Job Discussion Forums

seklarwia · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:15 am Post subject: Indoor shoes?

What is actually considered acceptable to use as indoor shoes in schools?

I have a brand new pair of white slip on trainers and I was wondering whether I'd get away with using them instead of actual shoes.

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

That would be fine as long as you never wear them outside.

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

Or if you do make sure they're clean and don't tell anyone!

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

Japanese teachers usually wear leather sandal looking things. I got all stressed over the indoor shoes thing before I came. It's nothing. Just bring basically any normal shoes (I'm wearing dress shoes right now. I also have 'sport clogs' that I used to wear in my past jobs) that haven't been worn outside, and designate them as your indoor shoes. Women might look a little odd if their indoor shoes were high heals, though, I guess.

I've seen anything from furry bunny slippers to regular dress shoes worn as indoor shoes by Japanese people (the furry bunny slippers tend to be worn by people who are just visiting the school for one day, so they bring their slippers from home). I've also known foreigners who just wear a pair of the guest slippers in their own school every day (all of them have been women. there aren't many Western men who can wear guest slippers, or most of them anyway, without their feet hanging off the back).

seklarwia · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:27 am Post subject:

It is flat dress shoes that I am trying to avoid.

I read somewhere that you shouldn't be wearing high heels in the school. I am flat footed and get sharp pains in my instep if I walk in flats for too long.

So I basically live in high heels, but I also wear dancing/work-out trainers with raised insteps, which is why I was asking about the trainers as I just so happen to have some extra sets of "in the box" new splitsoles.

I'm doing a lot of my shopping now and it seems that the sexy secretary style has come back. I've been scouring the shoe shops and most of work shoes seem to have 2"+ heels or wedge heels and the few flats are going to cause me issues. There are the lots of boots as well, but I'm not shelling out that kind of money for footwear I can only wear indoors, plus with the boots comes the heels in many cases anyway.

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

The trainers should be fine.

JL · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Las Vegas, NV USA

I was going to say that the "click clack' of your high heels going down the hall would earn you more double-takes and stares than you'd care to have. But if Gambate walks down school halls in dress shoes, then maybe high heels aren't a stretch, afterall. However, the "work-out trainers" you ask about, if never used outside, I think would be your best bet. I used to wear either athletic shoes, or even the same kind of gum-soled slippers students use ("uwabaki), when I taught high school. But scratch the uwabaki if flat soles aren't an option for you.

Hoser · Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 694 Location: Toronto, Canada

I think anything is alright so long as you don't wear them outside. Actually on my first day at school, right after putting on my brand new shoes we were lead outside and across to another building and I was like 'What the hell is the point...?'

I have a great pair of Adidas sneakers/slippers. You may have seen them at the shoe stores. The front half looks like a normal pair of sneakers but the back half only has the sole like a slipper-they're so darn easy to slip in and out of!

chinagirl · Joined: 27 May 2003 Posts: 235 Location: United States

I love Sketchers for school shoes. They go with everything. I also have flat feet, and I put really good orthotics in them, and voila! no arch/heel pain. It's a good combination for me, and they look good with skirts and pants. They're just as comfortable as sneakers/trainers, in my opinion.

http://www.skechers.com/shoes-and-clothing/women

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

How odd- I love flats (being 175cm tall contributes to this also no doubt) and can't imagine wearing heels for more than about a minute, they are so excruciatingly uncomfortable, but I never imagined that there were people who felt the opposite way! I have pretty high arches though so no doubt that's the difference.

LITTLE PEACHES · Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:08 pm Post subject:

i'm sorry...i'm not familiar with this. I know that for homes you need slippers...does this mean i need slippers for school too?!?! so is there a point in wearing high heels? Like should I even wear them around town? and is it sage to say that I should carry a pair of "slippers" or whatever i make my slippers to be everywhere with me?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

If you visit someone's home, they will provide slippers. You should, too, but there's no need to bring from home when you can buy here.

Your employer should inform you whether you need to provide a pair of shoes for your work situation. Work will provide slippers, too, but if you don't like them or can't fit into them, buy your own (here).

seklarwia · Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:56 pm Post subject:

Honestly, pretty much anything can be worn in school, but maybe don't go for heels in school.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

You don't need to carry slippers around with you. If you are going any place in your free time that you will need to take your shoes off (unlikely unless you are visiting someone's house, or perhaps the occasional izakaya/restaurant with a tatami floor), then slippers will be provided or it's acceptable to go barefoot.

If you need indoor shoes for school (you are going to an eikaiwa, right? So this is less likely than if you were an ALT), then you would leave the shoes at school- probably trainers, slip-ons, something easy to take on and off.

Wear what you like on your feet in your free time!

Mr_Monkey · Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 661 Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu

The first eikaiwa I worked in never required any of the teachers to bring slippers/take their shoes off at any point during the working day. I would suspect that AEON, etc.. wouldn't ask you to do it, but you might find that smaller, independent eikaiwa ask you to remove your shoes.

It will be clear the first time you step through the door - if there's a small step and/or a clear, often tiled, area with shoes there and/or a shoe cupboard, all with a carpeted area behind it, you should take yours off.

If you're not sure, just ask - there's really no problem with being barefoot or having just socks on that I can see, and the Japanese are, in my experience, very forgiving if you just don't know the appropriate behaviour, and very appreciative when you do.

Finally, I always found that in those situations where you must take your shoes off, your host will always tell you. However, this is just my experience.

*edit*

This is typical of what you can expect to see:

http://www.roler.cc/Genkan.jpg

If you see something like this, take your shoes off.

*edit 2* WTH? You can't post image links on this forum? That's lame.