shoes, no shoes, or overshoes - what's the 'etiquette'?

[Addlight]

I saw a sparks ad that said "we always take our shoes off when coming into your house".

Last house I went into had a wooden floors and a neat pile of shoes near the door. Owner looks at me meaningfully, with quick glance at my safety trainers. These are clean - nice clear soles - so I ignore the look and go straight in. I don't want to tread an a 2 inch no 8 again - it hurts - and if I need to go out to van a lot, that's a pain too.

I onece went to meet new bookkeeper. He has nice light colour carpets, so without thinking I offered to take my (clean) trainers off, and he said yes. Then sitting chatting with him I glanced down and saw he had his shoes on! Bet they would expect a visiting doc to take off shoes!

What's everyone's view - take em off, leave em on?

 

[Robinson]

Take a spare pair of shoes which have never made contact with the outside world. you could say internal foot wear...insist to the client footwear is a must and for safty reasons but you can provide yourself with some bacteria free footwear WHITE/Clear sols only.....carpet friendly.

 

[Jay Sparks]

You can buy box's of plastic trainer socks there alasticated and fit over your shoes thus giving protection from your shoes to the carpet/floor. They are blue, so they stand out like a sore thumb. And you need to keep taking them off to go out to the van but its better and quicker than taking your shoes on and off.

 

[Robinson]

HAHAH yea i have used those in some computer server rooms...like think they were more for static and dust , and some sicko animal testing place i had to work in ............but i was kinda joking and spare pair...BUT it wouldnt be such bad idea...my work shoes get pretty minging....

 

[cjp1]

I think keeping a clean pair of trainers in the van is a good idea velcro ones instad of lace ups much quicker to keep taking on and off

 

[Addlight]

The overshoes seem a good idea - I'll try them.

Maybe get the rest of the blue kit while I'm at it - look like I'm at a CRIME SCENE, which - let's face it - quite a few installations are!

overshoes | overshoes overshoes free ukdelivery

 

[cjp1]

The reuseable ones on the link look quite good, I have a box of the blue plastic ones on the van and I find that when I put them on over my work boots they tend to rip more often than not.

 

[philip962]

I keep a big box of over shoes only about £3.00 from toolstation so much easier and quicker

 

[rocker]

I don't care what you do other than NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER do any electrical work barefoot. I had one hell of a belt yesterday due to my own sheer bloody stupidity, and there's no way I would be typing this today if there wasn't a quarter inch of rubber keeping me off the damp floor. You should ever rely on it, but decent soles are your last line of defence.

 

[Phil]

over shoes every time. and a word of warning. a mate of mine who is diabetic took off his boots to drive home and popped on his trainers, got a call out to a shop on the way and down to the cellar he goes in his trainers and stands on a 2.5 clip. a couple of visits to the hospital later he is now without two toes. never work in bare feet as the customer may not thank you for mud etc but they will thank you even less for blood on a cream carpet. shoes/boots every time with the over shoes.

 

[eskimo39]

I keep a pair of slippers in the van for domestic. When I arrive I leave my boots on the doorstep and straight into the slippers (rubber soled), if I need to go back to the van leave the slippers inside and step out into my boots. Wonderful.

Tried the blue plastic bags but more often than not, they tore on ladder treads etc.

My biggest problem is if I have been using my steps/drill case/tool bag etc on a building site one day and then go to a nice clean domestic the next, I always have to put all my gear on a dustsheet and they carry a second to go under my stepladder feet.

 

[alarm man]

over shoes every time. and a word of warning. a mate of mine who is diabetic took off his boots to drive home and popped on his trainers, got a call out to a shop on the way and down to the cellar he goes in his trainers and stands on a 2.5 clip. a couple of visits to the hospital later he is now without two toes. never work in bare feet as the customer may not thank you for mud etc but they will thank you even less for blood on a cream carpet. shoes/boots every time with the over shoes.

agree with phil,we wear overshoes every time we do domestic,h&s is the mean reason we get supplied with toe techs in the first place,tho some cutsomers of different faiths have different views on wearing shoes in the home which can be a massive problem,indian,muslim and japanese customers are very fussy about it,but you have to find the line between protecting yourself and respecting their faith,so the overshoes go on as soon as you enter their home,only had one refuse so far (i left) 99% show you more respect because you respect their home or their faith ,which will help get you more work as well.
agree the cheap ones tear easy,just put a couple on each foot..

alarm man

 

[Sparky Ninja]

I have a pair of comfy shoes for driving around (drove 600 miles this week alone), and safety footwear for the job at hand. Taking off safety shoes is an absolute no no. If they refuse to let us in then we refuse to work. We have those blue overshoes as an option.

 

[hopkins85]

Saw a carpenter on a domestic job in flip flops.

 

[Guest123]

Always got a pair of trainers in the van.