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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Gogglebox, the family who wear their shoes indoors

340 replies

RockYourSocksOff · 20/11/2018 22:33

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.

OP posts:
FitzChivalryFarseer · 21/11/2018 12:29

Shoes off people - what do you do about going in and out to bins etc? Some evenings, I find myself endlessly schlepping out to empty my recycling bucket or kitchen bin. Or to the garage to get stuff. I don’t want the hassle of having to put shoes on and off all the time.

I also don’t find my shoes uncomfortable, and have never been one for tucking my feet up on sofas. Sitting upright isn’t prim Hmm. I find feet on furniture a bit grim regardless of shoes or not. I wouldn’t want stinky socks next to a plate of snacks any more than I would want shoes there.

We don’t have any carpets downstairs though, and we do take shoes off before we go upstairs. The dog is not allowed up there.

Wonders where people live that they are traipsing vomit and urine into the house.

Honeypickle · 21/11/2018 12:29

I thought this was going to be a nice thread about Gogglebox - not the boring old rant about shoes on/off . . .

LadyPamplemousse · 21/11/2018 12:33

Well on a Gogglebox note does anyone get the rage over the brother and sister from Blackpool? They're so sneery and annoying.

yolofish · 21/11/2018 12:44

YES ladypamplemousse I hate them both with an insane desire to kill them (irrational given I dont even know them) and also the two sisters who are as thick as pigshit...

IrmaFayLear · 21/11/2018 12:50

I have warmed to the sister and brother. Quite witty.

I used to really like Giles and Mary but now I've gone off them; bit full of themselves.

Can't bear that "2 A Level" family - mother, father and daughter who think they're a bit bohemian but are really not.

But no one, ever, can topple the Siddiqui family. Them and Dave.

LadyPamplemousse · 21/11/2018 12:53

Oh the two sisters.

‘Ah lahk beans on toast.
Oh me too. Ah lahk beans on toast too.
Do ya?
Yeah!’

StroppyWoman · 21/11/2018 12:56

I grew up in a country where it was essential to take footwear off when you arrived, otherwise you'd tramp snow across the house much of the year.
It was weird coming to the UK and seeing people wear shoes inside sometimes.
Also, our back garden gets muddy very quickly (poor drainage) so if we didn't leave shoes by the door there's be muck traipsed in all the time. Don't other people have an issue like that?

SoyDora · 21/11/2018 12:58

Shoes off people - what do you do about going in and out to bins etc? Some evenings, I find myself endlessly schlepping out to empty my recycling bucket or kitchen bin. Or to the garage to get stuff

Well I can’t speak for everyone but I rarely get things out of the garage (we have a utility room and other good storage in the house so anything I need on a day to day basis is inside) and I can’t say that I’ve ever had to constantly schlepp out to the bins 🤷🏻‍♀️

Jenala · 21/11/2018 13:03

Exactly stroppy it's not so much germs for me as that I don't want mud and grit etc traipsed into my house. Do some people just not mind this?

fitz if I'm in and out I put shoes on each time. I have slip on ones just for this. Yes it's slightly more effort but better than walking leaves and mud etc in every time.

I think it's weird people find socks bleurgh. Your feet are covered, just as with shoes. So sock covered feet that have only walked indoors are germy and terrible but shoes that have been outside are fine? It doesn't make sense.

Celebelly · 21/11/2018 13:13

Backdoor Shoes are great for popping out to bins/garage. DP and I both have a pair that live by the back door for just this purpose!

Celebelly · 21/11/2018 13:17

Speaking of Gogglebox families, I really dislike the Michaels, in particular the mum. I have to fast forward bits with them in it. LOVE the Siddiquis and Mary and Giles, and like the rest of them fine, but the Michaels family have me lunging for the remote.

Dahlietta · 21/11/2018 13:20

We were always a shoes-on house, growing up. I never thought about it until I brought a friend home once and when they'd left, my dad was SEETHING about how they'd taken their shoes off and it was the absolute height of rudeness. I figured it's a working class Northern thing! Might just be my dad though Grin

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 21/11/2018 13:22

Thinking about how much ‘urine, vomit, faeces remnants and god knows what else on the pavements’ will be coming in the house on the paws on a cat or a dog (and a cat with a catflap that can come in and out as they want??
Not even going into them been with a bare bum and all the poo particles that they must be depositing all over the house.

Now this is something I find odd. I only know one person with a shoes-off house policy, but they have two dogs and a cat, so the animals' feet, backside and genitalia are in contact with the carpets and (for the cat) the furniture.

So how is it that shoes are disgusting, but animal arses are not? Confused

Jenala · 21/11/2018 13:29

Another question for shoes on people - when do you put them on? Do you take them off before bed and then put them on upstairs when you get dressed? Or do they not go on until you go out for the first time in the day and then stay on? What if you are poorly at home - do you wear comfy clothes/pyjamas and shoes? There must be times you walk round barefoot or in socks which makes all those arguments against them pretty ridiculous.

I'm home with a chest infection so just wearing leggings and a t-shirt and wooly socks, plus blanket on the sofa. Would you pop your shoes on in this circumstance? I can't my head around it.

DonDrapersOldFashioned · 21/11/2018 13:33

I hate shoes indoors too but MN has been divided on the issue since time immemorial.

You’ll hear indoor shoe haters declaring that it just invites unnecessary muck into the house.

You’ll hear indoor shoe wearers say that it’s fine and anyone who doesn’t agree is an embarrassing Mrs Bucket type.

Whatevs.

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 21/11/2018 13:47

I can only think that people who wear their shoes inside never walk anywhere. We've had 2 days of solid rain here and my shoes are just caked in crap, no way I'd traipse round the house in the them.

LoniceraJaponica · 21/11/2018 14:01

“I don't care that much about the hygiene aspect so much as the comfort aspect. Do you all sit upright on your sofas with your feet primly on the floor?”

I wondered as well. I don’t wear uncomfortable shoes, but I still find slippers much more comfortable than shoes in the house. Everyone I know wears slippers or just socks indoors.

“Shoes off people - what do you do about going in and out to bins etc?”

I just keep a pair of slip on shoes by the back door.

“so if we didn't leave shoes by the door there's be muck traipsed in all the time. Don't other people have an issue like that?”

We live in an area where we get a lot of rain, and even wiping shoes on the door mat doesn’t get them clean enough to walk through our house. Shoes on people must live in towns where it never rains. We live rurally and there is a lot of mud.

“Exactly stroppy it's not so much germs for me as that I don't want mud and grit etc traipsed into my house. Do some people just not mind this?”

I wondered about that as well. Last winter the amount of salt and grit in our hallway was ridiculous. The salt can’t be good for the carpets either. These shoes on people must live in places where it never snows.

“I figured it's a working class Northern thing!”

I am neither working class nor born and bred in the North. Although the weather isn’t as good so you may have a point there, but it would be to do with practicality rather than a Northern working class culture

“I can only think that people who wear their shoes inside never walk anywhere. We've had 2 days of solid rain here and my shoes are just caked in crap, no way I'd traipse round the house in the them.”

Exactly thatmustbenigelwiththebrie

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 21/11/2018 14:02

Another question for shoes on people - when do you put them on? Do you take them off before bed and then put them on upstairs when you get dressed? Or do they not go on until you go out for the first time in the day and then stay on? What if you are poorly at home - do you wear comfy clothes/pyjamas and shoes? There must be times you walk round barefoot or in socks which makes all those arguments against them pretty ridiculous.

I'm home with a chest infection so just wearing leggings and a t-shirt and wooly socks, plus blanket on the sofa. Would you pop your shoes on in this circumstance? I can't my head around it

I genuinely can't tell if you're being deliberately obtuse here, but I'm not sure why you think not insisting on shoes off as soon as you're inside translates to wearing shoes with pyjamas. Confused

I don't make anyone take their shoes off in my house. I tend to take mine off because I prefer it but not always. I might have bare feet, socks, or slippers on. I'd probably keep my shoes on if I was going back out again soon. I don't put shoes on my feet the second I swing my legs out of bed, nor does anyone else in my family. I don't fall into a dead faint if an outdoor shoe touches an indoor carpet. I don't wear shoes with pyjamas.

DexyMidnight · 21/11/2018 14:10

Shoes indoors is grim. I can make a mental exception for only wearing your shoes (e.g. downstairs) on hard flooring that is washed regularly, but I still wouldn't personally.

If you wear shoes indoors it either means a) your house is dirty or b) you need to clean your floors much more regularly to prevent it becoming dirty.

Why? Just why? Have never understood this.

We have stylish crocs at the back door for when we need to pop out to empty the bin or compost caddy.

Jenala · 21/11/2018 14:10

"SheCameFromGreece* several people on here have said they think barefeet or socks is grim. So my question is to them really as there must be times they are home without shoes.

I don't make or even ask people to take theirs off. People either just do or they ask, to which I say I don't mind, and people always then take them off.

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 21/11/2018 14:17

SheCameFromGreece several people on here have said they think barefeet or socks is grim. So my question is to them really as there must be times they are home without shoes

I don't make or even ask people to take theirs off. People either just do or they ask, to which I say I don't mind, and people always then take them off

Ah, apologies, I misunderstood your post.

A query to those with a strict and inflexible 'no shoes indoors' rule: what do you do when you have a party? Does everyone stand around in their socks/tights/bare feet?

What about deliveries? If someone was delivering furniture or other large items and had to take it to a specific room, would you ask them to take their shoes off at the door? What about 'official' visitors, such as if the police cane to take a statement?

NicePieceOfPlaid · 21/11/2018 14:20

Making people take their shoes off is common. I know this because my Nan told me. She was born in Victorian times. It means you don't clean your house often enough, apparently.

Also if I'm invited to dinner I take care with my outfit, a part of that is my shoes. Fortunately we don't know anyone rude enough to ask us to take them off. Not a thing in our circle of friends.

Boots off if snowy or muddy but otherwise we let our guests remain fully dressed.

MiMr · 21/11/2018 14:23

Off topic but they have 4 or 5 rescue rotties, Frank, Dave, Izzie and I forget the rest! It was Frank who sadly died

On topic: I wear shoes 24/7 except for in bed but I have sensory issues so I cannot STAND anything touching my feet like crumbs and the like. Even walking from the shower to bedroom Envy

I put them on when I get out of bed after I've got dressed and keep them on until I go to bed that night. If my shoes get dirty when out walking etc I'll simply just put a different pair on. I've certain trainers that are the comfiest for around the house and then obviously dress shoes and the like when going out.

DP on the other hand walks around barefoot and his soles are completely numb 🤢 when he's sitting on the sofa his feet are disgusting from walking about the house with stuff stuck on them EnvyEnvyEnvy

Also we've no carpets, open plan downstairs and i do a quick 5 min hoover about 3 times a day (kids love dropping shit everywhere)

longwayoff · 21/11/2018 14:23

Love the Sidiqquis, the friends from Hull and the Welsh couple, oh, and of course, the Malone's dogs. And I really miss Leon and June. RIP Leon and best wishes June.

Notso · 21/11/2018 14:27

Stephen and Pat's bare feet are worse!