Are you a 'shoes on' or a 'shoes off' household?

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

We are strictly shoes off. We walk around in bare feet and I hate the thought of walking in outside dirt all over the house. MIL is coming to stay this weekend. She hates having to take her shoes off and there's this alwau this awkward moment at the front door when I ask her to take her shoes off (even though everyone else is doing so, so she should really just follow suit). She believes that floors should be hoovered/mopped every day anyway so why does it matter.....oh if only I had the time to clean every day - my cleaner does it once a week and that's it!

So I was just wondering if I was a bit OCD or if this is the norm?

We are shoes off but I'd never ask a visitor to remove their shoes. I wear slippers indoors because I don't like to be barefoot and I take my slippers with me to visit family who are also shoes off.

"Obviously. But unless you’re mopping behind yourself as you walk, the baby will be crawling over surfaces your shoes have walked on, and there’s a chance you may have something unpleasant on your shoes from outside."
That's why most people have a mat in their hall and one outside the front door. Babies usually start crawling after they have picked up a good immune system. My babies crawled all over the house, hasnt done them any harm, in fact they have a very good immune system and dont pick up as much bugs as their peers. Some of that could be because they also went to nursery though.

Off. Our house is new. Our carpets are new. We don't want dirty footwear on them. We all tend to pad around in bare feet as well, which is nicer if there isn't outdoor residue on the floor. I'm not particularly, um, efficient at mopping. Once a fortnight maybe. So its best this way. All every day shoes get shoved under the stairs onto a tray which isn't nearly big enough.
DH won't even bring his shoes indoors, which drives me mad, as he just leaves them on the doorstep to trip over and complains when they get wet because its been raining.

Those with shoes off cos of babies, do you not let them crawl round outside?

We also have a cat that wanders in and out when he pleases as do a lot of families and I'm not jumping up every 10 minutes and wiping his paws!!

Shoes off, but we have wooden floors so I don't mind my friends keeping theirs on if they're not muddy or wet

I think shoes off is grim and rude

I think stomping dirt on my neutral carpets is rude.

I have no hallway (terraced cottage so straight into sitting room). Why would people not at least offer to take their shoes off?

She must have had cold feet, and just looked odd in her nice clothes with bare feet. As the host a found it very uncomfortable for her

That’s your (judgemental) opinion though. She may have been much more comfortable shoes off, and may not have been bothered about her hosts opinion of her outfit

I dislike shoes and am far more comfortable without. If other people think I’m not or think I look odd that’s their issue.

And do none of you shoes off people have Lego!? Shoes on is a safety requirement in my house!

"Those with shoes off cos of babies, do you not let them crawl round outside?"
Very good point. Mine were also crawling out in the garden and playing on the grass in Summer.

Oh and I have OCD and this isn't it. Don't be rude.

@Sittinonthefloor can I ask how you know her?
Because it seems quite strange that she's someone you'd welcome for Sunday lunch but that would feel obliged to get dressed up, to me.

What 'class' would you put yourself in?
My family are working class and are definitely shoes off.

My Nan has only recently started going "don't worry about taking your shoes off" to me. I think she's past caring

Why would people not at least offer to take their shoes off?

Because they think you might be annoyed with them or think them rude?

If you want people to take their shoes off just ask, don't expect them to read your mind and then fume because they can't.

@isabellerossignol did you see the post a few weeks ago about the woman who thought her relatives were rude for asking her to take her shoes off?

Not everyone has perfect feet and dont want them on show. Those that are shoes off, do they provide their guests with slippers or plastic shoes to go round their shoes? Just so as they dont have to have their feet on show?

@TabbyMumz no I expect people to wear socks, always, because bare feet are grim

IME most people actually do wear socks but for those who don't it doesn't really matter as we have thick carpets and then underfloor heating in rooms without carpet

@isabellerossignol did you see the post a few weeks ago about the woman who thought her relatives were rude for asking her to take her shoes off?

Ah, I missed that!

I do think it's tricky but my pet hate is people expecting me to read their mind. I'll do whatever someone wants in their house (within reason ) but I have no ability to second guess people.

Downstairs we are shoes on. We have slate tiles, it's cold. The DC always take their shoes off in the hall. We all take our shoes off to go upstairs because we have pale carpets. I prefer visitors keep their shoes on, I don't want to see or smell their feet. I don't expect them to become too comfortable, relaxed or familiar. We have a cloakroom downstairs and they are directed towards that. Very few people go upstairs. If we have guests they are people who know us well enough that I trust them to have noticed we take our shoes off upstairs.

We have antique carpets downstairs. I do look at them and think perhaps we should be more careful, but ultimately I can't be too fussed, I'm not house proud.

I grew up in a shoes on house with animals and lots of visitors. So it may be a regional, town/country divide, class or generational thing.

I don't feel comfortable taking my shoes off in other people's homes. I don't want to pick up dirt onto my feet or socks. If I have to take my shoes off I don't visit again.

I blame the increase in allergies on being overly clean, and removing shoes is one of those things.

Wipe your feet on the doormat so you don't tread mud through the house. You need to have a bit of dirt around to build up your immunity.

Plus it's very rude to ask people to remove their footwear.

I judge those people who are shoes off, sorry.

We take ours off for comfort and to save mopping, but don't care what guests do. Our family and friends aren't idiots, so if their shoes are muddy, they wipe them or take them off. But, living in suburbia, it's not usually a problem.

I hate being asked to take mine off as soon as I arrive at a house, it's only happened once or twice but it's so unwelcoming. If you need people to take their shoes off (and I mean shoes that have walked house to car and done a lap of tesco, not muddy boots) because you can't risk your £££ flooring, that means you've made a stupid choice of flooring. Houses are to be lived in.

Toddler DD never a problem, it's not like people are walking in loads of dirt. She's had one tummy bug in her 19 months, picked up at nursery. Where, incidentally, all the children (once old enough) and adults wear shoes - but none of the "but what about crawling babies?!" people ever seem to have a problem with that.

It is largely cultural though. I do come from somewhere (Ireland) where people wouldn't dream of demanding things like that of their guests, and doing so would have you declared as having "notions".

Off, we have indoor shoes or slippers, including some crocs etc for visitors. This is common in many countries and no one would think twice about it. Outdoor shoes on carpet especially is grim.

I live in snow central so shoes off or I'll end up with muddy snow-melt everywhere.

Fuck I love these threads, people get so worked up :D

@chocolatesaltyballs22 the easiest way to resolve this is to warn MIL before she leaves her house that yours is a shoes off household so if she would prefer to have some shoes on inside, she should bring some house shoes with her. (or at least bring a pair that are clean) I'd also suggest you make sure there's somewhere for her to sit in the hallway in order to comfortably change her shoes without walking muck into your house.

I get why some people want to keep shoes on inside the house. It can be more comfortable if they suffer from various foot/balance related issues, they could be ashamed of sub-par socks or percieved smelly feet, but it's all manageable with a bit of communication and kindness :)

@TildaKauskumholm I'd rather someone keep their shoes on than have to wear crocs

I think stomping dirt on my neutral carpets is rude.

I have no hallway (terraced cottage so straight into sitting room). Why would people not at least offer to take their shoes off?

Why on earth would you put pale carpet in a room that is directly off the street?

I live in Ireland and it's shoes on. In fact, I've never been to a house where it's shoes off! We have all hard wood and tiled floors so give quick mop every day.