> shoe policy is a really terrible barometer for whether or not to apply to a company
Any kind of behavior that gives me the feeling of kool-aid drinking or brainwashing is absolutely a red flag.
The way you describe it (not enforced in any way, not even through peer pressure) is very different from the way I had always read about it (fairly absolutist and you won't be allowed in the building if you don't remove your shoes). If I had heard about it that way, you're right, I would not take it into consideration.
Unfortunately I don't have citations handy for the absolutist version of the policy that I had read about.