Trying on shoes

Pippa22 sorry for late reply.
Boundary Mills is an out of town store which sells branded clothes, shoes etc cheaply, including Hotter, Pavers, Hush Puppies, Timberland. They provide pop socks.
There are a few around the country, at Colne, Grantham,etc.

Tedber - I don't know if it's the same in the UK but here in Germany some university towns are so poorly equipped with accommodation for the students that they often have t live in bedsits with just a washbasin and they go to the swimming pool once a week for a proper wash and shower.

Actually, I never wash my feet. I shower every day and find it hard to stand on one leg in a soapy environment. But the lady who does my pedicure has never complained......

But as for shoe shops -here even the cheap shops provide pop sox to put on when trying on shoes. I'm not sure everyone uses them, though. And sometimes it's not easy to tell which box contains the clean sox and which is for the dirty ones!

Trying on shoes has never worried me overmuch, tho’ I always use pop sox in the interests of hygiene.
I have to say, tho, that the foot hygiene of the public at large leaves a lot to be desired.
I used to be in charge of a small minor injuries clinic, and naturally saw lots of sprained ankles, sore toes and what have you in the course of each day.
I was astounded at the generally grotty state of people’s feet - long black toenails, smelly, filthy socks, horribly crusty heels with ingrained dirt - I’m not talking about the general grubbiness you might pick up in a day or two, but real neglect.
I’m sure though, that not a single G’netter would set out of their door without sweet and fragrant tootsies!

Missiseff- not sure but it’s in my DNA somewhere! Fish and chips at the sea side or ice creams were OK.
We could get into a discussion about how unthinking eating is not good for weight management but that’s a different subject.

Every shoe shop here provides socks or knee-highs for customers to use when tryinh on footwear.

Eating in the street??? What's wrong with that??

I like to try shows on with the tights or socks that I would wear with them

Hahaha really? floorflock ... I don't know anybody that would go to the swimming baths just for a wash - costs too much in my area for starters!

As for socks v bare feet.... personally I don't like trying shoes on without mainly because I like to get the feel of what they will be either with tights or thick socks (so choose accordingly). Sandals? Can't remember if I have or haven't but can see what you are getting at.

You will never find me without a pair of 'foot socks' in my handbag, (just in case I see shoes that I want - which is rare) as I too hate the thought of other people trying shoes on without socks or nylons of some sort.
I won't use swimming baths under any circumstances even though I am a reasonable swimmer as I know that some people only go there for a wash - after their swim. Disgusting.

Our local shoe shop provides little sock things.
I must admit to having tried sandals with toe posts on without socks as you can't get them on otherwise.
I wish I had a nice lady to break my shoes in for me!!

If I buy new shoes I am always given a new pair of pop socks to wear. I assume the price is factored in to the shoe price. However have bought pretty shoes in charity shops and you don't get offered socks. I take my own, and if I buy the shoes I always run a Dettol cloth around them once I am home. Since reading about the Queen using what in effect are second hand shoes, I don't mind buying pretty second hand shoes, as these can be very expensive new.

Cabbie21,
is Boundary Mills a shop ?

Here in Denmark all shoe shops have nylon socks for customers to borrow to try on shoes . These are throw out after use and I have seen the same system in Germany, Holland and France, so it surprises me to learn the British shops don't provide the same service.

I would never try shoes on without stockings on and I always wear bath sandals at the swimming baths both in the showers and when walking down to the bath.

It surprises me to learn that everyone doesn't do this.

Surely you wear underpants when trying on slacks or swimsuits?

When the Queen gets a pair of new shoes she has a lady with the same size feet wear them for a few days, so that they are nice and comfy when they eventually get to HM.

I work in retail and the shoes are tried on and stolen and have the cheek to leave their grotty shoes behind and same goes for clothes they leave their clothes on the rail for us to find...the worst thing is customers can even bring back knickers!!

Would never think of trying on shoes without a pop sock. The shops I visit for shoes give you these (new pair every time).

I always carry a pair of 'stocking socks' with me in my bag just in case I find a pair of shoes I would like to try on (most time I go shopping!). I hate it when people try shoes on with their bare feet - just plain rude.

I saw a thread on Facebook where someone was horrified that clothes bought online and then returned were then re-sold to other customers. I thought, well what do they think happens when they try stuff on in a shop? That the items are then thrown away? I think we need not to be too frantic about germs, our own or other people's. If we've got to the age of being grandparents, then we've done OK, bug-wise!

I know JL have a box of disposable pop socks for trying on shoes, but I have seen people trying on the display shoes without using them. I would prefer they did, but am not overly bothered. Although in the situation witnessed by Oldandverygrey I would have been horrified.

I take a pair of pop socks along as well, I once witnessed a lady trying on a pair of shoes, when I glanced at her feet they were covered in sores with a couple of plasters clinging on for life - the shop assistant looked aghast - so did I.

I remember the shoe shop in our small town insisted you put on one of the pop socks provided if you had bare feet before trying on shoes.
I wonder how often they got washed !

One shop I go to insists on giving you try-on nylon thingies.
In other shops I will try shoes with feet covered but not sandals. I suppose though that it is risky and we shouldn't.

My mother was always very strict about not trying on shoes with bare feet. I was very shocked several years ago when there was a programme about personal shoppers. A lady was shown into a private room in one of the big West End stores and a rail of clothes was brought in for her. That was fine, but then the personal shopper started bringing her boots to try on. She had bare feet and presumably previous customers would have had bare feet. I just felt that if I was thinking of spending several hundred pounds on a pair of boots I would rather not have had someone else's possibly dirty feet in them.

Maybe I will from now on?
It’s just never occurred to me that people would do that.
Like eating in the street it seems not quite right.