Visitors shoes off in the house

[IGottaSeeJane]

When did this become a thing?
We've never insisted on it. My parents would never have considered asking visitors to do it for an instant.
Surely if your floor covering can't take a bit of dirt, you need to get better coverings?

The people on Downton Abbey never removed their shoes indoors.

I grew up with wood floors and area rugs. We did not remove shoes, but if the weather was bad enough to require boots, we did remove those (to keep rain and melting snow off floors). I have never been in a house that required shoes to be removed. I would be very uncomfortable. Either slipping and falling on a polished wooden floor or picking up some sort of "foot fungus" from a carpet.

What do you do in hotels? Do you go barefoot in the rooms and bathrooms? Do you wear slippers or shower shoes?

Our duly children keep spare slippers here for when they visit.

Duly means adult

I was mostly shoes-off in my house in the UK although wouldn't have asked visitors to remove theirs. My family and friends are mostly the same - generally shoes-off but not totally anal about it. I moved to Canada last year though and thus far haven't been in a single house where it would be acceptable to wear shoes indoors. Everyone here takes their shoes off and visitors are expected to do the same. I've talked about it to various Canadians when discussing cultural differences and they've all been horrified at the idea of wearing shoes indoors.

The best one was when we attended a friend's wedding a few months ago, it was a small ceremony held in a private residence and the owner made everyone take their shoes off at the door - the bride and groom got married in bare feet/socks!! Even as Canadians they were a bit taken aback (the place had all wood/tiled floors too, not white carpets) but they did see the funny side and we all had to keep trying not to laugh 😄

I will also add that most Asians don't wear shoes inside of the House.

Also, to PP it is possible to tread on pissy floors of you go to public restrooms.

(Can we all agree that the one place that we should always wear shoes is on planes? FYI the liquid in the lav floor isn't water... 😂🤣)

*on, not in

Also no idea why house is capitalised!

"The people on Downton Abbey never removed their shoes indoors."

The people on Downton Abbey also had a ton of servants to clean their floors for them.

Wearing shoes inside is just plain odd. It's not comfortable for starters. And it's so dirty. I honestly cannot even imagine it.

I’m in France and shoes off is the norm. Every house I go to has a heap of shoes lying around the door. It’s the first thing my kids do when they arrive home or go to someone’s house for a play date.

When my Scottish relatives visit I find it very odd that they’ll get dressed all the way to shoes on, even if they aren’t going out anywhere. But that was the norm when I grew up.

I always recommend people remove their shoes in my house, and then place them safely in the hall cupboard, but that's because my rabbit has a shoe fetish !

I think it's the height of rudeness to ask someone to remove tbeir shoes.

@loubieloulou - It's also funny that you commented ' aren't I such a delight' when you was the one who started getting all pissy first ( pissy - get it grin) when you indicated that I must have rough people in my house & find Some more civilised friends.

Of course I don't actually think your friends piss on your floor. You obviously didn't get the irony used to point out your incorrect usage of the word floor.

And no, you haven't hit a nerve. I recognise the importance of exposure to germs in the development of the immune system and how detrimental excessive hygiene (and inadequate hygiene) is to our health. My floors are clean. I, and my family, are all healthy and have no allergies. I also prefer to make guests feel comfortable and wouldn't dream of asking them to remove shoes as it is rude in my opinion.

I always recommend people remove their shoes in my house

Would love to know how this actually unfolds in real life.

😱

It's normal & was very normal "back in the day" with my relatives too

I honestly cannot even imagine it.

Then you should come to my neck of the woods (US Deep South). I'm fairly old, and I can honestly say that I have never been in a house where I had to remove my shoes, except once in the UK. I recognize that there are many cultural differences on this question, but in the culture in which I live, it would be considered rude and a bit bizarre to ask people to remove shoes.

Well in the deep South people have gun racks in the back of their pickups and guns hidden around their houses fully loaded if my relations are anything to go by! I'm not sure they are a good comparison culture wise tbh.

I wasn't comparing. I was responding to the "I can't imagine" comment. It shouldn't take a lot of imagination to see that there are differences in cultural expectations.

And no loaded guns in this house. But lots of folks wearing shoes.

None of us wear shoes in our own home but thats just down to comfort. I'd be extremely if a visitor just took their shoes off without asking that's so rude! Friends etc settling in for a long chat no problem, put your feet up on the settee and get comfy. Don't know you that well? Check before you unleash your sweaty feet please!

I've only ever been in one home that's been a shoes off, it's definitely not the norm in these ere parts, even the awkward way they asked showed they knew it wasn't usual. Interestingly I've been in achingly heart wrenchingly makes me want to cry posh houses and expected to be asked to remove shoes....never happened.

I always take my shoes off automatically when I go to someones house after I tried dog muck in a house once. I didn't realise I had trodden in anything and was mortified.

It's only normal if that's what your family did.

Other families did differently, I don't understand why people don't see this?

As for dog shit? Really? I can't remember the last time I saw a steaming heap on my travels, let alone walked al through it, still didn't realise and then (still not realising) subsequently managed to walk it into a house and ruin carpets with it.

One of the kids brought some in the house the other day. Bit of cleaning spray, elbow grease, Dettol and 10 mins - sorted.

"Other families did differently, I don't understand why people don't see this?"

I think that solves all these threads tbh. Although if it is a shoes off house I do think there should be spare socks, I don't always wear them and have various foot related horrors including terrible reoccurring athlete's foot and several verrucas and would be mortified if I had to reveal this (although as I say, nearly 40 years and only ever been to a "shoes off" house once)

Would love to know how this actually unfolds in real life.

@FionasWineShow Quite simple really - you leave your shoes on, the rabbit will attempt to untie your laces (he can manage a single knot), chew right through them, and eat the soles/uppers. He also attacks trouser legs, digging with all his might with his little claws (never attacks bare legs, I wonder if he thinks he's protecting his pet humans from the evil cloth).

Handbags left on the floor get similar treatment.

So, generally, the conversation runs thus:

"Shall I take my shoes off?"
"Up to you, but, you know: Neville."
Hastily removes shoes and leaves them on floor.
"I wouldn't leave them there..."
"Where's safe?"
"There's a shoe rack in the cupboard."

Note the possessive paw. It's my shoe, human, my shoe! [sigh]

😂 fair play @Mhw02!!

I can remember some people doing this 30 years ago.

I have no interest in the shoes on/off arguments.

My only interest is my own house which is shoes off. You don’t like it, you don’t visit. Very simple.