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?

Schooloflife

My children may well eat something off the floor if they dropped it, but if it was something worth retrieving they'd probably do that off the pavement too . 5 second rule?

My pets walk across the floor then on to the sofas and beds, but they also walk across THE ENTIRE OUTDOORS and walk over sofas and beds.

I don't clean any of my floors with antibacterial cleaners every day.

My feet are 40 years old and perfectly happy thanks

My answer from a previous thread on this subject:

I feel quite strongly about this; here’s why: I was asked to take minutes at a village charity fundraising meeting being held at someone’s house. It was February and freezing. I was wearing fur-lined boots (the whole point of which being that you didn’t have to wear socks) and was greeted by my hostess with a no-nonsense shoes-off demand. I’d never in my life come across this before (or since) and, whilst I would never had refused (I wasn’t the one being rude here), I was did mention that I had no socks on. “Not to worry!” she replied breezily and provided a nice new pair of socks but not before I’d had to expose my winter-hairy legs and my mid-winter toes to the great and good of the village. I was f*ing mortified.

So, shoes-offers, think on.

I would add that if I lived in Scandinavia or Asia, or where it's the norm, of course I'd expect to remove my shoes. But I don't. I live in bloody England.

I always take shoes off and put flip flops or slippers on. Can't stand having black grubby feet.

Glance at the homeowner's feet and follow their lead? If you're not sure, ask "would you like me to take my shoes off?"

It's not rocket science.

Shoes off here and interestingly all my teen DCs friends automatically take their shoes off on arrival. In the morning I know who/how many have stayed over by the shoes left in the hall!

Not judging StCharlotte, just curious! Don't your feet get sweaty AF if you don't wear socks in fur lined boots? Speaking as one who spends the whole winter in fur-lined boots (Scandinavia), not wearing socks in there would have me in a puddle by noon.

Remove. I don't bring dog shit and other shit into other people's house. Expect same of other people.

Personally I'd always take them off, even when we were house viewing I'd always say "would you like us to take our shoes off". I think it's polite to, who wants outside muck on their carpets?

We have a shoes off rule in our house (pale carpets and rugs). It really annoyed me when I had my second child and the midwife marched across my brand new pale grey rug with her shoes on. She actually commented on how lovely the rug was, I wanted to shout "yes well take your pissing shoes off you can see it hasn't got a mark on it!!!" I didn't shout at her, just in my head. It seems health visitors, midwives, nursery teachers etc anyone there in a professional capacity all leave their shoes on and don't offer to remove them. It really annoys me.

Please do NOT remove your shoes in my house. The hall is tiny and I don’t want it cluttered up with shoes.

At this rate I also think the outdoors are cleaner than peoples carpets and furniture...

Sunlight, heat, and acid rain as well as the nature of the ground being a bit more absorbant and full of insects around might do a better job at reducing accumulating toxins than a Hoover does to a carpet full of the same filth.

I would always take my shoes off out of politeness unless they said not to worry about doing so.

@SchoolOfLife2 - hmm what’s so rude about having shoes off? Weird comment

As I said in my post, I find it overly familiar.

What is a weird comment is your lack of understanding that different people have different norms.

isthisafreename

Because simply I’m not approaching this from the perspective of “norms” and “culture”.

But from a molecular biologist who is more worried about hygiene.

There are many “norms” in many cultures which we seem to understand that we neee to critique -rather harshly- because it doesn’t meet specific modern standards , in this instance hygiene.

I don’t have to dumb down the debate just to show tolerance. This isn’t a personal issue.. it’s really about numbers.

Number or Germs at the back of your new shoes after wearing it for two weeks is 440,000 units or bacteria and viruses. You might as well use the toilet brush to sweep the floor and carpets.

Off unless invited to leave on. Do you actually know that shoes worn outside can pick up ecoli and other nastys.

I would do whatever the host asked, but I'd secretly be hoping that they wouldn't be rude enough to want me to take my shoes off.

At home i wear slippers in the house (for comfort) as do the rest of the family, but guests wear their shoes, unless they prefer to take them off.

Surely no-one, ever, actually walks around with bare feet? That's going to be cold and uncomfortable!

My floors are never dirty - hard floors downstairs get mopped every day or two, and carpets upstairs cleaned as needed. No one yet has chosen to walk in in muddy boots or similar.

Always off when I visit other people. I expect people to take them off at mine to go upstairs on the carpets but don't mind if people leave them on downstairs where we have hard floors and dogs so constantly sweeping anyway. I notice that the majority of guests remove them automatically though.

Off! I sit there seething if some fucker strolls in and doesn't take them off, or they catch me glaring and say oh I'll only stand on the hard floor! It's disgusting. The worse for it are healthcare professionals as well especially my health visitor.

I can't walk without my shoes, and putting them on again is a Herculean struggle (disability). Therefore I keep my shoes on in every house In which I'm not staying the night. I'm not about to humiliate myself with dealing with shoes and/or falling over.

You're clearly an exception weegiemum! If you can't walk without shoes on then of course they stay on.

Damntheman

Sorry, I said fur, I meant sheepskin - they were like Uggs but less cornish pasty looking

I was about to ask you for your magical secret StCharlotte

I have no issue with someone telling me to keep my shoes on at the door..

I’m just surprised at the people expressing how it’s “lower class”, “rude” and “overfamiliar” if someone’s is opting for a more hygienic option in their home or someone else’s home..

It’s rather illogically defensive.

Off unless specifically told it's ok to keep them on. Don't know anyone who wears shoes indoors these days

What my host prefers. Shoes on in my house for guests and I am currently wearing odd socks. Luckily, I ain't visiting anyone today

In our house we take our shoes off but a visitor who asks is told they are fine to leave them on and others who don't ask and leave theirs on aren't frowned upon. In other people's homes I'd ask and in people's homes I know remove shoes I have slippers that I keep in the car to use.