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Footwear Matters

by Rob on October 9, 2007 · Comments

in Being a Doctor

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"How are you doing, Mr. C?"

"All is well with the world!" he said as he looked at my feet, smiling.

"So why is all well with the world?"

"You are wearing your sandals.  I know that everything is as it should be when you are wearing your sandals." he replied.

I smiled to myself.  When I first entered practice, the common attire was a white coat and tie.  I had lost those after a couple of years and for some reason had wanted to start wearing sandals.  I never went totally casual – wearing button-up shirts and khaki type pants – no jeans.

I had initially gotten some flack for my unconventional footwear choice, with mentions of OSHA and other scary abbreviations from my office manager.  Some patients thought it was great, while others seemed to hesitate at having a doctor who wore sandals.

That was 8 years ago.  Now my patients universally complain when I wear shoes and socks to work.  To them, my sandals are a sign of reassurance that it is really me – their doctor – who is in the room with them.

My sandals are my way of waving my fist at "the man."  I want to be my own person, and that is a mild way of doing so. 

I love the fact that my patients embrace this.

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  • You know ... I never thought about it before reading this, but I think I've always noticed what each of the docs I've had over the years were wearing on their feet, and it's not something I usually notice on other people. Very interesting.

    My first PCP always wore the same, worn, brown leather shoes ... pointed toe, and they looked very uncomfortable. My nephrologist always wore something that could have come from a sports shop - for hikers. He was like his shoes looked - laid back and comfortable.

    But sandals ... I'm sure I would notice sandals! I'm equally sure that I would like seeing a doc wearing sandals. :)
  • I can definitely relate to that because I come from a country where there is not so much emphasis on dressing yourself in any sort of official attire as long as the job is well done.I did my entire residency without once having worn a necktie or shoes. It is a hot and humid country and so that was functional as well.The first time I did was at my USMLE CSA exam...and I felt awfully straitjacketed. The BMA has done away with the useless cravat - is really has no function, more of a choking hazard, and I can remember the time my attending's tie slid into the ET tube while he was intubating a patient !! Similarly I do not see any reason why a doctor should not wear sandals to work if thats ok with the patient.
  • I always notice what my doctor has on her feet! For one thing, she has great shoes, but also it's pretty natural to look down while you're sitting there with the thermometer in your ear or whatever. Kudos to you for providing your patients some entertainment! And if the patient has foot issues, you can also offer yourself up as an example of good foot care. (I'm assuming your feet ARE well cared-for, of course.)

    Should you ever wish to stick it to The Man in a colder climate, may I recommend the skull and crossbones wingtips?
  • GingerB
    I hope they're sensible sandals.

    I had my MIL to the Dr a few weeks back, and the gals that took you to the exam rooms had flip-flops on.

    This is in the middle of a big city. MIL had her pressure sore boots on, with socks, so even she was a bit more dressed up. Her Doc had on clogs, the kind with backs that are kind of like slip-on shoes. I figure the guy is on his feet a lot and they're comfortable.

    In a casual office sandals are probably OK, but please, for the sake of example make them sandals that are decent shoes and not some flimsy thing that an escalator will rip right off your foot along with your toes.
  • Rob
    I was going to wear Berkinstocks, but my wife nixed the idea. So I wear Rockport sandals. I do care what it looks like.
  • jmb
    But no socks, right? My husband insists on wearing socks with his sandals which of course defeats the purpose of wearing sandals to keep cool, besides looking dreadful. He says if he doesn't, they pull the hairs on his toes! Luckily he doesn't consider this part of the world warm enough for sandals very often, although I wear them all summer.

    Darn, I keep forgetting the new spam thing and have to come back!

    Is there any way you could get this site to remember us, so we don't have to fill in our info every time? I love the blogs I visit that have that feature. Yours too of course, but just inquiring.
  • Would you do that in the ER? All blood and guts and all, you know?
  • Rob
    In the ER, I don't think dress code is as important. I used to wear scrubs and tennis shoes.

    JMB: I would embarrass my staff and my kids if I wore socks with my sandals. Sorry about the spam thing. Installing it basically made my site spam-free, so I would not go back to the old. I had 10 to 1 spam comments over real comments.

    Nice wingtips, by the way Pat.
  • Coincidentally, I put up a post today in which I mention wearing my Birkenstocks (nice link to a picture of same, for the visual impact); and have written but not yet posted one on my choices of attire over the years. I mention this only so you don't think I'm copying you (would that I could.)

    I do have an issue, though. You youngsters may not have sympathy, but some of us have concerns about our veins (I actually had DVT and PE a few years back.) So I wear socks with my sandals; worse, the supportive kind. Stylisitically it's a dilemma: those khaki atrocities under some garden-variety white socks? This is an issue that needs more attention, and I'm glad you've raised it, if indirectly.
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