You may have to return to the office, but a growing number of businesses are letting you kick off your shoes once you walk in the door
Xavier Lorenzo
Casual Friday is looking awfully formal all of a sudden at some companies. A growing number of startups and existing businesses, looking for a way to improve the focus and morale of employees, are letting workers kick off their shoes when they show up for work – literally.
Silicon Valley has quickly embraced the trend, one of many perks and benefits being offered as companies look to bring workers back to the office. Cursor, an AI startup from San Francisco; Speak, an OpenAI-backed language app; and Whop, which helps creators launch, manage, and scale online businesses, all let workers wander in their socks or ease into some slippers when they show up. And the practice is catching on in the U.K. as well.
“Offices are, by their very nature, stressful environments,” Natalie James, founder of the skincare startup helloSKIN, told The Guardian. “If a little thing like taking off your shoes makes you feel more comfortable — and thus be more creative — then that’s a no-brainer.”
We see you squirming as you read this, so this seems as good a time as any to note that none of the companies embracing the policy are encouraging people to walk around the office barefooted. And, generally, if workers wander into the bathroom, they have to have shoes on there.
Experts say the policy could make workers more comfortable and even encourage productivity and creativity. As you would expect, though, people who don't work in those businesses have some thoughts.
"Science says: Going shoeless boosts creativity (maybe). But no one’s creative enough to un-smell your feet," said Elodie O'Rourke on LinkedIn. "Pro tip: Always wear confortable [sic] shoes. But if you must free your toes, invest in foot powder, or a hazmat suit for your desk neighbors."
There are other areas of concern. Men, for instance, are generally able to get away with being less formal at work, but many women are judged by how professionally they dress. And it could create a divide between younger and older workers, as long-time employees see shoelessness as unprofessional.
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