Removing shoes indoors

[diagold4u]

Am interested to know how many people actually have the rule of no shoes indoors.
We've had this rule from when I was young and have carried it on when I moved out. I think it makes sense not to walk all over the house with shoes that have been worn outdoors, who knows what you've stood on and then bringing all that in to your home.
I have shoe covers that I provide to workers.
Especially with young children I think it's even more important not to wear outdoor shoes indoor, carpets/rug will harbour all that dirt no matter how much you Hoover up.

My actual aibu is, if someone came to my house as a guest would it be U for me to ask them to remove their shoes? Obviously in a polite manner.
I feel quite embarrassed having to ask when these people already know.
My current house is all flooring with large rugs everywhere, the main living room is carpet.
I've noticed certain extended family members get annoyed at my request but the way I see it, it's my house, if I don't walk with shoes, why should you when you've chosen to come to my house.

I’ll be honest i generally wear my shoes up to my room to take them off there and put them on my shoe rack, though I’m working on breaking this habit! Generally if I go to someones house and they take their shoes off I will too, just because it feels weird otherwise in my opinion 😅

What I think is interesting with this subject, which comes up time and time again on MN, is that for so many people “everyone they know” is either a shoes on or shoes off household (for me as a child in the 80s, “everyone I knew” was shoes on). It suggests that we tend to befriend families of a similar shoes -on or shoes-off nature. Someone should research this. Maybe shoes on people don’t befriends shoes off people because they can’t be doing with the faff, and shoes off people are so horrified by shoes on people they don’t make friends with them, and their children grow up thinking one or the other way is the norm.

It was never instilled in me when I was younger, but I don’t wear shoes upstairs in my house now I’m an adult. Unless I’m only going up quickly to grab my purse or something.

What I think is interesting with this subject, which comes up time and time again on MN, is that for so many people “everyone they know”

I strongly suspect some posters are happily exaggerating - is it believable that in the UK someone didn't even know some people kept shoes indoors, or took them off?

In fairness, I am not aware of anyone having a grey house, or sparkly carpet so maybe there's something in it

We do "shoes off" as a general rule, but it's not set in stone. If me or hubby wants to unpack the shopping first, or a kid needs to run to the loo, it's no big deal.

I wouldn't ask a visitor or tradesperson to remove their shoes personally.

I always take my shoes off when visiting other people's houses. We have a shoes off house but I relax it for downstairs guests now. Downstairs is all washable with rugs.
Most people automatically take their shoes off though. I only had to ask my mum and brother to take off when going upstairs.
I've noticed the shoes-on people don't really like to wipe their feet at all either though bizarrely.

Shoes off and I provide slippers!

I could have written this myself. I don't allow anyone to come in with their shoes for all the reasons you've stated. I have a pack of 100 pairs of blue shoe covers for trades. I just thinks is nasty wearing dirty outdoor shoes around the house. And when I go to other's houses, I remove my shoes at the door without being asked out of respect.

Absolutely no shoe rule. It’s disgusting. I’m amazed by the amount of my children’s friends (and their parents) who seem to think it’s ok to walk on with their shoes on. Thanks for ruining the cream carpet... grrrr. We also have clean socks.
You literally walk in mud, dog wee, on dirty pavements etc etc and then walk in to a clean house? No thanks - leave your dirt outside. Imagine walking on that floor then getting into bed... filth!

And when I go to other's houses, I remove my shoes at the door without being asked out of respect

Even if they ask you not to? That would be the opposite of respectful.

Your house your rules if they don’t like it don’t visit ! 😳

MY PET PEEEEEEVE is damnnnnn shoes in the House. If you worked in healthcare + a young child in the house, you’d understand why. Grossssssssss 🤢

@VinylDetective

And when I go to other's houses, I remove my shoes at the door without being asked out of respect

Even if they ask you not to? That would be the opposite of respectful.

Urm... How is it disrespectful to take your shoes off in any way shape or form?

@Nesski

Shoes off and I provide slippers!

High five to a fellow "what the actual fuck, fucking weird" hostess. You do in fact need an F bomb every time to express just how unnatural and deviant we are. We are also "horrific" and love nothing more than having our guests shod in dishes of grime, verrucas and fungus. Witness as faces turn green and bile arises as people cross our threshold, and that's even before they taste the cooking!

(Yes, I asked how these people handle bedsheets and toilet seats when they stay overnight somewhere, but I didn't get an answer.)

Shoes off in our house, but don't insist on visitors

Weirdly enough, we went on holiday (within Europe) to a place where you were asked to take your shoes off at the door. We got into the habit when there and did it when we got home. Apart from the short bit of lino to where shoes are stored, no shoes in the house! We ask, politely, and no-one has refused and we have guest slippers for people who want them

We always take off shoes at the door, and if we go anywhere, even on holiday we take off our shoes in the room.

BT Openreach, British Gas, Eon, and Affinity Water all put little covers over their shoes when they visit. It is appreciated.

I have no problem asking people to remove their shoes. I have to stop myself punching the ones that step inside my flat to take them off 😤

Taking shoes off before entering someone home is a common sense. Socks or feet are definitely cleaner than shoes.

But there are reasons to wear shoes when visiting, assuming you are friends.
We have ‘anything goes’ here, but in general we have shoes on indoors.
Our best friend has just had new (white....why?) carpet and so I can’t go and see him as I can’t take shoes off on my own due to mobility issues. My hubby can’t visit as he gets such freezing feet. So friend comes down here, swans about, takes advantage (I’m in a mood today! ) of our hospitality (we enjoy seeing him....social bubble) but we can’t see him due to shoe issue.

I hate shoes indoors.
I have wooden floors / tiled floors downstairs, so I can just about tolerate guests wearing shoes downstairs because I can mop the floor when they go. However, upstairs has carpets in some rooms so it’s a definite no.
Workmen have to wear shoe covers
I really don’t like carpets

I think its rude to walk into anyones home with shoes on, visitors should at least ask if they want you to remove their shoes. off at mine, i also keep overshoes for workmen.

since having our new carpet laid, we have no wood floors except in kitchen, we decided, most of the time anyway that we would ask visitors to take off shoes or put special plastic shoe covers on, we have noticed that there is much less dirt on carpets and floors, we think that after spending a lot of money on carpets it would be the best way