Do you ask people to take off their shoes in your house?

[avocadoincident]

I almost always take my shoes off in other people's houses.

I'd like people to take their shoes off in my house but I don't want to sound like a precious knobhead.

How ( if you do) do you ask people nicely to take their shoes off?

Or should I just not be a precious knobhead?

Ah this thread is always fun every time

To answer your question OP, I don't ask. Because I don't need to, everyone takes their shoes off going indoors where I live (and in schools and daycares and a few other places - I had to have my shoelaces done up by a teacher for the first time since primary school after parents evening when I was holding my baby and couldn't do them up myself )

Sickandtiredofsick - if your user name is anything to go by, you could all do with stengthening your immune systems in your family. Unless you have an autoimmune disease, im pretty sure your kids aren't going to catch ecoli from outdoor shoes inside

Not risking it tbh I can control what goes on my carpet and it won’t be anyone’s shoes !

Catching up on this thread. Yep that's me, Northern, lower class, shoes off,slippers on 😆😆I can't deny it.

I don't think it's a class thing as much as a rural/urban thing

I think of it as an urban thing, didn't come across it until I moved to an English city. I do think the talk of expensive cream carpets is very LMC. Growing up in rural Scotland it would be quite an insult to assume a visitor to your house hadn't dressed up and put clean shoes on and since they would have driven to your house their shoes would not have been outside. Someone who popped past during the day in their workboots would be entertained in the farm kitchen where there was a stone floor covered in flagstones similar to those outside.

Keep them on, I don't want people's bare feet on my floors.

^ but dog poo/urine/spit/whatever else is fine?

No shoes in my house! Why would I want all that muck and dirt walked all over my lovely carpets & rugs! Everyone always offers to remove shoes and I always do in other people's houses!

@DisinterestedParty
I've lived in London all my life, over 50 years, and have been asked a handful of times.

The few times I have have been mainly on home visits (I'm a community mental health nurse).

And yes I know a wide diversity of people, I couldn't live in London all this time and not!

Always take them off in other people's houses, and don't usually have to ask for people to remove them in mine.

My carpets are pale and clean and I like to keep them that way.
I don't have pets.

I don't see what the problem is - can't imagine wanting outside dirt trampled through my house.

I have a serious foot condition the pain is unreal if I walk without shoes. No one knows about it as I cope quietly about it.i hate when people ask me to take my shoes off as I can't bear the pain
I just Hoover or mop when people leave no one really ever comes in with dirty shoes.

Having read many, many of these threads on MN, shoes off seems to be mostly a lower middle class thing

That's the whole of Sweden and Japan classified and judged 😂

I have a serious foot condition the pain is unreal if I walk without shoes. No one knows about it as I cope quietly about it.i hate when people ask me to take my shoes off as I can't bear the pain

Maybe carry shoe covers that show homes give out to visitors?

Shoe covers or indoor shoes which is what my friends with foot issues do :) it's a non issue. You can totally wear indoor shoes inside, just not shoes that have been worn outside!

Always. Most people do to be fair. Usually when they see I’m not wearing any they take the hint.

Everyone takes their shoes off, never had to ask.

Or supportive slippers? My nana carries hers with her all the time as she has a painfil foot condition.

I do, because I live in a village, its always muddy and I have a light brown/beige rug in my living room.

I always offer to take my shoes off when I go into someone's house even though none of mine or DHs family are from no shoe houses. I just think it's polite. I do hate it though when I am wearing pumps with no socks or have forgotten to put socks on that day and have to be in my bare feet with half grown out nail polish and tatty toenails haha! But if uou ask me to take them off then you're gonna have to deal with that on your floors!

@avocadoincident I ask children to take their shoes off, but wouldn't ask adult friends - I rely on them noticing that we don't wear shoes and most of them take the hint. I also keep a pack of disposable shoe covers near the door to offer to workmen and delivery people because that seems more appropriate. The best ones bring their own though.

Oh good, we needed to have this chat again.

I don't think it's a class thing as much as a rural/urban thing tbh
Nope. The normal thing for farmers is to remove wellies when you come in, and then put your shoes on. Not wander round in socks or slippers.

If anyone leaves their shoes on they know my husband will kill them. Who wants dirt from outside on your carpets I don’t get it!?

That's the whole of Sweden and Japan classified and judged

I’m obviously talking about the UK.

Anyway, I’m disappointed in this thread because it does not feature ...

A poster boasting about their basket of ‘handmade, artisan slippers’ at the door.

And/or

The advice to send an email to all friends and family announcing the house’s status as ‘shoes off’ the need to prepare accordingly.

Please take your shoes off, we don't have shoes on in the house. Have some lovely guest slippers by the door or shoes cover as some people are precious about
'shoes off' ruining their look.