interesting perspective.
what do you think?
http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2013/11/questions-of-eternal-significance-is-it.html
-
You know I'm torn. I always always always take my shoes off in my home, I cannot get my husband to take his off. However I hate my feet too, and sometimes I don't have socks on and yes it feels wrong to walk barefooted in someones home. I usually oblige and I've actually stowed a pair of socks away in my car for that very reason.
-
No shoes in my house unless they are brand new and fresh out of the box from Zappos, etc. We both grew up in no shoe households and our guests always take theirs off when they come over.
-
They were just talking about this on the Today show. They were giving tips on holiday entertaining or something. The expert suggested handing out slippers to your guests!? I'm sorry, but I'd be mad if I dressed up to go to a party and then expected to wear slippers! And what host wants to buy a bunch of slippers? I don't get it.
-
@autumnlove: the idea of shoes being used for the double purpose of walking OUTside as well as in a home BLOWS MY MIND.
you wear them outside where you step in dirt and dog shit. No, you can't wear them inside my home where I walk with my white socks and where my baby crawls and I cook & eat.
-
I really think it's cultural, and I will respect requests to remove my shoes without bitterness. I don't ask people to in my home, but I prefer if they do, and I do it myself.
-
@StbHisMrs: DH and I have the same argument.
Honestly people go into a public bathroom and then walk into my house here my little baby crawls on the floor...I don't think so. If I am going to someone else's house I make sure to wear some kind of socks, because I do agree barefoot in someone else's home is weird.
-
In Hawaii, when we visit friends, we take our slippers (sandals) off. That's expected. In CA, heck no. I wouldn't try to track stuff in, but I'm not taking my shoes off unless they're covered in mud. And no one asks me to either.
-
Great White North here.
I heard this debate on some day time TV as well, but I honestly don't know many people whose house it's ok to wear shoes in as a standard, especially in winter, and in good weather most people I know almost always entertain outdoors so it's a non-issue. I just make sure I pack socks when I go to someone's house, and I know lots of people that bring slippers.
That said, I guess as a host it's important to make your guests feel comfortable. If someone was really against taking their shoes off in my home I'd probably just go with it. Probably kind of annoying for the other people who ARE walking around in sock feet though while you're trekking snow and mud around... And I might not invite you back.
-
Yes, barefoot is what gets me. My friend recently had a fancy cocktail type baby shower. Everyone got dressed up and we sipped virgin mocktails and had fancy appetizers. It was super fun! However, I wore a dress and heels. I had no idea I would be asked to take my shoes off. So I had to schlep around this "fancy" party wearing a pretty dress and bare feet in someone else's house. It was weird.
-
@TurtleDoves: @autumnlove: another one who grew up in a shoe-less home. I honestly don't get how people can NOT be grossed out by wearing their shoes indoor. You've walked through public restrooms. Probably stepped in pee, poo, god knows what else. Why would you bring that into the house? I just don't get it.
-
We rent and our apartment is entirely carpet. I definitely ask people to remove their shoes because our baby crawls around on that carpet and its not mine so I don't want to pay to have it professionally cleaned all the time.
That being said, in our old apartment with hardwood, we took our shoes off too but if I had guests over or hosted a party, I did not ask people to take their shoes off. It's easy to clean so no big deal to me.
-
@mrsmenow: This. Seriously. Gross.
It's definitely in our culture to remove your shoes and wear house slippers if you wish. However, I have a hard time getting my own DH to comply. I've been stressing it a lot more though since LO is crawling around now.
We actually have one of those signs from Hawaii to remove shoes. Most of our friends usually do the same thing in their homes, so it's not even questioned. I've only had issues when hosting things like my sister's showers. I actually feel weird when people tell me to leave shoes on in their homes. I feel bad about tracking in dirt!
My parents also have a constant point of not wanting heels on the hardwood floors for all the circular indentations they cause.
-
I definitely think its cultural! I grew up in a no shoes household so we ALWAYS remove our shoes whenever we go to someone's house. I don't find it weird to be barefoot at all. In fact, I find it strange if I am told to keep my shoes on.
Right now, my LO has just learned to walk so we are starting to put shoes on every time we go out. Since I have to get both of us ready without anyone else helping most of the time, I get her shoes on first and I inevitably forget something so I need to run around getting things before we leave. I totally cringe when she starts running around with her shoes on indoors. At least they've never touched a bathroom floor! Blech.
-
@shopaholic: No way! Did your DH grow up wearing shoes indoors?
-
@mrsmenow: Yes! That's my biggest point with him, followed closely by reminding how many people spit in parking lots. Seriously sickening.
@shopaholic: Heels on hardwoods are a major no no. I accidentally did that to my parents floor while trying on my new heels. I see the marks every time I visit and feel so bad.
-
I'm Asian so it's tradition for me. Always no shoes and most of our friends knows that so we've never had issues with this. I have asked some (and mostly repair people) to take their shoes off more so in the last few years since we've had kids. I mean, kids mop our floors with their bodies and we roll around on the carpets playing so I would prefer an always shoes off policy b/c of that. No offense to shoes-on families here though. To me, wearing shoes in the house is like someone bringing the public restroom floors into my house. Since having kids, I have become really anal when it comes to shoes in the house.
However, a little thing that does bother me is that if you do request to have a shoes-off policy, then make sure your floors are clean enough to make that kind of request. I've gone home with the bottom of my socks completely black. :\
-
I hate wearing shoes, period, so it almost never bothers me to remove them (whether by request or preference). We always take shoes off at the door. I can see both sides of it, though, and while I prefer that guests in our home take them off as well, especially during the winter (when there's snow on the ground)...I take mine off and if they follow suit awesome, if they don't it's NBD, I just mop up before bed (we have hardwood).
-
What about if you have all hardwooods? We only have one area rug in our whole house. I feel like it would be weird for our guests to be bare foot!
-
@autumnlove: No! They don't wear shoes in his parents house, but because he is lazy (like he'll walk through the house to his mancave and then take off his shoes), even his parents and family members follow suit and wear shoes in the house! Seriously annoys me! I mean, it's just so awkward to tell your MIL to remove her shoes. But things are better since I bought the sign.
@StbHisMrs: This is what drove my mom nuts at my sister's showers. All these girls wearing their stilettos on my smooth hardwood. But I let it slide for one party and totally regretted it. Didn't happen at the second one.
@erwoo: hahah! Seriously.
-
@Rainbow Sprinkles: Why? Because the guests feet are dirty or the floor is dirty or because its cold or... ? Not trying to be snarky, just trying to understand
-
@shopaholic: Oooh, yeah, the hardwood floors. We have nice hardwood throughout our main level and shoes do permanently scratch it up and the only way to fix it is to sand it back down and polish...not a very cheap fix. But then again our kids have destroyed our floors..but that's not my issue with shoes. LOL!
-
hehe, i've heard of this 'wearing shoes indoors' thing, but i've never actually been to anyone's home where it is practiced?
that said, i live in canada, and am asian :). that should explain it!
-
I'm in a cold climate (in winter), so everyone takes off shoes. The only fancy house parties are generally in winter, and I'd say most people bring their "outfit shoes" with them to wear in the house.
-
@Rainbow Sprinkles: We are going to install wood grain tile soon and the "no shoes indoors" rule will still stand!
-
@TurtleDoves: Exactly!
-
I get it if someone has a no shoes rule in their house but I think they have a responsibility to alert someone ahead of time like the article mentioned.
-
@Rainbow Sprinkles: The cocktail-dress-and-shoeless scenario is what I don't like about taking shoes off at the door!
I tend to agree with the author, if we're talking about most places in the US. I put thought into my outfit for the party, including my shoes, and now I'm being asked to partially disrobe? It's awkward, but I get the rationale so I'm not ever mad, just...unshod and slightly unnerved about that. I mean, people sit on yucky bus and subway seats and such to get to my house and I'd never say 'you need to change your pants before you sit on my sofa.' In the cultures I'm familiar with where shoes are never worn inside people generally don't entertain at home, so the shoeless cocktail dress look never happens. Just my experience; I'd be interested to know if there are others with different views.
I take my shoes off at home and at other people's homes I look at my host's feet upon entering and then decide how to proceed.
-
It blows my mind that people wear shoes inside! My MIL is the only person I know who does IRL.
-
I should share this with DH... He never takes his shoes off and it drives me crazy (sometimes) like when his shoe is on the couch! Ugh. I am always asking/telling(?) his to take his shoes off "stay a while"....
I always take mine off when I walk in, it's always been a comfort thing, but with a one year old its more for cleanliness.
-
If someone insisted on wearing shoes, then sure I'd let them. They probably wouldn't get invited back though...
I learned the hard way that shoes can be incredibly loud to the people living below you. We live in an apartment building, and try to minimize noise for the neighbors. We've had upstairs neighbors who didn't take shoes off, and it's like living below a herd of wild horses!
-
@mrbee: ugh, I remember that. We lived below 4 girls just out of college (we were younger too) and they all wore high heels all of the time. It was so annoying. But it made me aware of it for our next apt.
-
Looks like I'm in the minority. I've always worn shoes in the house - grew up that way. I guess I'm a dirty American
ETA: but I never hesitate to take my shoes off if it is requested at someone else's house.
-
Um I must be the minority and wear shoes inside. I will respect other people's houses and take my shoes off though. I've made it 25 years with wearing shoes inside and I'm fine
-
We don't wear shoes in our house, but guests do sometimes and I typically wear shoes in other peoples' homes if they have hard wood flooring. ! I always take them off in carpet. I just follow the hosts' lead. If they are wearing shoes, I do, too. If not, I take mine off (or if i'm going to be there for awhile, I make myself at home!)
A LOT of this is very very cultural. Back home, my friends would be horrified at this! But here, it's no big deal
I would just wash my floors after I entertained and had a party.
-
We wear shoes inside. I think someone mentioned on another thread that they noticed more southerners do because its not always raining and there's no snow to deal with. I've only met one person who was a strict enforcer (a friend's parent in HS) and I still laugh about it today. I don't know anyone now who removes their shoes 100% of the time in their own home around here. I don't mind taking my shoes off if someone asks, but it's totally foreign to me.
-
We are not all that particular about not wearing shoes in the house. We take them off a couple minutes after entering the home, but shoes can be found everywhere and not just the foyer. We take them off for comfort more than anything else. We either go barefoot or wear flip flops. The flip flops are also worn outside though. We try not to wear hard soles or heels too much on our wood floors to prevent scuff.
Guests can wear whatever. They are only at our home for a short period of time. Most often though guests are family and take theirnshoes off for comfort too.
-
I grew up wearing shoes inside the house, at least on the bottom level, if that makes a difference (it was and still is the public space and is all tile). Upstairs in bedrooms, no shoes!
Now, I walk all over NYC and it's def. not a clean place. I don't want that garbage tracked in my house, so I take my shoes off before I go into the main living areas. Plus, when it snows, I don't want the floors to get all wet.
-
We don't typically wear shoes inside and most casual guests that visit often follow our lead and take them off. But I have never asked anyone to take them off and unless their shoes are gross I probably won't. Little kids may be the exception but I don't think they will mind.
It helps with the dirt but we also have a dog so he tracks in more than our shoes would most days.
I never mind taking my shoes off, even for parties but I am sure I am the exception to that rule.
-
I take my shoes off when I get home but I would never ask my guests to take off their shoes. But I guess it is a culture thing, cause I wasn't raised that way and no one else does. My IL's never take their shoes off. I am the weird one when at their house that takes her shoes off.
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
137 comments