# Do sny og you hillbillies wear shoes in the shop?



## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

David, dbhost, steps on a nail. Was he wearing shoes? I hate shoes. And with this new knee in the works, I've been practicing using crutches and standing as long as I can. Trying to rebuild muscles that I'm going to need. Lost my balance, stepped forward and tore the nail off my right big toe. David, it has to be your fault. See what you started? lol 
It made me think about how many are bare footing it, wearing flip-flops, tennis shoes, or do you suit up with steel toed boots and hard hats? Any hillbillies out there?


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

shoes , socks , barefoot ,

my shop is next to the bedroom/livingroom ,
depends on day/night time ,
and awake/asleep mode .


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## mmh (Mar 17, 2008)

I wear Dansko hard leather clogs w/ extra hard plastic soles - professional grade. I don't want sharp or heavy objects falling on my toes! They have a built in arch and you can slip them off to wiggle your toes and still have protection. Flip-flops are comfortable to stand on but don't give you any support and your feet need that when standing a long time.


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## Eagle1 (Jan 4, 2010)

Just a pair of old dock martins that i wore at work before having to retire. They really don't seem to wear out. As far as being a Hillbillie. Does a boy from Missouri count since I do have a southern draw, and love the Hills of the Ozarks.


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## Greedo (Apr 18, 2010)

they don't let you in woodworking class without steel tipped shoes. i basically wear them all the time, it is helpfull to rest heavy boards on yout shoetip and such. and the occasional board that falls that you can intercept with your feet safely.


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

This Arkie wouldn't think of going down there without shoes. I typically wear an old pair of running shoes (so I won't be sad if I spill something on them) or a pair of Georgia work boots. The boots are best if I'm going to have a long session.


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## LesCasteel (Jan 9, 2010)

Shoes? I shoots raccoons and make my own work shoes. Unless I need toe protection then I shoots armadillos!! Saves money so I can buy more wood.


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## dmoney (Dec 20, 2009)

i wear tennis shoes every time. 
as far as hillbilly, I will wipe my nose on my shirt (just work shirts) and I've helped skin a ********************. but I don't like mountain dew.


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## oldworld124 (Mar 2, 2008)

I usually wear moccasins or tennis shoes in the shop. Much more comfortable. The shop also has a wood floor.


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## ropedog (Mar 26, 2008)

mostly tennis shoes but sometimes boots when it gets really cold. i may live in the hills above denver but i ain't no Billy, unless wiping your hands off on your dog makes you a hillbilly.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Big clod hoppers LOL I just saw a survival tv show that two guys that hiked down and repelled of cliffs and waterfalls and went over rocky terrain and one was barefoot the whole time.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

I was wearing shoes. The accident happened in the yard. I stepped on a 2×4 that I had thought had been stripped clean… I found out the hard way it wasn't. I had to remove the nail, board and all from my foot…

I sure could use some steel SHANK boots though…


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## Gregn (Mar 26, 2010)

My bare footin and pregnant days are over. LOL
I wear good socks and solid leather shoes. I have a pair of tenner shoe type of steel toes as well.
I have to because of the nerve damage from a fall. So this Okie Flatlander stands sure footed in and out of the shop.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

I got a pair of whatever the cheapest oil-resistant, lugged sole, "work shoes" was that Target had.

Went back and forth (Flip-flopped ??) about steel toes. I understand that … if something heavy enough falls ONTO the steel toe … that can be a Very Bad Thing.

Can't even remember if I eventually got the steel-toed version, or not.

For finishing stuff … I'm good with my flip-flops or Birkenstocks….


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## Bothus (Sep 14, 2009)

Neil,

Everytime I see the name Birkenstocks I think of this:






Jerry


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

*Jerry*

ROTFL !!!

Between MY tool belt, and Grizz's red dress … we're just about there 

That was one of the funniest vids I've seen in a long time !


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## Webb (May 28, 2009)

Used to do most things barefoot… Then a mitre gauge fell on my foot and six stitches later my wife insisted that I at least wear sandals. Flip flops work well - kind of a mobile anti fatigue mat.


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## tyskkvinna (Mar 23, 2010)

I have a pair of steel-toe boots I wear for work; sometimes I am doing woodworking so I just continue wearing them. Most of the time I just wear chucks (tennis shoes).

I've occasionally worn lesser shoes - I have some weird foot problems (diabetes makes my feet feel like they are on fire, sometimes) - and I dislike the feeling of sawdust between my toes.


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## chewbuddy13 (May 28, 2009)

I wear crocs, I like the sawdust between my toes.


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## WhiskeyWaters (Dec 25, 2007)

I use a pair of cowboy "work boots" w/ a heavy-duty lug sole usually. I like the combo because 1) No laces, which comes in handy at the in-laws (they take their shoes off) & airports, 2) they can be used for anything - theater, work or walking.


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## MrsN (Sep 29, 2008)

I am barefoot or in socks more often then I would like to admit. My shop is in the basement so most of the time I am barefoot in the house so I just start working on something. I have worn fuzzy slippers a few times but the sawdust really sticks to them.


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## Dadoo (Jun 23, 2007)

I would never ever go barefoot in the shop! It's way too hazardous! So I'm usually wearing just my socks until the wife starts yelling for me to get some shoes on….and then it's usually my house slippers or an old pair of tennis shoes. I do have some steel-toed fire boots in the corner for when my friends are visiting and the sh-t really starts to get deep.

Hey…did I tell you guys I have a subwoofer out there now too?! We be jammin'!


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## JasonWagner (Sep 10, 2009)

Steel toes won't help you stepping on a nail… I wear running shoes most of the time, sometimes in the winter it might even be slippers! I can't say that I lift things that are heavy enough to do serious damage to my feet. When I had a job slinging steel I-beams then I wore steel toes.


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## littlecope (Oct 23, 2008)

Slippers for me, almost always. The Shop is the other bedroom in a two-bedroom apartment… I'm already wearing them, so what am I to do, take them off?


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## 747DRVR (Mar 18, 2009)

Crocs.Wont be seen outside of the house in them but love them in the shop


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## DanCo (Jun 19, 2010)

I only wear a leopard print thong in the shop. It's the only way to keep my neighbors and family away so I can get things done.


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

Work boots, steel toes and shank. It *will* help if you step on a nail.

My shop is 400 feet from the house in the loft of our barn, so I may be working in the yard or on the bobcat then get to the shop for some "relaxation".

Almost always boots, sometimes runners in the shop if it's muddy in the yard.

Looks like way too much information…


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## bobbyt99 (Jan 16, 2010)

Nikes… I have this system going… I wear a pair of Nikes all year round - winter included. Once they start looking ratty I buy a new pair and use the old ones for the shop. I usually make the switch once a year. Even though the old ones LOOK worn they're still as comfortable as a slipper. They have great arches so are easy on the feet and back.

-Bobby


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## TroutGuy (Mar 28, 2008)

I always wear shoes of some kind in the shop. I learned that lesson the hard way as a child, 'helping' my Dad with something in his shop. I dropped a piece of pegboard (on edge) on my big toe. I haven't been in a shop barefooted since.

Confucius say, "Man who trip over same log twice, deserve to break neck…"


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## Mogebier (Feb 4, 2010)

I always wear shoes. Going to the hospital from dropping a board on my toe would be too embarrassing.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

i was slaming rosewood flooring ,
with a manual floor nailer ,
and that monster hammer they have ,
it got caught on the edge of the wall lightly ,
deflected it just enough to hit my bid toe full force ,
to this day i have my tounail bent to the left 45 deg .
and it is 1/8"thick ,
clipping it is tedious !


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

I have a about 4 pair of old Timberland leather loafer like things with non-skid soles. I can just slip in and out of them. I basically never do any shop work without wearing them. Lace ups wouldn't work because I am in and out of the shop and into the attached house too frequently. I remember once in the last 25 years having dropped a board on my big toe and the nail inevitably came off. That's about it.

In the house, I am barefoot 99% of the time. No shoes allowed in the house. Basic Alaskan thing. First thing you do is kick your shoes when entering someone's house.

Alaska Jim


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## Ger21 (Oct 29, 2009)

I work barefoot all the time in the summer. But if I'll be working all day, the concrete starts getting hard and I'll throw on the Nike's. I'll also wear shoes if I'm cutting a lot of 4×8 sheets. Sometimes I rest them on my feet when moving and lifting them, and if they slip, they can do a lot of damage to a bare foot.


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## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

If I wore shoes in the shop, I wouldn't be able to count past ten.


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## spaids (Apr 15, 2008)

Shoes? Great! Whats next? Are you sissies gonna start wearing clothes in your shops now! You gotta take that kick back naked to be a real man…. or woman.


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Hey spaids, I wear my chartreuse thong and I have to draw the line there. If I were nude I would have a driveway full of cops rolling on the ground before they hauled me a way. lol

Hey Dan, I think we are starting a new trend. lol

Hey Grizz are you ready to model your new grizzly bear thong that matches the hat and mukluks? lol

I think we're getting away from the G rating here. lol


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## noknot (Dec 23, 2008)

Rand there are impressionable young minded people on lj you never wear blue or chartreuse. As for shoes how can you pick up nails off the floor with those on Im too damn lazy to bend over and if I did someone might look up my skirt so dont trim your toe nails if you want steel toes.


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Hey Brian, I use a magnet on a stick to pick up my nails. I agree on the impressionable minds on here, but I'm sure they are in the same gutter with ours. lol


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## Buttpiratew (Feb 28, 2011)

I wear my sneekers. sometimesii may wear my work boots if i had them on and start wood shopping right away. but comfort is imprtaint


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## Pdub (Sep 10, 2009)

I wear old hiking boots when I'm in my shop. If I didn't I would bleed more than I do now. LOL


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## Brian024 (Feb 2, 2009)

During the winter, it's socks and shoes since it's freezing cold. During the summer I may go bare foot or wear sandles.


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

Since the body is wearing out, I need special inserts in the shoes to keep my archs supported, so I wear good
shoes in the summer time, in the winter, since I do not waste money heating the shop above 60 degrees I
wear warmer hiking boots and sometimes sorrels. Birkenstocks are comfortable, but the socks attract way 
too much sawdust, and I save the Crocs for being a beach bum in Hawaii and southern Cal. Lilredweldingrod,
the new knees are a good idea, I had two new ones put in 7 years ago, and it makes mountain biking and
cross country skiing a lot more fun.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

Oh jeeze you guys love digging up old threads huh? My foot hurts just thinking about it!


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## teejk (Jan 19, 2011)

there is a proven correlation between where a Pony clamp on 3/4" pipe lands and what type of footwear you have. Absent steel toe boots, you know it will ALWAYS hit your big toe. Put on steel toe boots and you never know where it will go (and you may lose them forever). Added plus for doing it my way is that I never have to cut my big toe-nails…let them turn black and in a few months they simply fall off.


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Bluepine, I was in hopes of getting one for the right knee. I went to Dr. Spitzer at Cedars Sinai and he said that it is a no go. I have to much shrapnel in the bone right where the new knee has to go. So now I'm building callouses on my butt to compensate.

teejk. I'm growing one back now.lol Like Momma says, "No sense, no feeling."


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I'm definitely a hillbilly but I generally wear shoes, if only due to temperature. I've got some Dansko clogs that I leave on my porch. They've got full coverage & a tall heel that's surprisingly easy on your back. Did I just cut into my hillbilly credibility by admitting that I wear european clogs? Well, I change the oil in my John Deere while wearing them too


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## 8iowa (Feb 7, 2008)

My son-in-law, like a lot of the younger generation, wears sandals over bare feet. One day it happened. He dropped a piece of heavy wood on his foot. Ouch! He hobbled around for at least a week.


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

I think we may have caught you in time to help, before your hill williamness gets to sissified. lol If you burn the European shoes and go back to a cheap pair of brogans, all symptoms should reverse themselves within one summer season. Chewing on a stock of hay with the seeds on the other end will help expedite the cure. We'll check back at the end of this summer to see how you are recovering.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

I wear my Redwing steel toed work boots every day of the week. They're the most comfortable shoes that I own. Well, they're probably not the most comfortable shoes that I own. I have some bedroom shoes somewhere but I don't ever wear those. When I pull my boots off in the evening I'm done for the day and just wear my socks or go barefoot. Of course if I go out with my wife I do have a pair of what I call my street shoes and they are all right I suppose.


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Charlie, I know what you mean about those Redwings. I think they have a mold of my feet to make their boots from. And talk about a guarantee!!! I've taken almost worn out boots in for a minor complaint and walked out with a brand new pair, free. And with the style I like running around $280, that is ggoooooddd service.


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## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

I do not wear steel toe boots. God I hated wearing those things in subzero temperatures! I stiil think a guy should wear a good pair of work boots


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

I wear boots. Growing up I only got one pair of boots a year and was only allowed to wear them to school and church, so I always swore when I was grown I'd wear boots every day no matter where I was going. 
And I live in Mississippi. We're not hillbillies. We're stumpjumpers.


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Willinam, hillbillies and stump-jumpers is good folks, BUT out here I'm surrounded by prune pickers. HELP!!!


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

The reason that I learned to wear steel toed boots is because I've worked mostly with steel. A steel I beam recently rolled off of a cart and onto my right foot. It was all I could do to get it off of my foot by rolling it off. It was three months ago and the top of my foot still hurts but my toes are fine. I've had similar things happen over the years and would not be without my steel toed boots. They are not at all uncomfortable to me and I actually consider them to be my friends. Whenever you are trying to get a heavy piece of still up off the floor the steel toes come in handy because you can prop the steel up on them. They also come in handy by way of launching empty 5 gallon buckets through the air. ;-)


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Helluva, I'm a RedWing guy myself. My favorite pair sports a 1993 manufacture date & four re-soles. I like the non-steel toe Western with the block heel. Awesome boot.


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## rogerw (Jan 14, 2011)

barefoot whenever possible and the concrete floor isn't too cold to be comfortable :^)


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## Uamsclay (Jul 20, 2010)

I always wear foot protection, whether tennis shoes, flip flops, or bare feet. Hey, bare feet in Arkansas are usually pretty tough


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## HawkDriver (Mar 11, 2011)

Funny, when I'm at work and there is basically a zero chance of something crushing my toe I wear steel toes. I suppose an aircraft skid could be lowered onto them after rolling it out of the hanger, but if that happens I deserve it. In the garage when there is a higher chance of toe crush im wearing soft moccasins…. I guess I need to reconsider my own common sense.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Once I went into my wood-floored shop to get something off my bench - 
a tape measure or something probably.

I was barefoot.

I had left a mortising chisel on the bench.

It rolled off.

It stabbed me in the foot falling from 3 feet, point downward.

Penetration was about 1/2" inch.

It hurt like hell. For weeks. For months I hobbled around.

I have nerve damage in that foot. The circulation isn't right.
I couldn't move my little toe upwards for at least a year.

It's very, very wise, for one - to always put your edge tools away
immediately when done. Chisels are especially hazardous as I've
found from more than this particular experience.

It is very wise to wear closed-top shoes when working with 
tools. I know this firsthand, even though I'm a big-time sandal
and barefoot person. An injury to any part of your foot can
seriously impede your mobility.


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Dang, Loren, that is a lot of damage from one little stab. Nerve damage sometimes heals itself, but most of the time you are left with what you got. I have nerve damage from a car roll over in 2005 that only gets worse.


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## dannymac (Feb 21, 2010)

i like a nice comfortable pair of sneakers, something i can stand in for long hours. once i get lost in a project time becomes meaningless


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I know this is about footwear in the shop, but after hearing Loren's story about the dropped chisel I cringed and felt lucky to now have tool trays in the middle of my new workbench to keep sharp objects while working. These are working out really well to keep things from rolling off the table or to "span" a plane over the opening to keep the blade off the table when not in use.

I do know, though what it is like to jump off a pile of lumber and land your heel square on a protruding nail that is not only stuck in your heal but also stuck through your KEDS Hightops (I think I was about 10-12 at the time). I tried to pull the board with the nail "out" 6 or 8 times until, through my tears, I untied my shoe and stepped out. And now, some 50 years later I can detail the event, ugh… you get the idea. But anyway, I am still wearing tennis shoes in the shop.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I have a tool tray in the back of that bench, but the chisel wasn't in it.

Incidentally the chisel is a Sorby registered mortising chisel. They have 
round handles. Many chisels don't. I never though about the issue
much prior to the injury, and I haven't got rid of my round-handled
chisels, but if you're buying chisels it's something to consider - especially
with the 1/2" and under ones that are more prone to rolling.


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