Yet there is a residual belief that making things you can drop on your toe is superior to working in accounting or hairdressing.

ECONOMIST: Economics

"If someone were to drop a weight on their toe, and they don't have their shoe on, their toe is going to explode, " says Jason Carrell, the operator of Fitness 19 in Royal Oak, Mich.

WSJ: Barefoot Jocks Keep Gym Members on Their Toes