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?

I don't understand people who worry about matching socks/smelly feet! If you know you're going to someone's house don't you wash your feet, powder/antiperspirant them and wear nice socks??

Lol I’m a shoes off person but never powdered them. Shall try that. Thanks for the tip.

Honestly think new socks, well aired non dying or soggy shoes, and clean fest is enough for your feet to not smell. If people’s feet are smelling without medical condition then something’s wrong.

But I like the idea of powder between my toes will do it for my own pleasure :)

@Alsohuman - but the soles of your shoes aren't actually touching the floor so it's obviously a staged photo. You've just proved nobody would really wear shoes indoors

Are you accusing me of levitating?

It's disrespectful to tramp your filthy shoes all over a floor that's used by others barefoot.

No one ever walks on my floor barefoot. Unless it's stepping out of the shower momentarily, but even that tends to be onto a bathmat.

On, unless told otherwise.
I make people take their shoes off.

@SchoolOfLife2 - But I like the idea of powder between my toes will do it for my own pleasure

Be careful. The use of talc has been linked to ovarian cancer. although I suspect not when used on your toes

It's also been linked to lung cancer although only in talc miners

@Alsohuman - Are you accusing me of levitating?

Either that or someone carried you across the carpet to take the photo. I prefer the idea of you levitating though. Can you teach me how please?

Genuine question (well, not really), but do you have special visiting socks? A bit like my mother would have a social nightie for hospital?

I do actually 😆 They're the ones without holes/bobbles! And I always match them to my outfit. DH would be mortified if I wore clashing socks! I have a particularly pretty cashmere pair, with a lace panel along the top of the foot, that I save for visiting. If we're going to a dinner party or house with chilly floors I take a pair of indoor shoes (leather ballet flats) in my bag and change them at the entrance.

No one ever walks on my floor barefoot. Unless it's stepping out of the shower momentarily, but even that tends to be onto a bathmat

Do you put socks on immediately after the shower before you step off the bathmat or something? Not even barefoot in the summer?
First thing DD does when she gets home is take her socks off so she can be barefoot

Bare feet or shoes... hmm tricky one and it depends how presentable the feet are! Clean bare feet with manicured toenails and no plasters/flaky bits would be far better than shoes. Dirty smelly bare feet would be as bad as shoes especially if they tuck them up on my sofas! Everyone I know wears socks or slippers or indoor shoes indoors, going barefoot is a bit rude in someone's house. In sandal weather I keep socks in my bag to pop on at the threshold.

@OneStepSideways - I do actually

That's kind of sweet. Scary, but sweet

@Isthisafreename, I’d love to teach you, it would be my pleasure. The chances of anyone being able to lift, let alone carry, me are remote to say the least!

Shoes off.

Off. Anything else is rude.

@OneStepSideways - Everyone I know wears socks or slippers or indoor shoes indoors, going barefoot is a bit rude in someone's house. In sandal weather I keep socks in my bag to pop on at the threshold

It sounds a bit unspontaneous. I regularly have no bag with me. So that basically rules out unplanned visits in the summer. Mind you, spontaneity can be over-rated.

So what would you do if I turned up wearing sandals? My feet aren't exactly manicured but I don't have flaky bits. If I promised not to put my feet on your sofa (and I wouldn't, regardless of what I was wearing as I was brought up to believe that is rude in someone else's house), would you let me in with bare feet or would I have to head home and get socks first?

@Isthisafreename

I am out all day in my trainers, I walk around 5-8 miles, I couldn't come home and not take my shoes off.

I don't want to rock around in my outdoor shoes, I'm more comfortable changing into slippers.

To those who keep their shoes on - when do they come off? Later in the evening? Just before bed? I snuggle on the sofa and can't have shoes on for that...

Fascinating stuff

@Alsohuman - I’d love to teach you, it would be my pleasure.

Thank you. Best perfect it above one of our floors before visiting any of the shoes off floors.

I find shoes off painful. I have never walked around my own house barefoot and now I have arthritis it is very uncomfortable. I was asked to take my shoes off in one house I viewed when moving, otherwise I've never been asked to. It seems to be something younger people do more than older. Why would you want to be barefoot? Except for the rate hot day, it would be very cold.
For the shoes off people, do you still insist if you have an elderly or disabled person visiting?

I don't really get much in the way of elderly or disabled guests but I never insist on people taking their shoes off because everyone round here just does it automatically so if they didn't take them off I'd assume there was a good reason for it and say nothing.

@HarrysOwl - good on you. I'm struggling to do 2-3 miles.

I don't want to rock around in my outdoor shoes, I'm more comfortable changing into slippers.

I regularly take my shoes off at home, particularly if it's warm. I'm not a big fan of slippers. I prefer socks. I just think it's a bit over-familiar for people other than family or close friends to take shoes off in my house.

@cookingonwine - Off. Anything else is rude

On. Anything else is rude.

So what would you do if I turned up wearing sandals?

I wouldn't mention your bare feet, although I would offer you slippers (we have a basket of disposable spa slippers by the door, like most families with middle eastern roots). But if you declined them it wouldn't matter, you'd still be welcomed in. If you kept your shoes on I'd whisper 'are you ok to leave your shoes in the hall?' before you reached the end of it. We have a long hall with a wood floor, which is handy as some people do walk through in their shoes but stop before they get to the carpets. At parties there are discarded shoes the whole length of it 😊

I always take mine off, it really annoys me when people don't take theirs off in mine and I have to ask them to ☹️

My shoes come off just before bed, after I’ve levitated up the stairs.

Isthisafreename I wasn't keen on slippers either, no support, but I bought a pair of cheap fake UGGs (meant for outdoor but shit quality) and they fit the slipper bill nicely!

Digressing...

If I visited you I'd ask if you wanted me to take my shoes off; having a think now, every friend I visit is a shoes-off household.

Our carpets are shit though and the majority of flooring downstairs is underlay, so I tell guests to keep their shoes on if they want but I would probably notice if they didn't offer.