After being kicked out of her local gym for not wearing shoes, a TikToker has sparked a debate online regarding the proper footwear for working out in public.
In most cases, shoes and shirts are required for entrance into an event, store, restaurant, or any business where multiple people are visiting at the same time, as it’s a protocol for both safety and health reasons.
However, one TikToker who tried to ditch her shoes and only wear socks while working out at a public gym was shocked to hear that she’d be kicked out if she didn’t wear her shoes.
Having a toe injury, TikToker Kenzie Greaves took her workout gear and left, later taking to social media to share her story — leaving the internet to debate who was right in that instance.
TikToker couldn’t workout with shoes because of a toe injury
Greaves was fairly distraught when she was kicked out of the gym for only wearing socks while lifting weights.
After her workout was cut short, she took to TikTok to share her experience at the Australian-based gym called Goodlife, saying, “So, I just got kicked out of my gym.”
Greaves was so upset that she said she didn’t mind ‘name shaming’ the gym, saying that the situation was “pretty ridiculous” so it was only “fair.”
She continued to explain why she was only wearing socks instead of shoes, saying, “I literally have, like, a broken toe with my toenail almost coming off. I’m probably gonna have to have surgery.”
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Greaves then stressed how she was unable to wear shoes while working out because it would be too “painful.”
Those who viewed her TikTok explainer had many opinions, with some on Greaves’ side and others on the gym’s.
One person who swayed towards being on the gym’s side of it all said, “You become a legal liability. It’s not that deep, all gyms have this rule.”
While another pointed to the same point, saying, “As a physical therapist in gyms for 20 years, it’s the same rule as guys not wearing shirts — common sense.”
However, those who agreed with Greaves were quick to let her know, saying, “That’s insane. So many people take their shoes off to squat, etc. — but typical poor customer service at Goodlife.”
While another commented, “I wear socks especially for deadlifts because it feels better being flat-footed and I’ve never been kicked out.”
Though she left right after a gym employee walked up to her saying she had to leave due to her socks, Greaves could have gone back to that same gym when her injury healed. However, she posted an update saying she had officially canceled her membership with Goodlife.