I don’t usually paint mine, but I’m not exactly a fashionista. I feel weird having my fingernails and toenails not match, but fingernail polish is really not practical for work, so I just leave both unpainted.
Besides, I see enough guys running around with sandals on hideous, hairy, cracked feet that I’d be surprised if anyone even noticed my moisturized, trimmed and pumiced ones.
I can’t imagine *not * painting my toenails, even in winter, but especially in the summer when they’re constantly exposed. I keep my fingernails very short with just a hint-of-pink-clear coat on them, because it’s more practical and professional, but I love to wear bright or dark red/pink/berry shades on my toes. It’s like having pretty, shiny, sparkly little jewels on my feet!
As to polish discoloring the nails, that’s only true if you regularly wear very dark, saturated colors without a base coat. Age and fungus discolor nails.
That said, of course you don’t *have * to paint them. You *do * have to keep them manicured. Like most others said, please to cut, file, buff, and get rid of any nasty bits of cuticle or dead skin before exposing. I’m not on the “feet are nasty in general” train, but damn do I see stuff every day that is just unacceptable. Lately I see loads of people with loooooooooong toenails. WTF? Your toenail should never, ***never * ** extend past the tip of your toe. That’s just freakin’ gross, and I can’t imagine that it’s comfortable one you do put actual closed-toe shoes on.
You don’t have to paint them, but it’s cuter if you do. Just don’t go exposin’ Funk Toe and you’re golden.
I have to paint my toenails if I’m wearing sandals, and have become an expert at speed-toenail-painting as a result, but I don’t expect others to. It’s just a weird thing I have.
I hardly ever bother painting my fingernails though, as I always chip or smudge them in about 30 seconds flat.
Oh god. Yellow toe-claws. I saw a guy this morning who had to have half an inch of curled yellow talon hanging off his toes. Sandals, of course. Yrrrrrgh.
One of the things I miss due to chemo is that I can’t paint my toenails (if I get an infection, they need to see it.) I live in Florida and wear open-toed sandals 10 months out of the year (okay, more like 50 weeks) and I feel a little less pretty because my toenails are bare. The minute my doctor clears me, I’m calling up and making an appointment for a pedicure.
God I hope so. I heard the same thing as the OP from my boss, who felt she had to hurry and paint her toes because she wanted to wear sandals. 
I wear Birks all the time and rarely paint my nails. I also have crappy-looking heels but hell, my pants pretty much cover them and it’s a job where I don’t see too many outsiders.
I want to get the pedicure where the little fish eat all the dead skin off your heels.
You don’t ever have to use makeup of any kind, including polish. Do if it you enjoy it/makes you feel pretty. If not, skip it.
So says Kay, who wears finger- and toenail polish 24/7/365*, and makeup 90% of her waking hours, just because she likes to.
[sub]*The only significant period of time that I went without any polish at all, (not even clear) was when I was in the hospital, so that’s four days out of the last 32 years, maybe.[/sub]
I’m on record as saying that long painted nailes gross me out. How do you know if they’re clean? I suppose if someone had toenail problems and the nails were discolored then painting them makes sense but I would prefer to see nails that are well manicured and buffed out for effect.
I cannot wear fingernail polish due to my work as a nurse, but I wear toenail polish almost all the time. Right now I have a French manicure on my toes (I guess that’s be a French pedicure). I did it myself–I feel terribly guilty when I see women older than I am kneeling down to give me a pedi, so I don’t do that.
I like to wear funky colors on my toes–blue or green or purple. I don’t do nail art (please, no. YMMV), but I like a wild color under my socks and shoes.
Re the sandals and MUST have nail polish. I don’t think so. It’s certainly a nice touch, but as long as you are groomed (nails clean, not scraggly or yellow or ripping off), I think you’re ok. It does add a nice touch, IMO. I also think the fussier your sandals, the more subdued your polish should be. Grecian sandals, for example, that go up the calf call for sedate pink polish or a French pedi, not garish gold or purple. YMMV.
To answer the O.P. NO I most emphatically dont paint my toenails if I wear sandals,but that said I’d rather amputate my own head with a breadknife before I’d wear sandals.
I’d never be able to shop at Harrods if I did.
Its a British thing.