When I work out, I like to wear flip flops. At my gym there is a rule that you can’t wear them,but none of the employees ever say anything to me, except this personal trainer that works there. Both times he has came up to me mid work out and made me leave to get shoes. When you think about it, running shoes don’t really provide any more safty for your feet than wearing thongs. What does everyone else think about this?
Maybe your feet stink? 
Provided your feet don’t stink and you aren’t funking up the gym, I think you should be able to wear what you want. It’s kind of like wearing a seatbelt. You aren’t hurting anyone but yourself. You probably need better support for squatting and deadlifting, but maybe not. You might drop a weight on your foot, but you might do that anyway.
if your wearing flip flops in the gym, your not squating, deadlifting, doing step ups, lunges, or even leg press. Your not benching properly, your not doing any overhead press properly. The only thing you can do properly is a seated Gun Run, and then again, if you know anything about lifting, who does anything seated anyway??
I don’t see a problem with it. I have wore sandals to the gym many times. In fact, there was a time when the only time I did wear shoes was at the gym to squat or deadlift.
I do a lot of extra work in my yard; such as sled pulls, wheelbarrows, medicine ball throws, etc. And I still do all my “yard work” bare-footed.(Probably not this winter, though, since I am no longer in California)
I wrote a great post and a rant about this… thought about it… then erased it.
OK, here is my input (IMO). One trainer telling you to put shoes on is an issue with the trainer. If the club supports it, thats a different matter.
Is there a reason you can’t wear shoes of any sort? or is it just a personal choice issue?
I work at a gym where we have this rule in place. Basically they have this so that there are no liability issues with injuries sustained while being in the weightroom (i.e. slipping, some idiot curling in the squat rack without clips drops weight on your feet when you’re not looking). I agree with the rule because I’ve seen a lot of things go on in which people could get hurt without proper footwear (running on treadmills with flip flops is a good example). If someone has their shoes off for squats or deadlifts or some other legitimate reason, I tell them the rule, but let them know that while they are doing the exercise(s), I won’t fuck with them.
The only reason I wear them is because it is comfortable. On leg day I wear shoes usually. The problme is, is that the club sucks.
I go to the university of Iowa, and this is the only place that is open until midnight. The owner is like 28 year old and he owns a bar too, so there are always drink specials posted on the wall. It’s a pretty shitty atmosphere, considering everyone who works there doesn’t lift weights. The only thing it has going for it, is the fact that they have nice equipment and they are open late.
This is the type of place where everyone just bench presses and does a half hour on the eliptical. I’m one of the few people that actually squat and deadlift.
I pretty much just wanted to see everyone’s opinion, because to me dropping a dumbell on your foot will still hurt whether i am wearing flip flops or shoes.
I completely see your point about it being a personal choice issue and you not hurting anyone but yourself. On the other hand, I have to be honest, when I see people in the gym wearing flip flops it kind of pisses me off. As a number of people have said you cant do any real work in a gym while wearign flip flops, other than curls in the squat rack. I guess I put flip flop wearers in the same category as the people who talk on their cell phones and the ones who are obviously dressed to be seen, not to do any real work. i guess it just pisses me off because “my” gym is being taken up by people who arent really there to work.
“At my gym there is a rule that you can’t wear them”
This should of answered your question about wearing flip flops in the first place. Also as mentioned good shoes effect alot more lifts then just squats and deads. And finally is it really that much of a pain in the ass to put some shoes on?
I work in a gym here in Calgary and we have the same rule. The reason behind the rule isn’t what you’d expect either. You were correct when you stated that a running shoe won’t make that much difference in terms of protection, the reason behind the rule is two-fold:
- If your toe gets crushed a shoe holds the blood in better.
- If your toes gets severed it stays inside the shoe and we (the trainers) don’t have to chase it down to send with you for re-attachment.
You may think I’m joking, but those are the reasons behind the shoes-on rule.
Dinomite
For God’s sake man, put on some shoes!
Are all civilians this DRUNK with freedom? At my gym not only do you have to wear proper PT gear, but you also have to put away the weights when your done. As well as bring a towel to wipe the equipment. Some bases make you spray the benches and seats with antibacterial solution when your done.
And don’t even think about comming out to the gym floor if you even think you have a hint of BO.
Its all a part of gym etiquette. Just in case you didn’t get the memo.
Aside from that I have a phoebia of other mens feet. They’re gross, really. Mine aren’t but other guys are.
i work at a corporate wellness center and have to tell people about wearing flp flops, most all gyms i know have those rules, besides it would def. stink up the gym
I didn’t consider the repurcussions of many people wearing them. If one person wore them it would be ok. If fifty people wore them it would smell like a high school locker room. The visitors locker room.
not to mention, there’s so much crap you can stub your toes on. if you kick a bench with your bare feet, it hurts a lot more than with a shoe on…
Wouldn’t there be an issue with athlete’s foot transmission? Shoes keep those sweaty, fungally infested feet encased.
Jayhawk
at the commercial gym i go to I wear shoes, it’s the rules. at my work gym I’ll wear slippahs aka zori slippers unless I am doing running in between exercises. Never had any more a problem than wearing regular athletic footwear.
come to think of it, people or gyms are concerned about injuries to feet even though regular shoes doesn’t do anymore protection than toilet paper. But I can see that while the injuries will be the same, shoes will cover up any visual injury- like out of sight, out of mind.
BUT hey if it’s a rule then stick with it.
[quote]DinoMite wrote:
…the reason behind the rule is two-fold:
- If your toe gets crushed a shoe holds the blood in better.
- If your toes gets severed it stays inside the shoe and we (the trainers) don’t have to chase it down to send with you for re-attachment.
You may think I’m joking, but those are the reasons behind the shoes-on rule.
Dinomite[/quote]
Funny you mention that. This happened to a friend of mine. A piano was dropped on her toe. No, it didn’t pop off, it just exploded like a grape. Shoe is the only thing that kept her from losing her toe.
Was in favor of this post until I remembered that…
Stone
i do wear slippers to the gym… far more comfy… i dropped an olympic bar on my toes once and my right big toe still has a big black spot on the base… but i still wear slippers coz that incident was caused by my own stupidity and although i think shoes would have added a measure of protection, i wont hide my cute lil toes from the world coz they look oh-so-niiice! shoes r 4 people who got ugly feet…
[quote]spitz wrote:
i do wear slippers to the gym… far more comfy… i dropped an olympic bar on my toes once and my right big toe still has a big black spot on the base… but i still wear slippers coz that incident was caused by my own stupidity and although i think shoes would have added a measure of protection, i wont hide my cute lil toes from the world coz they look oh-so-niiice! shoes r 4 people who got ugly feet…[/quote]
Yeah…and slippers in the gym r 4 people who aren’t serious about working out hard…and if you are worried about showing off your cute lil toes stick to pilates or sumthin and stay out of the weight room…Get real people…shoes provide better arch and lateral support and absorb a little shock…that is if you’re really moving some weights. Thats just my opinion.