In other acting troupes full of highly-talented people, you'd expect a lot of back-stabbing. But with the Muppets - they all had each other's back.
But on the shoe issue, Richard has my complete sympathy; I only wear dress-type shoes when I absolutely have to, and only if I'm not going to do a lot of walking. All other times I wear sneakers, usually Adidas or Reeboks. It's because of the way I walk; I drag my heels and turn my toes outward, so I need a shoe that's relatively flexible and forgiving.