You guys do wear those flowered shirts, wink wink nudge nudge:D

Ho, brah! That one dirty crack!

Speaking of dirty cracks, how's your cousin? :p :eek: ;) :D

In warmer places like California, I'll often wear a pair of Nike ACG sandals all day. Maybe I'll put socks on if my feet get stinky or it's cold.

Many of the arguments seem to be: wear shoes on a plane because the floors are dirty. But, no one has really explained what the difference is between walking around in bare feet, and walking with shoes/sandals/slippers.

Certainly the safety and maybe health of a barefoot person is better if they wear something (so they don't step on glass for example). But, do we honestly think that, when wearing shoes, that we aren't dragging the same digusting stuff around as when we're barefoot? I almost guarantee you that when people are barefoot, they wash their feet, a more times per day than people wash the bottom of their shoes. I know when I'm wearing sandals, I'm much more aware of when my feet get too stinky and need to be washed.

You know the old saying "walk a mile in someone else's shoes?". Well in this case, I suggest we all go out and walk a mile (barefoot) in a beautiful grassy field. Then we'll understand why the OP likes it so much. :D

Seriously, are there any studies out there that show a difference between tracking germs barefooted versus when wearing shoes? :confused:

No, of course not. When I'm at my seat, especially long-haul, I'm frequently in socks. In fact, the airlines provide socks in International First for just this purpose.

When going to the loo I wear either shoes or slippers that I bring for this purpose.

Back at my seat, the footwear is placed aside until I need it again and my still clean feet can be tucked under me or wrapped in a blanket if I so desire.

I'm far from germ phobic and have a healthy immune system. I just find that I'd rather not stand barefoot in a loo left damp from dozens of fellow pax with poo aim.

Also, as has been mentioned, bare feet in a public conveyance are against societal norms in many countries. I'm not necessarily a big fan of societal norms, but they are what they are.

Freudian??? :D

Yes, a basic FT BAL is about how airlines no longer give the class of service which was typical in years past. The airlines are not going to waste their resources treating us any better than the way we present ourselves to them.

or, to put it bluntly, don't expect to be treated elegantly if you dress like a bum. Fortunately, most FA's have sufficient pride that they treat everyone well, but that isn't something to be taken for granted.

And, as others have stated, walking through a food service area or using an airplane loo barefoot is both gross and arrogant.

As safe as commercial aviation has become, on extremely rare occasions, especially during takeoff and landings, it can be necessary to get out of a plane FAST. (Remember the Air France plane that slid off the runway in Toronto, and a dozen similar occurrences?) Being barefoot, at least during takeoff and landing (or boarding a plane in nothing sturdier than flip-flops), is almost as stupid as not wearing your seat belt; if everything goes smoothly, you don't need your seatbelt either, but if anything unexpected happens, you'd want to have it on.

Airplanes are not your living room; they are metal tubes that hurtle down runways at 160 MPH carrying hundreds of thousands of pounds of fuel. People should remember that wear their shoes. :-)

Thanks for the idea... how do you get them to "stay down" though since they float so easily...

As for Sandals not being sturdy, if you bought them at a dollar store (Or ABC for some) sure, they won't do squat, but make the "Flip flop" noise... but if they are of Teva grade (multiple straps holding them on) I think one can get away from something fine. The only problem occurs if someone drops something on your feet... and you'd still have a problem if wearing shoes anyway...

I like putting my barefeet on the bulkhead wall...

But definitely, put on the travel socks when heading to the lav

Can I sit next to you next time? :D

The last pair of Tevas I bought had some antibacterial something or other embedded in the rubber. ^^

Same here...

I think it lasted for like a week... :rolleyes:

I suspect
 

NO amount of disparagement would have the effect of discouraging the OP from going shoeless on board, so suppressing his barefoot behavior canNOT reasonably be my goal.
But I think there's a point being missed when the view is, "there's no diff between what lav floor fauna is carried by shoes or bare feet."
The point needs to be made that, in an emergency, foot protection could mean the difference between survival and demise. I sometimes wonder that the pre-flight safety presentation doesn't list a few more counsels (no sleeping in the overhead bins, on the floor, etc.) along with the smoking prohibition, and to include wearing footcovering, but ...
Traveling without something on your feet just opens one needlessly to liabilities, and my foot surgeon brother tells me, "don't do it!"
Yu Hu posts elsewhere as a UA FA, and remarks, flight attendants never take their shoes off onboard, and adds: "About safety in case of an emergency, the FAA site recommends wearing low-heeled, canvas or leather shoes for in case of emergencies."
'nuff said.

Many carriers still have glassware, and well, some of that tends to get broken at times.:D

Man, that is so wrong. :D

I might pick some of those up.

My thoughts, too. I am not a fan of those who take off their loafers, dress shoes or sneakers on the plane. I am less bothered by those who wear flip flops. In fact, for vacation travel, these have become my preferred footwear, at least at the airport.

Welcome to Hawai'i! You'll fit right in.

Ick, not to mention urine, feces, BLOOD, uh, ejaculatory emmissions, vomit, and last but not least the ever famous "blue water".

I once saw a lady waiting in line for the bathroom in bare feet. I told her that the wet floor probably wasn't sink water. She lifted up and showed me open blisters on her feet and told me that she had a good immune system. *Insert Gag reflex here*

I'm not sure which part of this post disgusts me more, but I AM sure I wish I hadn't read it so soon after lunch. :eek:

The whole thing is disturbing. (Where is the 'shock horror' emoticon?)

Great first post by the OP!^

If you could fly for half price barefoot standing up, would you?