Do you ask guests to take off their shoes in your home?

DH and I are in a new house and I've been thinking about this question. I grew up in a no shoes allowed household and have always lived that way myself. We're going to be having lots of overnight guests now that we're in our first house, so I've been thinking more about the etiquette of having people take their shoes off. Would you find it rude if you were asked this? Should we provide a basket of slippers by the front door? What if a new neighbor stops by and wants to come in--should I ask them to take their shoes off as well? We're getting all new carpets put in so that is a consideration as well.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

[v-girl]

Family of 5 in ~1450 sq ft. There is no room for anyone to come visit our home. ha ha!

I grew up with a best friend who had a mom from South Korea. Kui had everyone take their shoes off when they came over. I don't remember if she told anyone or if everyone just assumed by the shoes lined up by the front door. My husband thought it was a little odd the first time I brought him to Kui's for some homemade Korean food. But he got over it when he tasted her cooking!

[Malpka]

I don't, but our entire house is hardwoods (thank goodness).

[Tenacious_D]

We do. Living in NYC and seeing all the things people pick up on their feet and bring into the home grossed me out. We started in our old NYC apt. before E was born and have continued even more sternly since he was born. Of course the in-laws used to make fun of us but I was determined they would follow this house rule. OUr current apt. is wall to wall carpeting so that is also a big reason why we do it. We are moving in 2 weeks to a place with all hard wood floors but likely have throw rugs so I will have to see....I will likely still ask people to remove their shoes.

Our SIL is Japanese so there is no wiggle room with her shoe rule.

[SuzySunshine]

We live in MN and we don't ask but most people do. I had one friend here from the south and of course there shoes are part of the outfit so she always told people NOT to take their shoes off in her house but most people here do I suspect because its cold 8 months of the year and they don't want to track snow/mud in.

[Phoebe]

We take off our shoes and most people follow suit. My kids are quick to remind people. However, we aren't sticklers about it. My SIL is very demanding and can be rude about it if you accidently forget to take off your shoes. I wouldn't be that way.

[Pollyanna]

I wouldn't feel comfortable asking people to take their shoes off. I know some people just ask children to take off their shoes to cut down on dirt tracked in the house. Most importantly for me is that I want people to feel comfortable in my home so if they want to take off their shoes, great if they want to leave them on that is okay too.

If it's your preference, if you leave your shoes by the door people will probably catch on. But I wouldn't ask. Hopefully most people have the common sense not to track mud into your house. If it's just minor dust and grit, I'd rather vacuum than risk making a guest uncomfortable.

[McPants]

In Sweden I would never have to ask anyone to remove their shoes when they enter my home as it a given that they will. It would be regarded as very disrespectful not to remove your shoes when you enter someone's home . People don't wear shoes in their own homes in Sweden so they remove their shoes when entering someone elses too.

Here in NI I wouldn't ask anyone to remove their shoes as the culture is to keep your shoes on indoors, however I certainly do appreciate it when people offer to do so.

I guess one option would be to leave a basket of surgical booties by the door--that way they could leave their shoes on but not track in dirt, lol.

[madeintaiwan]

Chinese here and we always take our shoes off. My white husband tells new guests that we take our shoes off. Never been an issue. Everyone knows us, knows just from me being Chinese and the pile of shoes by the door that we don't wear shoes in the house. I suppose if someone had a stink over, it would be oh well for them. They probably wouldn't be invited back. It's disrespectful. Especially when you're specifically asked. I would never be a guest in someone's home and knowingly disrespect their cultural or personal practices. My stepfather is white as well and even his difficult racist family has no issues with adhering to my mother's practices when they are in my mother's home. My Grani brings her house slippers to change into when she comes over.

[DCJenn]

I personally avoid shoes whenever possible but I would never ever ask a guest to take off their shoes. Of course in San Antonio, there's a very good chance they're not wearing anything but flip-flops anyway.

I live with 2 50-pound dogs and two indoor-outdoor cats, there's crap being tracked around my house all the time anyway. The bottom of someone's shoe will make no difference to the germ and dirt level in my house.

Jenn

I live with 2 50-pound dogs and two indoor-outdoor cats, there's crap being tracked around my house all the time anyway. The bottom of someone's shoe will make no difference to the germ and dirt level in my house.

This makes complete sense. If we had a dog I'd feel the same way and probably wouldn't care about people's shoes in the house.

We have indoor cats only, so they're not bringing anything in. The dirt and other crap tracked in on shoes is my main concern. I read somewhere that wearing shoes in the house is a major contributor to indoor air pollution because stuff tracked in on shoes lodges in the carpeting and contributes to poorer indoor air quality.

[SuzySunshine]

See we have a dog and I don't consider that a pass. If I wanted people to take off their shoes I'd still ask them. When M comes in from outside and its muddy we wipe off her paws

We take off our shoes and most people follow suit. My kids are quick to remind people. However, we aren't sticklers about it.

It's also a cultural thing for us (DH is Indian), but I'm never comfortable pointedly asking. Most people notice that we don't wear shoes in the house, and my kids will loudly say it, but I usually say "Don't worry about it." One friend around here pointed out that a lot of people grew up wearing shoes all the time b/c of some of the nastier spiders that can be in the area.