to think that asking a visitor to take of their shoes in my house, is an OK thing to do

[fluffybutt]

I don't have many rules at home, just shoes on if outside and off if you are inside. Just had a friend and her DCs over, and asked them if they would mind taking their shoes off - well apparently thats really rude and made my visitors feel uncomfortable. FFS, it's not like I asked them to walk through an antiseptic food bath or anything.

I provide guest slippers I also have out door guest shoes for the garden crocs in 6 different sizes

Would anyone let a baby lick or chew on the sole of a shoe that had been worn outdoors?

you mean like they'd have a cat or dog in the house?

To all those who are about shoes-off houses, ponder this:

Most homes here (Japan) have several sets of guest slippers.
Workmen / delivery people etc remove their shoes too (of course) if they enter your house (beyond the entrance-way/porch).
Most homes also have a separate pair of slippers for the toilet only, so you remove your indoor slippers and put on the toilet slippers whilst in the loo (leaving your indoor slippers outside the door), then revert back to indoor slippers after finishing.
Clinics are practically all shoes-off, so you have to wear the clinic's slippers (usually all plastic and kept in sterlised fridge-like cupboards).
Ditto most traditional (and often expensive) Japanese restaurants - with the toilet slippers all lined up at the entrance to the loos, public baths, gyms etc.
If your home has a tatami-lined room (the traditional woven-straw flooring), slippers are a no-no, so you have to be sock-clad / bare foot to enter.
When we visit my dd's elementary school and ds's day-care, we have to take a pair of slippers to change into at the door...
Trying on clothes in a shop? Remove shoes and leave outside changing-room - the sales assistant will 'tidy' your shoes and place in easy-to-put-on position on your exit. Need to try on shoes with your outfit? No problem, pop on the spare (new) pair in the changing room to get an idea.
As for (actual) show-houses - when my DH and I went to look around a (brand-new) apartment, we had to wear soft white disposable slippers and white gloves....

Etiquette sorted? Just in case any of you have an up-coming trip to Japan planned

I provide guest slippers I also have out door guest shoes for the garden crocs in 6 different sizes

Now that is truly vile! I can cope with taking my shoes off, and do, but 'guest slippers' -Urghh. I do not want to wear someone else's crocs either-even if they have been washed.

Why not provide the disposable plastic oveshoe things you get at the swimming pool?

Uk homes are pretty reknown around the rest of the world for being dirty. Makes sense now

I haven't noticed them cleaner in Canada, France or anywhere else visited. I would hope that they were noted for being 'homes' rather than show houses and for welcoming guests. I think it is a good thing we are not noted for being uptight about carpets!

I always take my shoes off in the house and would like my guests to....but would never ask them to.

People generally do tho....

I think it also depends a bit on what people are coming over for. If it's a standing around and dancing party, then people will have dressed with thought to their shoes, and may be on their feet a lot, so keeping shoes on makes sense. If people are just over to sit around and chat/watch telly or whatever then shoes off makes more sense. I'd rather take off my shoes in other people's houses for casual situations like that because then I feel OK about putting my feet on footrests/up on the sofa etc. And I don't want people propping their feet up on MY furniture with their shoes on either.

I never wear shoes in my house. I wouldn't wear shoes in other peoples houses.

Socks / bare feet is much more comfortable and I don't want outside dirt tramped through my house.

Ours is a shoes off house and likewise I always take mine off when I visit anyone else before being asked.

I just don't like the thought of outdoor germs and dirt being ground into my carpets.

For the same reason I wouldn't keep a dog or cat, exposed bum hole on my carpet - no thanks. But I guess that's a whole other thread!

I'm not a cleaning fanatic by any means, but if shoes off means poo, wee and other nasties that are on our streets away from my carpets I don't think it's a big issue to ask guests to comply. Most people I know also live in a shoes off house anyway.

You all must live in a very warm parts of the UK.

I ran round barefoot most of my childhood. At home it's usually barefeet or you rip your shoes off as soon as to put on flip flops because it is so fucking hot most of the year.

It's freezing here and I have Raynaud's syndrome after frost-nipping my feet back in the day when I was a climber (have it in my hands as well).

We change to house shoes/slippers here, but don't ask guests to remove their shoes.

All these 'my house, my rules' people - what a bunch of joyless miseries, you sound.

You're just confirming yourselves as being so much more preoccupied with the state of your floors than the comfort of your guests. I bet it's never much craic round at yours.

And guest slippers sounds too Hyacinth Bucket ghastly for words.

I don't mind people having 'my house, my rules' but I wouldn't go back a second time if I could help it! Hardly welcoming-'come in admire my floor-and don't stand on it-unless I have given you 'house slippers'!

No one has explained why they are happy to have me wandering around in bare, sweaty feet.

Two observations.

1. Her maj does not appear to pain her toenails. I have learned something today.
2. Japan is off the scale - toilet slippers? WTF?

Definitely a class thing. We were asked to remove our shoes when visiting people recently. Always have clean shoes anyway, however, we'd already entered the hall and were soon sent outside to remove shoes. Much faffing. Was rather ungracious and unecessary I thought. Luckily dh and I have clean feet and I had manicured toes or it could have been awful!!! Was rather chilly wandering around with other guests barefooted.

Would never ask anyone to remove shoes. It just isn''t done.

In my house you do what you feel comfortable doing. if you like to wear your shoes fine. if were watching a movie and lying on the sofa and if you go barefoot at home go barefoot. I do think it would be rude if it was a non-shoe wearing household and you said outright "why are you wearing shoes" some people just aren't comfortable going barefoot in others houses, if at all. i have some house rules but guests do not have to follow them and i would never say anything to them if they did.

5Dollar, I am so with you on that.

the town where my family still live, the pavements leading to their houses are literally covered in dog shit (no exaggeration) , you have to keep your eyes down and dodge, at night when it's dark you just have to hope for the best - lovely to trail all that through folks houses.

Will be moving back to a country soon where everyone takes their shoes off, at parties, dinner parties - whatever in every home. It all seems to make much more sense.

I'm trying to imagine people invited to Buckingham Palace to get an OBE or similar, leaving their shoes at the door, and doing the entire thing in socks! Or doesn't the carpet matter if you live in a palace?
I think you either need to live in a hot country or have underfloor heating.
What is wrong with plastic bags to go over the shoes?

I would assume that if adults had stepped in dog shit they would leave their shoes outside your door anyway.

so now people are pulling out 'it's a class thing'. Why can't some people just except that for whatever reason there are different ways to look at or doing something. Taking shoes off isn't wrong as is keeping them on - it's just what you prefer or are used to, you might not like or agree with it but each to their own. There is a bigger world out there where folk do lots of stuff 'different', just get the impression some folk are just so rigid in what they think is the right way to do something and many of them come from my home town.

'accept' obviously not except.

Well I wouldn't ask people to remove shoes but it's terribly rude to walk into another person's house with shoes on unless a) you're over 60 (times have changed, as has the cultural norm) or b) you're a professional on a work visit (even then, I'd offer personally) or c) it's a dinner party other special occasion which means you have 'party' shoes on anyway.

I don't buy all the class/country house excuses either - all the country houses I know, it's wellies outside, then house shoes or slippers inside unless one of the exceptions above apply. If you do leave dirty outdoor shoes on, except to be shown into the kitchen IMO!