Shoes ON for takeoff

Yesterday, moments before takeoff on the VS20, an FA came around the nose section of UC and told all the pax to put their shoes on for takeoff. Of the six pax visible from my seat, none were wearing shoes. I complied but commented that I'd never heard that one before. The FA replied that in the event of an evacuation, it would be beneficial to have your shoes on (although don't they suggest high heels should be removed for evacuation, not that I was wearing them of course?)

Conversely, we were all free to leave them off for landing.

Is this another crazy rule to keep us on our toes, or maybe a wonderful bit of inconsistency, or an FA making a rule up because they can?

Howard

Ridiculous! - I would have thought that the slides would have been better tackled without shoes. I always take me shoes off and stuff them in the foot stool. I have never been told to put them on either.

I think that the FA over 'stepped' the mark on that one!

Paul

I've never heard anything as daft as this one! Definately a case of the FA making up a "rule" as they go along.

If there was such a "rule" that you had to wear shoes for takeoff, then you should have to wear them for landing also & as it's clearly a safety issue, it would be in the safety video / demonstration.

James

I think the rule is probably logical, but yet again, is one that is not properly or uniformly applied.[:#]

Both my flights last week were undertaken without shoes but nice little black socks with red toes and heal![y] I think that it must just be something that FA made up.

Hmmm, first it was the 'seats up' request in Upper the other week, and now this.

Last weekend in Upper no request was made in either area on the out or return leg.

Thanks,

David.

[mitchja]

Some airlines do stick to this rule, others dont. I dont think I've come across this on VS before though. I have been on some airlines and this was pointed out during the safety demo.

I always keep my shoes on until after take-off for this reason. I then put them back on before landing as well on the advice of one of my friends who is a FA.

Regards

Never heard this before- I would have thought it beneficial to have them off[:?]

Any staff know of such a rule?

VS.

Originally posted by David_Doyle
Hmmm, first it was the 'seats up' request in Upper the other week, and now this.

On both trips in UC I've taken in the past few days, there was a specific announcement that the UC seats were type approved for takeoff and landing at any inclination. I assume this didn't mean in the flipped position though!

Howard

Im crew for Virgin, there is no rule that states that you have to have shoes on for take off.....however if you are sitting at a bulkhead, exit or if your shoes do not fit under the ottoman, then you must wear them or put them in the over head lockers for take off and again for landing, this is probably where the confusion started, the reason we ask people to remove blankets etc and also stow unworn shoes is that in the event of an emergency these can be a trip hazard to not only you, but to other passengers and also crew.

GPIK - that makes sense. I tend to keep mine on until after takeoff, always fancying my chances wearing shoes than not in the event of an evacuation. Neither of my UC flights made this request this week, nor was there any seats upright malarkey.

Originally posted by Gpik
if your shoes do not fit under the ottoman, then you must wear them or put them in the over head lockers for take off and again for landing

Hmm... they were the same shoes I wore on the way out and on several other VS UC flights. Makes me wonder why the FA decided to spin the yarn about them being beneficial for evacuation.

To be honest, I think that they were running late securing the cabin and any old jackanory to get the pax to comply would do.

Cheers, Howard

I've never heard of that before I must admit, although they do play it over the safety video on SQ.
I'm normally in the camp that takes shoes off the minute I sit down, before even I have my Bellini. It has crossed my mind that if there was some post take off crash I would rather be wearing shoes, but in all fairness I guess stubbing my toe would be the least of my worries..

Dean

Forcing pax to wear shoes seems to be a bit dictatorial in my mind. Normally, I remove my shoes straight away in UC, but in PE I wait a bit so that I have some vague excitement during the first hour or so of the hour of being on board with no v:port - I get bored easily[:I]

VS.

Isn't there a lesson to be learned from one of the Die Hard movies about taking your shoes off?

Originally posted by csparker
Isn't there a lesson to be learned from one of the Die Hard movies about taking your shoes off?

How very true. Is there no end to the lessons that can be gleaned from this outstanding movie franchise?

Seriously though, it does seem pretty logical. I mean, ask yourself, if there's a take-off 'incident' that leads to the need for an evacuation, what you want? Shoes on, or shoes off?

I take mine off as soon as I'm sat down and they dont go back on till we have landed!

Dont know where, but I read somewhere that it was a good idea to keep your shoes ON until the aircraft was well into the climb and similarly once the "fasten seatbelts" sign has come on for landing as it makes your ability to escape in an accident much better.

Whilst the chances of anyone on VF or indeed anyone being involved in an accident are really small surely its better to make sure you do everything to minimse risk.

There is no need to remove shoes to go down the emergency door slide - I believe they only say that high heels need to be taken off - so therefore, if something bad does happen I would far rather be wearing my shoes as I try to leave the aircraft than running around in my socks!![:w]

I'm also an FA for Virgin and would also ask all passengers sitting by exits and bulkheads to wear their shoes for take-off.
I would advise everyone if they asked my opinion, to wear shoes for take-off and landing. Most people have not slid down a 747 evac slide, let me tell you, you "disembark" a slide at some speed and I wouldn't fancy my bare feet hitting the concrete at that speed, added to that, not all emergency evacuations provide you with an aircraft standing upright with slides to get out with. You could be faced with jumping onto twisted metal, glass, fire, rough terrain etc. Shoes will offer you protection that bare feet can never compete with.

I'm in the "shoes on" camp. Even in an "uneventful" evacuation from a plane far from the terminal, I don't want to be trapsing around in my socks until I get reunited with my shoes/luggage.
I also think that kicking your shoes off and relaxing as soon as you get on the plane would make you slower to react if the need arose, where as being alert to the fact that a tyre or an engine might go bang and you might need to make a sharp exit will probably help you and others.

I've attended a BA flight safety training course and the main reason we were told to keep shoes on during take-off and landing is because these are the most likely times an evacuation can occur.

The course also covered a fire simulation where you sit in a mock cabin and see it fill with dry ice. I can say it was a scary experience as you cannot see even the row in front so you would have no chance in finding them in that scenario.

Since then I have always kept my shoes on at take off and landing, so I would praise the flight attendant for doing that.

[:?] Is there a psychological aspect that one of the first things you'll do in an emergency is attempt to find your shoes rather than just heading for the exit ?

Paul

Ho hum, what a jolly thread ... shredded feet, stumpy burned toes ... makes me glad I just had a pedicure before flying, next time I'll wait till landing!

For years I have always kept my shoes on for take off and landing for the precise reason that I felt I was better with my shoes on in the event of an evacuation. Whilst I have never heard this ( until today) to be a regulation or recommendation, I also believe it makes sense unless you have the 'wrong' sort of footwear on for travel.

SQ are the only airlines I know that mentions to keep shoes on for take-off per their safety video. This is despite have "shoe slots" in J for pax to remove shoes without loosing them.

China Eastern's safety video mentions to removal of spectacles as well as tie pins when using the slides in the event of an emergency landing.

Looks like each airline has its own policy resulting in confused FAs when they transfer airlines.