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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think wearing shoes indoors is disgusting?

542 replies

CJ2010 · 07/03/2011 20:24

I have a 'No shoes worn in the home' rule at my own house but I have noticed that a lot of people are not fussed if peps walk into their houses with their shoes on. Why do they allow this?

Last night when I arrived at my mum's, she ordered me not to enter the living room, as she had accidentially trod dog poo through the room and was busy scrubbing the floor. All because she bizzrely wears her shoes in her home. How hard is it to take your shoes off in the hallway, once you get home?

I tried to hide my annoyance as it is her home, but I wouldn't allow DD to crawl about on the floor. The room stunk of poo and i felt sick.

AIBU?

OP posts:
microfight · 10/03/2011 08:43

I do walk outside barefoot in summer!

Do any of you wear flip flops in the summer? What do you do at the beach? Do you walk on sand? What about at public swimming baths, people walk in with shoes on and then you walk barefoot!

I really don't get all the fuss about germs, there must be a correlation between overly sanitised houses and those children getting allergies.

We were not meant to live in sanitised houses, it's not natural.

diddl · 10/03/2011 08:44

Here everyone takes their shoes off though-so why would anyone feel uncomfortable with it?

So, if you don´t want someone in socks/bare feet in your hose-what do you do if they need to take muddy shoes off?

diddl · 10/03/2011 08:45

hose=house, of course.

exoticfruits · 10/03/2011 08:45

Exactly microfight.
I don't wear socks or tights or stockings all summer and it would seem much better for me to keep on clean sandals or flip flops than wander around in bare feet. What about people with skin conditions, veruccas etc?

exoticfruits · 10/03/2011 08:48

Of course they take them off if muddy!!!! Socks or bare feet are preferable. BUT they are adults and they can work out they are muddy and take them off. Someone coming for coffee, dinner,a party, a meeting from the car isn't going to traipse mud in and I don't understand all the dogpoo, it must be about 4 yrs since I stepped in any -and I was aware of it!

expatinscotland · 10/03/2011 08:58

'But you wouldn´t be welcome in anyone else´s house here either.'

Perfectly welcome in mine, too!

It's never warm enough here to walk round barefoot.

diddl · 10/03/2011 09:09

'But you wouldn´t be welcome in anyone else´s house here either.'

Perhaps that´s a bit strong.

You would be considered rude if you didn´t at least offer to take shoes off.

When you live somewhere where it´s the norm, it´s no big deal.

BadBagel · 10/03/2011 09:19

The thing is most people do not live where it is the norm. And most countries where it is the norm do it for reasons other than worrying about dirty carpets.

diddl · 10/03/2011 09:21

Yes, I know.

Hope some people never move to where it is the norm-I don´t think they´d copeGrin

BadBagel · 10/03/2011 09:32

They would cope because you'd know it was expected and you would come prepared.

expatinscotland · 10/03/2011 09:38

'You would be considered rude if you didn´t at least offer to take shoes off.'

Where? Where is this where it's considered rude not to at least offer to take shoes off?

It's currently 4 degrees here with a strong gale.

It's too cold to go about barefoot or in thin socks.

diddl · 10/03/2011 09:41

I´m in Germany.

BadBagel · 10/03/2011 09:52

It wasn't the norm where I lived in Germany, guess they had cleaner pavements :)

QuickLookBusy · 10/03/2011 09:54

I don't get all this "can't take my shoes off because I have thin socks/old socks/no socks/bunions/smelly feet etc etc".

If you are too cold or don't like your feet, just take a pair of warm thick socks in your bag and put them on.

Bumblequeen · 10/03/2011 10:42

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at poster's request.

prettybird · 10/03/2011 10:47

I have to admit that I was over 40 before I ever came across this "habit" of taking shoes off and expecting others to do so, which Mumsnet opened my eyes to.

So maybe it is a class thing! Grin

In South Africa and NZ kids often never wear shoes outside (in SOuth Africa they're even expected to play ruygby barefoot Shock at primary school). So what are they expected to do? Have a foot bath before venturing inside with their dirty feet and all those awful germs Hmm Or maybe they should take their feet off? Confused

Interestingly, my dad was saying a couple of nights ago that he had just read an article in a recent BMJ newsletter about yet another study finding that over-sanitsied houses are bad for you and that some dirt gives us better immune systems. He'd have ridiculed been surprised about some of the OCD behaviours concerns expressed on here.

BadBagel · 10/03/2011 10:56

But bumblequeen, your guests are only there for a short period of time, so just hoover up after them (or carpet clean)and done. My socks are probably 'dirtier' than my shoes.

Ormirian · 10/03/2011 11:23

prettybird - exactly! I spend most of my summers barefoot (when I'm not at work). Shall I keep some shoes inside the door for when I come in from my germy disgusting garden?

mumdrivenmad · 10/03/2011 11:50

I have not read all of this post, but would like to put my POV. I love to go barefoot indoors but now have a foot condition that means I should not do so anymore. My feet need the suport of shoes. Does this mean that I am disgusting?

lesley33 · 10/03/2011 11:58

A genuine question to all shoes off people.

  1. Do you have many older or disabled people coming to your house? I don't mean someone who is 60 and perfectly fit, I mean someone who is frail and may have arthritis, difficulties putting shoes on and off. Do you insist they take their shoes off?
  1. Do you tell people who have never been to your house before that it is shoes off before they come? Then at least they can be prepared with non holey, thick socks - or choose not to come.
lesley33 · 10/03/2011 11:59

Because if I visited a country where it was shoes off in houses as a general rule I would know thsi and could be prepared.

Ephiny · 10/03/2011 12:02

I thought shoes-off was a 'general rule' in the UK until I read this thread!

PepsiPopcorn · 10/03/2011 12:03

No, definitely not a "general rule" here! I think it's a rather prissy and faddy thing, not very British really.

Ephiny · 10/03/2011 12:08

Clearly there are no general rules at all here! Odd how people seem to have such strong feelings on each side though. Personally I don't think it's a big issue either way, and wouldn't insist on anything, just find it a bit odd and funny to think of all these people sitting at home in the evening with their shoes still on, as I don't think I've ever known anyone who does this!

lesley33 · 10/03/2011 12:10

Everyone except 1 couple I know don't ask people to take their shoes off. Some friends take their shoes off at home because they feel more comfortable like this - but they don't expect people to take their shoes off.