I read that sandals are frowned on - can you wear them to and take them off at the door of temples like shoes(where I guess you can wear socks)?

I've never heard of anyone frowning upon sandals in Japan. Most Japanese girls wear sandals all summer.

At most temples, you have to leave your shoes- any kind - at the door and change into slippers that they provide.

Huh, where did you read that? The Japanese invented zoris (braided sandals) In fact, there's a gigantic zori hanging at the second entrance in front of Sensoji Temple in Japan. Everyone, including Buddhist monks, wears sandals in Japan.

I read it on another travel forum. They said that feet in sandals were cosidered barefoot and therefore too dirty for some temples and you would not be allowed in to some.

While it is true that the bottoms of shoes are viewed as dirty, feet usually aren't dirty because they have been inside shoes. This is problably because in old times, the streets were very unclean so shoes were removed at the door, plus flooring was and is often tatami (woven rice mat) which would be quickly destroyed by shoes - even slippers don't go on tatami. Going barefoot outside except at the beach is never done...once I went outside barefoot, just on my front steps, to call mydaughter in and the neighbor just about died - didn't do that again Kids are sometimes barefoot, but adults...never.

When entering temples you remove your shoes at the door regardless of what kind of shoes they are. If you are wearing socks, don't remove them. If you aren't wearing socks, don't even think about it, just go barefoot. It probably would be offensive if your feet were visibly dirty...but I don't see that as being any different than if someone with filthy feet wanted to come into my house in any country. I don't think your feet will get so dirty anyway walking around.

Lcuy is absolutely right...sandals are what the vast majority of women wear...strappy, with high spiked heels. No one will even notice what kind of shoes you wear unless you are wearing sandals in a snowstorm.

Whoever wrote that on another travel forum has obviously never been to Japan!

In addition to zoris, (and one should be sure to see the gigantic pair of zoris hanging at Sensoji Temple in Tokyo), you will see, in traditional kimono dress, that the women wear "getas" (indeed, some males do as well!) an ancient type of sandal/clog, that is composed of a wooden sole, a V-shaped toe thong, with two pieces of wood underneath to give a kind of platform- (called "ha" meaning "tooth" or "teeth" in Japanese). These sandals are worn with thin white cotton socks, called "tabi" with a split in the sock to accomodate the large toe. Tabi are a component to the traditional kimono dress. My point being that old and young women wearing full kimono dress would be wearing getas to any kind of formal occasion, from international diplomat dinners to weddings. Sandals of different types, without question, are an accepted part of Japanese culture.