Shoes on, shoes off, I can't get excited about it. I just sit at the back of the aircraft and follow the safety instructions from the crew. If you think I'm better off wearing my shoes, I'll wear 'em. But, and this is the sticky point, we need clear and unambiguous directions so we know exactly what it is we are supposed to do/not do/wear.
The orginal post said:
"A frequent flier, Mr Brownlee said he had never seen any evidence of a dress standard on flights, and if there was, passengers should be told. "
He's dead right. If airlines want to insist on any dress code (and they certainly have the right to do so) they have to warn the punters before they come to board the plane.
I'm all in favour of airlines imposing any rules that make my life safer and more comfortable. If they want to ban barefoot kids, that's fine by me but the parents of said kids need to be warned in advance, not at the boarding gate.
That being said, some folks will never heed any warnings you give them - but then it's their responsibility and not the airlines.