Hellobee Boards

Yes! We always take off our shoes and it baffles me when ppl don't - your shoes have stepped in God-only-knows-what, and to bring that into the house - *shudders*

I have no problem with asking ppl to please take off their shoes. We have a shoe rack right inside the front door so their shoes will stay safe. It's not an option not to

Yes and I ask guests go to remove them if they don't. I don't understand wearing outside shoes in the home! Grosses me out to think what I would be tracking in.

Shoes always off! I can't imagine wearing outdoor shoes inside... Our seasons don't really allow for it, but beyond that, gross!

Always.
We live up north so no one would track the snow, salt, and mud in.
Besides with babies on the floor I don't want anything else gross tracked in.

Yes and yes. I think it is standard for most Asian families.

Yes! There's a sign at our door and I ask people to take them off if they don't. The only person who gets a pass is my husband's 90 yr old grandmother.

Always. But I think it's a lot more standard in Canada. But I can't wear shoes in anybody's house - when we go visit the in-laws in England they all wear their shoes in the house and I just can't bring myself to do it.

I follow the lead of the people who's house I'm at. If there is a shoe rack or pile of shoes by the door, I take mine off too.

In my own home, I don't wear them but only because I prefer to be barefooted. I don't care if other people leave shoes on in my house.

Yes and yes. If a guest doesn't volunteer to take their shoes off, I ask them politely. However, most people just know to do it.

We were at a party at someone else's house and other guests were not taking their shoes off while there were babies crawling all over the floor. I was totally grossed out.

@Bao: Do you think DH could ask them ahead of time to make sure they bring some indoor shoes with the weather being muddy? DH has some colleagues who bring indoor shoes when they go to people's homes. I find that it's common in Canada to take shoes off.

We take them off and most guests do but we don't ask people to remove them. My parents won't take them off which kind of bothers me but they helped us buy the house so we can't really complain.

It's actually the cultural norm here in Austria. You always remove shoes in people's homes. But we also take off shoes to go into daycare classrooms and even at my physical therapist's office I have to take off my shoes in the waiting room.

Yes I would say it's the norm here in Canada (at least in my area) to always take your shoes off when entering someone's house. I would never ask someone but I haven't had the need to because everyone always does. Sometimes in the summer I'll tell people to leave their shoes on if they like but 99% of the time they still take them off

No - in my culture and area of the country that is not common. I also don't live anywhere that would track in snow or anything.

Definitely, and I'd ask if someone wasn't doing it. Nothing like having a baby to bring home what it means not to!

@Bao: fair enough, sometimes people can't comprehend that the safety of your tootsies might be paramount.

@travellingbee: same here, there is no snow and unless you're walking through muddy puddles your shoes wouldn't be too bad. I vaccuum the floors in the main areas every day anyway so no big deal.

No no no no no no. I think it would be very rude to ask someone to remove their shoes. We do in our home, but not as a steadfast RULE. Shoes provide protection, warmth, orthopedic support that some people may need. (Myself included!) So you don't know the reason someone is wearing their shoes. If you invite someone to your home, you invite their shoes. What about purses? The bottoms of bags are likely just as filthy. Or hands? (I actually did ask people to wash before holding DD when she was newborn at my doctor's suggestion.)

But removing part of someone's outfit, in my obviously passionate opinion, just isn't right.

I have never had someone ask me to, nor have I asked anyone to. Tonight I am actually bringing some slippers (indoor shoes- my Boston Birkenstocks) and will remove my boots and wear those inside just in case that is what the host secretly prefers. I need the orthopedic support. There. That was an obnoxious novel

I assume all houses are no-shoes-allowed unless I'm told to keep them on. I prefer people to take them off at our house but I don't make a thing about it if they don't. Honestly, we have dogs, so our floors are getting outside dirt tracked onto them regardless. It's good for the gut flora as they say.

I remember a thread on this topic a long time ago, asking what you would do if someone wore their shoes into your home, and @Mrbee said something like he would be horrified and never invite them over again, and steam mop the floors twice. Also recall a friend of mine (who is not Asian) told a story about when she moved in with a new roommate (who is Asian) and hearing from her later about how her new roommate was flabbergasted that she was keeping her shoes on as she moved in. She was like... I was making a million trips back and forth to the car to bring stuff in, I couldn't take them off every time! So interesting to hear about different standards of behavior in different cultures.

i've changed my mind on this a bit since now i have a space to take off shoes. i would rather not wear shoes in my house and ask family to take them off, but sometimes you hafta run in and wear them. we have hardwoods though, so not as bad and definitely not muddy shoes! i would say it's probably 50/50 on if people have an expectation of it or not!