Please settle an argument .......... in other peoples' houses ............shoes on or shoes off?

[helpamamaout]

On entering someone else's home, should the visitor keep their shoes on or remove them?

Take them off unless the host says not to worry.

Ask the home owner.

Off. Anything else is rude and unhygienic.

I've never taken my shoes off when visiting someone's house and would never expect visitors to take them off when visiting mine. The only time I would is if I was asked to, just wouldn't occur to me otherwise

I always say ‘I’ll just take my shoes off’ and then they can say not to worry if they don’t mind.

I'll go as far to say I don't even know anyone who does this, certainly not my family or friends

Always off (unless the floors are obviously minging, then on for self preservation)

Take them off (unless they have bare feet and a horrible fungal infection, in which case they should hover uncomfortably in the hallway murmuring about shoes until asked to come any further in).

Follow their lead entirely unless I know my shoes are muddy or something.

Always off. I don't mind if people wear shoes in my house but it would feel rude not to take mine off in their house.

I always ask. Where I live it is common practice to remove shoes, but I would never ask someone to do so because I like my guests to feel welcome.

I always take off as that's what we do at home. Will keep on if they insist not to, but always feel a bit uncomfortable walking over their carpets in outdoor shoes!

It’s not the norm in the U.K. to take your shoes off indoors and as a result most peoples floors are too dirty to walk on your socks or bare feet.

Oh god I hate shoes off! Have i got clean matching socks on? do my feet smell? The awkwardness when thehost follows you to the door to say goodbye and you're struggling in the porch to put yiurs and the kids shoes on! It's probably just me overthinking it but i go to some friends who have shoes off and i get so anxious about it!

Ask.

I'm from a shoes-off country, and taking them off is my default, although I'll follow my host's lead when I'm visiting. This is something other immigrant (in the UK from my country) I know complain a lot about, but I can't get too bothered about it. Meh. I'd rather my visitors felt comfortable, and I know they prefer wearing shoes, so why not. Floors can be washed.

I take mine off.
I just know it'd be me that treads dog donk into someone's cream axminster.

I automatically take my shoes off but if they tell me to keep them on then I will.

This again??? You won’t settle an argument- read the previous 10,000 threads!

In short - lots of people think shoes in is absolutely disgusting, other people think making other people take their shoes off can make other people uncomfortable and makes you a bad host.

Nobody changes their mind.

Ultimately in somebody else’s house you have to do what they want regarding this.

Follow their lead/ask.

We have some freezing stone floors in my house so I would be worried about you wandering around in socks. But of course it is rude to keep them on if it is a shoeless household.

I would very rarely take shoes off unless asked. I find it a reallynodd request.

Remove them

I'd never assume someone else was happy to hoover twice a day to pick up the mud that's been trod all over a carpet by wearing shoes on it

Unless muddy wellingtons, then I would.

Its a stupid question presupposing that there is a definitive answer. Not all households are the same. Go with the rules of the house you are in. It's not difficult.

Automatically off as this is the polite thing.