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

[Auspicious]

We usually don't wear shoes in our house, but sometimes do (like if we think we'll be going back outside shortly). We don't express a preference either way to our guests.

Much to my annoyance, my father considers it really weird to go shoeless, kind of improper. Like if someone stubs their toe, he's all "That's what you get for going barefoot like a hillbilly." Though he's from a background where acting too redneck was something people were concerned about. If he were asked to take off his shoes in someone's house he'd do it without hesitating, but he'd probably feel uncomfortable the whole time, like he was sitting around in his pajamas. Karma.

[migirl]

I'm Korean and we don't wear shoes in our house, but I never specifically ask people who come into our home to remove their shoes.

I just had the cable man, the landlord and an electrician the same day over doing stuff on our rental. The cable man-ignored me when I asked him to take his shoes off, the landlord asked for "booties" to cover his shoes (which I didn't have) the electrician (with boots laced half way up his legs) gladly took his off. I feel weird asking, but I just find it rude to not at least ask if it is ok to leave your shoes on.
We never left our shoes on growing up, and to this day, my parents have the same 20+ year old carpeting and we are not allowed with shoes on at their house, which I respect I know their carpet is clean.

We have had a mostly shoes off policy, as we mostly lived in tiny apts and carpets take a huge beating. However, in our new place it's mostly hardwood, and DH would rather wear shoes than feel the pet hair on the bottom of his feet. The kids hate wearing shoes inside, so the first they do is take them off. We have a basket in our closet for the shoes, in the past the basket was by the door so others would think about taking theirs off too. I never asked them to though, unless I just cleaned the carpet. Although, when I go to someone else's home, I always ask right away.

[diggitydot]

We're kind of a mixed bag. We make the kids remove their shoes since they're apparently unable to make the connection between dirty shoes and dirt tracked all over the white carpet downstairs.

DH removes his shoes when we he comes home because those dogs are enormous. They've got to get heavy after running around the hospital or back and forth to the clinic all day.

I, however, wear shoes at all times when on my feet for any reason. I have ridiculously high arches and neuromae in both feet which require really supportive shoes if I want to avoid excruciating pain with every step.

I kinda don't care what guests want to do with their shoes, but most see the kids shoes piled up and follow suit. In the grand scheme of things that I worry about, this doesn't rank anywhere in the top 20. But that's my way laid back existence. I totally wouldn't fault anyone for taking it more seriously (on either side of the subject) than I do.

[Vanquisher]

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

We almost always take our shoes off, and I typically do if I am in someone elese's home. We have a shoe basket by our front door where all the shoes go, so it would be obvious to anyone entering; however, I would never ask someone to remove their shoes. If someone asks me if they should remove their shoes, I reply that we do, but they are free to do as they like. I want people to feel comfortable in my home, but for our family, it's a rule.


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[alison]

If you saw the bathroom at the state park we went to yesterday, you'd insist that we bring our shoes in, and promptly burn them! Ugh!

Our apartment maintenance people bring surgical booties when they do anything in the apartments.

I think shoes in the house is odd, because I like my feet to be free! In Japan, there are even separate house slippers for the bathroom for when you're doing your business! And then you switch out of them as soon as you leave the bathroom. If you've got bathroom slippers on anywhere else in the house, you get sent back to the bathroom! How's that for nuts?

[DCJenn]

In thinking about this even more, I also don't have carpet and where I have area rugs I have FLOR tiles so there's really nothing that can be destroyed. Honestly in my neighborhood the kids all run around in (with?) barefeet and so do most of the parents.

My husband is always in shoes as a result of ripping his toenails off trying to do stuff in his barefeet.

Jenn

[GrayMatterWife]

I think it's douchey and overly germaphobic.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I knew I really liked you, LilySayWhat. Whether I agree with it or not, the bluntness is priceless.

[GrayMatterWife]

The only person I ask to remove shoes is...not a houseguest.

DH absolutely MUST take his shoes off. If they have blood, vomit, tissue, or any other OR grossness on them, he must leave them outside.

Yuck,yuck,yuck,yuck,yuck....

[Momo]

If you saw the bathroom at the state park we went to yesterday, you'd insist that we bring our shoes in, and promptly burn them! Ugh!

Our apartment maintenance people bring surgical booties when they do anything in the apartments.

I think shoes in the house is odd, because I like my feet to be free! In Japan, there are even separate house slippers for the bathroom for when you're doing your business! And then you switch out of them as soon as you leave the bathroom. If you've got bathroom slippers on anywhere else in the house, you get sent back to the bathroom! How's that for nuts?

I usually just politely ask for shoes be left near the door.
I have been to other Muslim homes that have had really nice plaques made that read "Please remove shoes upon entering, Thank you."
The floors should stay as clean as possible, because when we pray, there are moments when we bow down on our hands & knees and touch our heads to the floor. The girls & I have(strictly) indoor shoes(w/Rx orthotics) that we have to wear due to problems w/our feet. Like the Japanese, a lot of Muslim homes chose to have flip flops for people to use while in the bathroom.

[ladymoreta]

Wow, now I'm feeling rude... It usually doesn't occur to me to ask or even check what the hosts are wearing. I hope if they care, they'd let me know instead of just being disgusted by me...

DH does have work shoes that don't come in the house, and I can definitely see not wearing shoes inside when DS starts crawling.

[houseelf]

This is a completely cultural issue. In Minnesota, DS's school mandated each child leave a pair of indoor shoes at school which were not be worn outside. The staff wasn't about to clean up after 120 kids after every snowy, rainy, muddy day. Many professional women left several pairs of heals at work and wore boots during their commute.

As a consequence, we go shoeless here too. My kids take their shoes off everywhere and refuse to wear coats if it is 30 degrees or warmer.

Although, I have to admit that I am usually the biggest shoe-in-house offender because I am usually hauling in groceries, a baby, and ten other things before I can take my shoes off.

[madeintaiwan]

When I have people over in small groups I generally do ask that shoes be removed in my home. If we have a large number of guests over (like the party we had with almost 100 people recently) I don't even bother - the floor is going to get really dirty and have to be cleaned afterwards no matter what we do.

Yeah, I don't bother with large groups of people either. And really, I don't find myself having to ask people to take their shoes off as most people who come to our house know that we take shoes off. I can see it being a comfort thing for people. Especially if you didn't grow up shoes off. I suppose the respect thing [particularly Asian respect] is so ingrained in me that I would never consider "disrespecting/dishonoring" the person who was hosting me. I always look to see what the host is doing as well.

We do shoes off here - I don't know anybody in Alberta who _doesn't_ - so when we get a houseguest from the States I usually mention it to them as we're walking in. I don't think I would particularly care if they wanted to keep their shoes on unless it was winter and they were tracking mud and snow in. (It would piss off my in-laws if someone wore shoes into their house, though.)

I don't see it as particularly germophobic, though, because I've only known people who do it for cultural reasons. There are two stable cultural equilibria: everybody has shoes on in the house or everybody has shoes off in the house; and it seems to me that cold-weather cultures predominantly choose shoes off, and other cultures pick randomly.