Gogglebox, the family who wear their shoes indoors

[RockYourSocksOff]

I like this family but I can’t help but wince when I see a plate full of biscuits on their foot rest surrounded by feet encased in trainers.

AIBU to think they should TAKE THEM OFF!

Sorry.

Agree it has nothing to do with class. I just don’t want to clean more than I have to so shoes off.

Drives me crazy every time I see it and I don't mind shoes indoors. Surely if you're planning to sit and watch hours of tv in the evening you would want to be a little more comfortable? And since they have big dogs I imagine they must go for long muddy walks. Blergh

Wearing outdoor shoes indoors is just foul. It just shows a complete lack of manners.

Most people I know would say that taking your shoes off in someone else's house shows a complete lack of manners.

I cannot bear slippers so I have indoor shoes and outdoor shoes. I am as appalled by the idea of imposing smelly socks on the rest of the household as the OP is about shoes.

There is a parallel thread about snobbery and social class. It would be interesting to have an analysis of how the shoes/no shoes preference rates on the social scale. I am guessing it is MC to have footwear appropriate to every sport and hobby pursued but that they should not be worn ubiquitously. I should also suppose that the shoe choice of those who have plates of snacks and dogs in their TV viewing room is WC.

DBN1 The simple answer is not really. Life’s too short. We don’t eat off the floor. There are places/items in your home that are real sources of serious infection risk but your shoes on the floor isn’t one of them.

Obviously we don’t leap out of bed and put our shoes on immediately but we’re not bothered about rushing to remove them when we get in either. The floors get hoovered and mopped and, strangely, we use plates on the table to eat not the floor.

I’ve very rarely been asked to remove shoes in anyone’s house - not in years, in fact. Round here such a request might be greeted with a little eye rolling or quizzical look. In truth it’s associated with ‘new build semis’ and seen in same way as lovely white net curtains and Christmas trees in windows.

In truth it’s associated with ‘new build semis’ and seen in same way as lovely white net curtains and Christmas trees in windows

People still so determined to point out that they’re far too high class to take shoes off . It’s ok, we get it.

SoyDora it’s not about being a different class but living in a different way. Some like the pristine freshly built, cream carpets and gloss white fitted kitchen look and are bothered about non existent microbes.

Others prefer a much older property and relaxed way of living. That doesn’t make our homes dirty. In fact, hard surfaces such as ceramic tiles that are cleaned regularly are probably harbouring less pathogens than the ‘ever so nice’ cream shag pile that’s full of dead skin and invisible crumbs of food that has been dropped.

It’s all about appearance and far snobbier than not giving two figs if the beast has muddy paws. Floors wash.

Ok @CherryPavlova, if you say so!

CherryPavlova I couldn’t give a fig what class people are, or what flooring they have. I take my shoes off as I find it more comfortable, and my shoes are often muddy from walking the dog and the toddler. I wouldn’t ask someone to take their shoes off in my house as their comfort is more important to me than my carpets. At other people’s houses I take my lead from the host.
I was just commenting on the fact that people on this thread are so keen to bring class in to it, when generally it’s just a matter of personal preference.

Because heaven forbid anyone on an anonymous online forum should mistake you for the type of person who lives in a new build semi and has net curtains!

"Can't bear to wear slippers"

That's a new one.

For the record I never ask people to remove their shoes. They just do because everyone does round here. We aren't formal at all and never have formal dinner parties or other formal events that require formal clothes and footwear.

And my socks aren't smelly.

www.ifh-homehygiene.org/sites/default/files/publications/IFHinfectiontransmissionreviewFINAL.pdf

The real risk in your home is most frequently your hands NOT your feet!

I agree I find the idea of getting dressed up to go round to someone's house for dinner and then taking your high heels off and walking around in tights or worse fluffy slippers is quite weird. I had knee-length lace up boots on last time I went out to dinner. 'kicking them off' was not an option and they were part of my outfit so of course I kept them on.

We never take shoes off but then also have no carpets, and also are not paranoid about germs and our kids have healthy immune systems as a result.

For those people who are paranoid about germs I'm not sure how you think someone's sweaty socks or verruca and dry skin covered bare feet are more hygienic than shoes wiped on a doormat.

I think I should have thought out my thread title more carefully.

This thread has now become the shoes on/off, class divide argument. I’ve never heard such bloody nonsense.

Whether you choose to keep your shoes on or off that’s up to you, just don’t offer me a plate of goodies and then prop your size 9’s up against them!

@RockYourSocksOff - Whether you choose to keep your shoes on or off that’s up to you, just don’t offer me a plate of goodies and then prop your size 9’s up against them!

Agreed. I think plonking your feet beside the plate of goodies is a bit bleuch, regardless of whether they are in shoes, slippers, socks or bare.

Ah these threads are always good fun. Shoes off house here, as were most of the homes of people I knew growing up in the UK, and now I live in Finland where every home is shoes off, DD's school is shoes off even (having to take winter boots off and on while holding a baby when visiting the school on parents' day was not easy - DD's teacher had to hold him for me so I could do up my laces!)

I think I should have thought out my thread title more carefully.

Yes, you should have included toilet brushes and ironing as well, just to really get things going.

I'm always amazed on mumsnet just how rude people are about others standards of hygiene.

Clearly no one here lives in London and spends half their day dodging glistening puddles of spit on the footpath! For that reason alone I can’t bear shoes inside Ditto for catching public transport, I wash my hands the moment I get in.

Shoes off in this house hold. Guests are left to their own choice but have walked in dog and bird poo. Yuck!

We live in a cosy country cottage with multitude of hairy dogs, wellies and big coats everywhere and if feeling lazy will have dinner in the living room on our knees. Plus the dogs are (shock horror!) allowed on the furniture.
Shoes are always off at the door - front or back. It's how was brought up. Equally if someone comes over and doesn't take their shoes off I won't say anything but it does make me wince a bit inside.
Possibly it's because we spent some time abroad in countries where shoes are always removed, maybe just because it's what we do as a family but it does make me feel quite uncomfortable even reading about people keeping their shoes on inside 😂
Despite having hairy dogs on the furniture.

Genuine question for shoes on people - do you where them upstairs? When do you take them off? And when do you put them on?? I find it totally bizarre

Wear not where...

It is quite good for children to get some lurking nasties into their immune system. We can be too clean, too fussy. I was a revolting thumb sucker and I swear it has lead to me having a Fort Knox immune system.

I was brought up in a house with parquet tiled floors. If you've ever had a straight-out of the pan hot kaolin poultice applied to the sole of your foot to draw the splinters out, you might begin to understand why I wear shoes in houses and feel very weird if I don't.....