To ask visitors to take their shoes off before coming into my home?

[moomin35]

Including my MIL who clearly didn't appreciate being asked!

cold and uncomfortable!

that they've told you. My shoes-off friend doesn't know that I am freezing and hate taking my shoes off in her house. One day when I'm pissed enough I will tell her!

Then don't go then. It's her house and she can do as she pleases or take socks!

and river you wear slippers in your own home yet expect other to let you walk about in their home with shoes you have been walking on dirt with.

How hypocritical you sound ...

I don't always wear slippers at home, if I'm in comfy trainers I keep them on, and DH always keeps his trainers on. And I have 2 cats trailing mud in day and night.

What I don't expect or insist on is for anyone to be just in socks or bare feet in my home. If they want to do that, of course they can. But I don't expect it - Christ, the floor draughts in our house are vicious! And it's mainly wooden floors downstairs, and the rugs I have are chosen specifically so they don't show up dirt or red wine stains.

I think if you know somebody well the answer is just to bring slippers or snuggly socks when you visit. Or maybe keep some slippers there.

If you were feeling particularly rebellious you could always turn up bare foot - that would put the cat among the pigeons!

Which is why I don't agree that a guest can just say 'no' to a request to take shoes-off - once the request has been made it leaves the guest nowhere to go

^ this

whereas most (though not all) of the shoes-on people are saying 'do what makes you feel most comfortable' - i.e. putting their guests comfort first, without making them feel that they are a bad guest for not abiding by a house rule.

Absolutely.

If you were feeling particularly rebellious you could always turn up bare foot - that would put the cat among the pigeons!

Not if they had artisnal slippers by the door to put you in.

So rude to dictate peoples foot wear!

I was most definitely brought up in a Working Class family, and we are all shoes on. In fact i've never been to a shoes off house. It wouldn't even enter my head to offer - not because i'm rude, but because I genuinely have NEVER come across a shoes off household. However, if I went in to someone's house and their lounge (or area we were meeting in), had cream carpets, I would ask. It's common sense in that situation isn't it? If asked to take my shoes off I wouldn't find it a problem at all, unless it was cold, draughty, hard flooring. I get very cold feet, but I wouldn't say anything.

We have wooden floors throughout the downstairs of our house - well upstairs too (apart from tiles in the kitchen and bathroom). The only place we have carpet is on the stairs.

We have friends who when they come round always take their shoes off, I still can't get used to it, but if that's what they feel comfortable doing then that's fine. They know it's ok with us if they leave shoes on. Their own house isn't a shoes off house.

If you can't be comfortable in your own home, then where can you? I think that when you go into someone's house you are entering their space, so I would do as asked (this is just MO). Obviously disabilities excepted.

Shoes Off people still haven't answered this question:

Would you ask a Doctor to take his shoes off?
What about paramedics? What would come first - the state of your carpets or somone's health?
Where do you draw the line?

Oh fgs of course a paramedic gets to keep their shoes on. given they can't carry a stretcher in bare feet. and are there to save your life and all that.

What a ridiculous question

ginny seriously? In the few times I've been unfortunate enough to have needed to call an ambulance, I've not given a monkeys about shoes or carpets

I think if you've had to call an ambulance to your house, the flooring will be the least of your worries!

Still interested in the pet issue though.

What about pets?

Pets need to go outside a LOT.
It must get exhausting to have to wipe all four paws assuming you can catch them umpteen times a day.

It would be easier to have a sheep dip or foot bath just outside your front door! Problem solved.

Oh fgs of course a paramedic gets to keep their shoes on. given they can't carry a stretcher in bare feet. and are there to save your life and all that. What a ridiculous question

Well, its proved one thing:
We Shoes On people have a better sense of humour and are less uptight than the Shoes Off lot!

I haven't seen the Shoes On...ys getting angry - Over shoes.

Ugh this annoys me. I am a shoes off house and a good friend of mine knows this, but always asks if she can keep her shoes on because her feet stink (cheap shoes no socks) when she comes round which puts me on the spot . Last time i made her wash them in the bathroom and gave her socks!!!!! How very rude of me. She's a very close friend though and didn't care!!!
When i go to peoples houses / mum groups which require shoes being off and i dont have socks on i always make sure i have some with me.

They should make handbags with a sock compartment.

We're not a shoes off house but some people insist on taking their shoes off which I find annoying because we have hard floors downstairs that although we sweep fairly regularly are not usually perfectly clean and also they are cold!

But I'm quite happy to take my shoes off at other people's houses if that's what they do

I shout at DH's friends if they get more than a few feet "Uh! Shoes!!" and point at the door where they should put them.

Never put off guests from coming to my house.

I always take my shoes off at home - it's the first thing I do when I walk in the front door. I wouldn't dream of not taking my shoes off in somebody else's home.

I don't know anyone in real life that leaves their shoes on in their own house.

The day I encounter a shoes off household will be a truly momentous occasion in my life. Going for a jaunt on a unicorn will be nothing in comparison.

I've gone from a shoes on person to a shoes off
Far too many wasted days spend scrubbing carpets after guests didnt notice dog sh**y shoes
I dont mind outdoor shoes on the hard floors and you can walk right through our house now without standing on a carpet
And hard floors can be quite effectively disinfected
even the rugs are not a problem
but fitted carpets...just no - its actually makes my skin crawl to see someone do this..

all of upstairs is therefore out of bounds with shoes
but its perfectly possible to visit and keep shoes on though..as we only have one downstairs room with fitted carpets for this very reason..and even that may eventually go.

Squoosh we can make that dream come true! Come to my house, I'll introduce to all my friends and family, you can admire our jazzy socks and peace will reign

It's a deal, I'll buy some fancy new socks especially.

Be warned though, any suggestions that I slip my bra and knickers off too will be met with a swift 'only after a couple of vodka and tonics please'.

Yeah bras and knickers are pretty much compulsory here, only my mum and my best friend come round and immediately remove their bras, and only if they are settling in for several hours.