoes are made of leather, and while some sneakers might be made of materials like canvas, the sole needs to be hard and protective, so a lot of modern shoes have rubber, or some sort of a polymer sole. This is not even to speak of boots.
Are shoelaces clothes?
Is the belt clothes?
If the belt matches the shoes, are they either both clothes or neither clothes?
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/16 "2015-09-11T14:58:27Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> It’s akin to “medical and dental.”
Nice.
Good question. I love it when I am asked to think differently about such an everyday thing.
I imagine some hipster opening a “Foot Clothing” shop.
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### Author:  [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-shoes-clothes/730449/17 "2015-09-15T15:04:40Z")
That reminds me of something. Was it Hush Puppies who ran an ad campaign that called them ‘foot gloves’?
Are gloves clothing? I’d guess that work gloves are protective equipment.