Look, I can see both sides of this. There are plenty of “hard core” exercises that do not require the support of shoes; i.e. chins(weighted), dips(weighted), rows(seated or standing), most ab work, just about anything seated.
But the point is if your gym doesn’t allow, don’t do it. You’re no being hard core by deliberately breaking the rules. If your gym does allow it, and you feel comfortable doing it, and your feet are clean, the by all means wear sandals(or flip-flops).
If you don’t like the gym’s rules, either go to another gym or work out at home.
Hey bro, I totally agree with you, I love wearing flip flops in the gym. Its so much more comfortable. At my gym they haven’t said anything to me though so I still wear them.
Damn bro, I think that it is so wrong to put me in the same category as the cell phone talker. I wear flip flops to the gym every day as long as I’m not doing legs and I work out harder than most people I see going into the gym. You don’t have to wear shoes in order to work out correctly. I hate the cell phone talkers too, but I’m hurt to think that I would piss you off just because of what I am wearing on my feet.
to the guy who posted that if you wear slippers in the gym (he probably wants to include barefoot too) is not seriuois about training, then I guess he never saw the Pumping Iron video when Ahhnold, Ed Corney, and a popolo dude were doing some damn serious squatting—barefoot.
I’ve done squats and even deads barefoot and wearing slippers. When doing 405 deads I am not serious. When I do 225 with my shoes on is when I am training like a strongman competitor.
But like you said it’s your opinion.