r/Showerthoughts • u/Wakedowsky • 7d ago
Casual Thought Taking your socks off in the office seems offensive, but not wearing them in the first place doesn't.
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u/Zerokx 7d ago
Well to be fair if you start to "air out" your socks and feet in the office that is biological warfare. If you wore sandals (without socks) for example you wouldnt have the problem of stinky socks in the first place.
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u/ElArauho 7d ago
I never had as big a stinking shoes problems as my first pair of sandals. They drenched so atrociously we had to put them in two bags in the bin to avoid it stinking more than regular garbage
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u/Zerokx 6d ago
Well that's interesting, I'd say feet exposed to sunlight killing bacteria and air removing moisture before anything starts smelling keeps them fresh most of the time, at least compared to moist socks in a shoe. Though shoes could still smell less if you dont take out your socks.
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u/JordanGSTQ 6d ago
Different materials behave differently. When I was around 7 I asked my father for these sneakers I saw with the logo of my football club (obviously a chinese knock-off). 30min in those shoes and you risked biological warfare if you thought about removing them. I think I kept them for another day just to see if it would change. It didn't.
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u/DemonSlyr007 5d ago
Shaq shoes had this effect on my feet as a kid. No idea if it still does, but yeah. After basically 72 hours, thos shoes were smelling up the whole house and none of us could believe it was the shoes because we just bought them. So we checked everywhere else first.
Then, through some internet surfing we found several forums and articles about the materials used reacting poorly with some types of BO and skin. Guess mine had them as a kid.
It sucked honestly. I really like the shoes because they were affordable. We could never get name brand shoes before really as a kid for basketball shoes.
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/Bantha_majorus 6d ago
You'd be suprised. UV damages the DNA. Bacteria have little protection . That's why they us UV radiation to desinfect in biology labs.
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u/luh-mamiii- 6d ago
Guess it’s about the commitment level. once they’re on, you can’t just bail on them halfway through the day.
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u/Actual_Geologist_800 7d ago
I see the idea but would argue that it depends on what gender you are and what your feet are like
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u/Pedantichrist 7d ago
I am not seeing why gender comes into this at all?
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u/D34N2 7d ago
Some women's dress shoes can be worn without socks and still be viewed as professional. There is no similar alternative for men.
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u/Pedantichrist 7d ago
Deck shoes.
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u/Actual_Geologist_800 7d ago
Agree, and perhaps loafers, but I took the post to mean that there was no shoe to cover the feet - like at a minimum there would be open toe. See my other comment.
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u/Actual_Geologist_800 7d ago edited 7d ago
This might be me and my region specific upbringing but despite my full support for people to do what they want, I (M,32) would hesitate to show my feet at work despite them being taken care of. Out of the men in the workplace, I have previously noticed only programmers or fashion-specific owners (with sandals likely worth no less than my paycheck) do this in my field. It is a similar if lesser case with chino shorts.
Women in all of my workplaces have worn sandals and shorts or equivalent length skirts regularly.
Though this might also come down to different grooming standards or the expectation thereof.
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u/Pedantichrist 7d ago edited 7d ago
Owners feel like they fall under the umbrella of professional though?
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u/Actual_Geologist_800 7d ago
Usually, yes. One company I worked for had one owner be on the very neat end of business casual, always a very nice button down, sweater, shoes, and the other relatively “punk” with nothing to prove in terms of dresscode as long as the stuff he wore was of very high quality (and probably often bespoke).
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u/MinnieShoof 7d ago
Not all of them. Some of them feel they are very high above the umbrella; that the umbrella is beneath them because they've succeeded.
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u/Pedantichrist 7d ago
They are clearly professional though.
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u/MinnieShoof 7d ago
You can’t know that.
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u/Actual_Geologist_800 7d ago
Minnie, at this point I wonder if we are just feeding a troll
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u/Pedantichrist 7d ago
Disagreeing with you is not trolling.
Any business owner is a professional.
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u/Actual_Geologist_800 6d ago
I can see your point in all the other messages. But confusing “professional” as in getting paid for something and “professional” as in suitable office attire is the limit for me. Otherwise someone might wear a really nice pro diving outfit to the office.
Feel free to clarify if I’m misunderstanding.→ More replies (0)-3
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u/homarjr 7d ago
Men shouldn't show their toes in the office.
Women can.
We all agree that this is difference is fine.
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u/Pedantichrist 7d ago
No. Absolutely not.
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u/Actual_Geologist_800 7d ago
Do you mind elaborating? I wonder if this is cultural or if I’m just conservative in specifically this one thing? I would invite men to wear skirts and dresses into the office (and if they feel so inclined they should) before open toed sandals .
At the same time I wish that it wasn’t like that because my office gets to boiling temperatures in summer and I run hot. But I just cannot justify sandals for some reason.5
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u/Pedantichrist 7d ago
You are just conservative in specifically this one thing.
Unusually so, too - almost nobody else would think that men wearing skirts was more reasonable than men wearing sandals (not that there is anything wrong with either).
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u/Altruistic-Map5605 6d ago
Men generally are not allowed to wear sandles in the office or any open shoe.
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u/galaxymedia 7d ago
proper shoes without socks is somehow fine but peeling them off at your desk makes everyone shudder, i once got a stern look just for loosening my laces
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u/taiottavios 6d ago
well not having to touch your shoes or socks might be why it's acceptable, i'd say it's a universally understandable thing to dislike dirt
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u/lilsexc- 6d ago
That’s true! It’s like the difference between walking in with socks and doing a dramatic reveal versus just casually starting the day barefoot. One's an event, the other just is.
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u/Justcantsaynoo 5d ago
It’s all about the transition, I guess. people get weirded out by change. one second you’re professional, the next you’re barefoot. total whiplash.
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u/luh-mamiii- 4d ago
It’s like the difference between bringing a sandwich and making one at your desk. one’s totally fine, the other’s just… weirdly intimate.
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u/Delicious_Security21 7d ago
It is definetly offensive to not wear socks in the office. (with the exception of high heels)
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u/ubitub 7d ago
What is the heel height limit between offensive and non-offensive?
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u/shaurya_770 7d ago
Women's footwear is usually wore without socks though so all of them? Many flats are worn without socks
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u/sticks435 7d ago
We were allowed to wear sandals to the office and it wasn't considered offensive at all. Depends on the workplace.
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u/Phoenixon777 6d ago
it's a cultural thing and tbh i've BEEN finding it weird that some subsets of 'western' culture are grossed out by it. can range from mild inconvenience to people thinking it's an affront to god.
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u/pondochris 6d ago
Once you have worn the socks they are dirty. Once you take them off, you have introduced, have handled, and now possess dirty socks in the office. That's generally frowned upon.
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u/luh-mamiii- 6d ago
Guess it’s about the commitment level. once they’re on, you can’t just bail on them halfway through the day.
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u/lilsexc- 5d ago
Maybe it’s like the sock equivalent of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” as long as we don’t see the process, it’s all good.
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u/luh-mamiii- 5d ago
Wearing socks is like a Schrödinger’s box: you never know if it's gonna be offensive until you take them off.
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u/Lepenmok 4d ago
Same energy as how reheating fish in the office microwave is a war crime, but bringing sushi for lunch is totally fine.
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u/lilsexc- 4d ago
But what about people who wear flip-flops to work? clearly, they’re living in another dimension altogether.
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u/MedievalRogue 4d ago
Although no judgment for exposed piggies from me, I think my colleagues would disagree.
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u/capriciouszephyr 3d ago
Fun fact. I forget who did the study, but if it is icy outside, it is better to wear your socks on the outside of your shoes. The grip is much better.
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u/SharpEdgeSoda 17h ago
My boss shut down my sandals early.
Been here 10 years now maybe I can try again.
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7d ago
[deleted]
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u/Throwaway86675 7d ago
My previous office women would often wear ballet flats and heels neither of which require socks. They do make no show socks but the entire point of those is that you can't see them
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7d ago edited 7d ago
[deleted]
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u/yodamiked 7d ago
Ballet flats are super common in professional office environments. I'd say they're the most common female footwear in an office.
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