I keep a pair of sandals (actually, geta) under my desk at work. In summer, if it’s a hot day, I sometimes take my shoes and socks off and wear those instead.
Not exactly bare feet, but not far off. Nobody’s ever said a word or even paid the slightes attention.
Why? You shake people’s bare hands, right? Don’t object when they touch your desk with their hands? So why is having their bare feet touch your floor gross? Most people’s feet are far cleaner than their hands or the bottoms of their shoes.
Much depends on the culture of the company and of the community it’s in. One example of someone who went around barefoot almost all the time was the founder and for many years the CEO of a little company called Apple (current market capitalization $583.97 billion).
I am not above taking off my shoes at work, but I always tried not to be seen barefoot. In my own office, my feet were my business unless I had a client or colleague in for a meeting. Shoes were donned again if I had to go to the printer or anywhere else outside my own office.
Except…
At one time, I was the corporate director for sales and guest services for a midsize hotel group. Mostly, I planned marketing strategy, met with corporate travel planners, and conducted in-house training for our front of house personnel. I dressed professionally, often in heels. But more than once, if the front desk was slammed, due to a short staff or a computer glitch slowing down the check in process, I’d head out to the front lines. And a few times, my “look nice in a meeting” shoes were killing me, and slowing me down, so I just hoped that the tall reception desk hid my stocking feet. Keeping the line moving seemed more important.
Voted “Other”.
For the record, I love feet. Women’s feet. A real turn-on for me, especially the sole.
BUT
Walking barefoot in an office? No. That’s just poor manners.
The job in Sweden had a lot of things I didn’t like, but the ability to walk around the office barefoot or in socks was a nice one.
I will occasionally take my shoes off at my desk at work (we have a pretty informal workplace) but they always go back on before I leave my desk (it ain’t that informal) unless I’m the only person there.
I kick off my shoes the minute I walk in the door at work during a gout flare up, primarily. To me it’s all about comfort.
One problem, if you walk across carpet in socks you pick up alot of static electricity.
I’ll kick my shoes off under my desk but I would never walk around the office without them on. As a matter of fact, the ergonomics guy gave me a foot rest thingy with bumps on it for the sole (heh!) purpose of rubbing my shoeless feet over it so it’s encouraged here, at least to that degree. I can’t decide if bare feet or flip flops in the office is worse though.
It really depends on the office, you know? Mine is pretty casual. I go out on meetings a lot, but people rarely come to my office. It’s just a few of us girls here and as I said, I never go into their offices barefoot, that feels weird. I don’t even go in the kitchen barefoot. My office, copy room, conference room, and of course the hallway.
And I am Asian and so is my SO and we would never wear shoes in the house. I was definitely all the way on one side of that thread, and I don’t really get why you would. All the poop and dirt from the road is coming into your house! That being said, I don’t ask any guests to remove their shoes when they come in. They are guests, and I just vacuum after they leave.
Yes and this is exactly why bare feet in the office squick me out!
I wrote the one line dress code for our office -
Don’t come to work stinky
That’s it, so shoes are optional. I kick off my shoes and walk around in socks unless I’m headed for the restroom.
Oh yeah, if my feet get a little uncomfy I slip the shoes off and walk around barefoot. I’m alone in the building around 90% of the time, though. So, there’s really no-one to be grossed out. Pity, I’m usually wearing overalls. I’m sure me walking around a server farm that way all night is quite a sight.