As someone whose feet swell on long flights, when I take them off it’s so uncomfortable to put them back on.
Plus I can’t touch the floor with my whole foot if I don’t have shoes.
Definitely not a must for me!
....
My feet swell sometimes too, which is why I usually wear flip flops, birkenstocks or other easy sandals on a plane, weather permitting. If I walk around, though, the shoes go back on. And for a long haul flight, you have to do some walking to keep your feet from swelling.
Me neither! It makes little sense to me to do so unless you also take them off in a restaurant when you eat, at every movie you go to, at any sporting event etc. I have no idea what makes a plane an ok public place to remove your shoes with the exception of a long over seas flight. Even on those I've done it exactly once and only for a very short time and I'm a person who spends most of my time at home in socks or barefoot. Not on a plane though.
Heh. Well, I do often slip my shoes off...
so long as no one can see my feet under the table ... Most of my flights - especially work travel - are long haul 5+ hour flights - transcontinental or transoceanic. And most often, if in business class or higher, in one of the sleeper beds and/or redeye. I would prefer the previous seat's user take their shoes off before using the footrests!
Ok that's just GROSS.
Perhaps I should clarify - kboo's shoes-off, on-plane etiquette:
1. If socks are being worn, they NEVER come off.
2. If shoes are off, the socked or bare feet NEVER - and I mean
NEVER - leave the space near the floor where my feet are meant to be.
3. Feet are never, NEVER,
NEVER placed on armrests or any parts of the seat in front of me.
4. Shoes (or plane slippers) put on immediately when leaving the seat area for any reason whatsoever.
Upshot of these rules, especially 1-3, means that no one should ever know if I have my shoes on or off.