Slippers, socks and the occasional novelty toe warmer are fast becoming part of the office dress code for startups hoping to ease stress and boost creativity.
It might sound like a gimmick conjured up during a yoga retreat, but asking staff to leave their shoes at the door taps into something more serious: how to make the workplace feel a little less like work.
With record levels of work-related stress in the UK, rising burnout and a labour force increasingly focused on wellbeing over salary, even small changes can have a surprising impact.
Inspired in part by Silicon Valley startups where footwear-free floors are reportedly spreading faster than kombucha fridges, some British companies are trialling no-shoes policies as a way to improve focus, comfort and even staff morale.
Natalie James, the founder of the skincare startup, helloSKIN, introduced a sock-only policy at her UK office last year. “Offices are, by their very nature, stressful environments,” she said. “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.”
James has rules: no bare feet, clean socks only (with no holes) and shoes must be worn in kitchens, bathrooms and outside. She says the effects have been surprisingly powerful: “There’s definitely been an increase in calmness, and with that comes better focus and more creativity.”
Gary Brynes, CEO of the tech company Tao Climate, encourages his colleagues around the world to embrace shoeless working. “An office is a super boring, super challenging place to be,” he said. “A recurring theme of offices is that people don’t like to be there. Anything that makes it easier is a good thing for productivity, wellbeing and happiness.”
For Andy Hague, the CEO of Tech West Midlands, going shoeless is a necessity. Hague, who is neurodiverse, says wearing footwear at work can make it harder for him to focus, and the sensory benefits of going unshod should not be underestimated, particularly as more workplaces try to accommodate neurodivergent needs.
“Wearing shoes makes me feel disconnected from the floor,” he added. “That lack of feeling is profoundly destabilising. I’d say the effect is so strong that I’m only 70% able to concentrate. The rest of me is just thinking: ‘This feels wrong.’”
And socially? “Honestly, people stop noticing after a day or two.”
But not everyone is convinced. Aaron Asadi, the CEO of the business support platform Enterprise Nation, said: “We believe in shoes. We encourage startups to develop their culture as they see fit but when advising, we try to focus less on in-office, sock commentary and more on collaborative tools, cash consciousness and the ethics of AI integration.”
Professor Mustafa Özbilgin, who researches workplace inclusion at Brunel University in London, warned the trend could place unfair pressure on women: “Men can get away with being informal but for women, dress is part of how they are judged professionally.”
There’s also the risk of generational tension, he adds. “Younger workers might see informality as a sign of creativity. Older workers might see it as unprofessional. That gap can create divisions in how people are valued.”
But it’s not only startups that are jumping in with both feet. Amanda Nicols, deputy CEO of the Delapré Abbey preservation trust in Northampton, works shoe-free in surroundings that date back to 1145.
“This is the most incredible, ancient space with a 550-acre parkland but I do a lot of rushing around at 100mph, in and outdoors,” she said. “Not wearing shoes helps me run around and move faster.
“If I have to crack on with work, the shoes come off whether it’s indoors or outdoors, rain or snow. If my feet get dirty, I just wash them.”
Nicols admitted she does put on shoes for formal meetings, but her events team has started to follow in her footsteps: “They now take off their shoes when we sit down.”
So, could going barefoot be the next big thing in British offices? Probably not overnight. But in a world where employee wellbeing, neurodiversity and culture fit are increasingly part of the HR conversation, it might be one small step in the right direction.
