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.

Shoes off house here. I probably wouldn’t ask someone to remove their shoes especially if just a short visit but most people I know take shoes off when visiting mine or other peoples houses and I take mine off at theirs.

definitely no shoes indoors!

The fact that there are people here saying everyone they know keeps shoes on and others (like me) saying everyone they know is shoes off makes me wonder if this is an area thing?

Always tell people to remove their shoes when they enter my house, have done for 45 years. Also always remove mine in someone elses home

All guests take their shoes off. Workmen wear shoe covers. It’s non-negotiable in my house for religious purposes.

Your house, your rules, I like that

I will take shoes off if asked and of course would offer if I'd been somewhere muddy but I loath having to take off my shoes. I have a number of health conditions - like many people I wear significant structural supports in my shoes and going shoeless is really painful - I still have nightmares about drinks with a new neighbour when my unsupported feet stood for two hours+ on their newly installed cold, uneven old stone flags. I also have Raynaud's quite badly and even in the summer cold wood floors (even with a rug) are so cold that my feet hurt. There are so many health conditions that affect people's feet and I would rather my guests were comfortable and I had to clean my carpet more often. (In fact thinking about it do you want warts, verrucae, or athlete's foot on your floors? The logic says in summer you'd need one of those disinfection foot baths they used to have at swimming pools before you'd let people in!) People survived for hundreds' of years, with less easy to clear floors, without all this show removal! Going back to the stone flag floor anecdote above - surely the point of such a floor is that they clean easily! Why make guests suffer. Why don't I say it hurts? - invisible disabilities always make people sceptical, and I just find making a fuss embarrassing.

Shoes off, I don’t want any filth from the outside spread throughout my home. Shoe covers supplied so those that want to can leave them on.

I used to know people who made you take your shoes off in their porch and put on old manky mule slippers that they kept for visitors which had obviously been worn by many other people!! I stopped going round there...

We wear slippers at home, but I wouldn't ask a guest to take their shoes off, as I think it's quite rude. If you insist then provided shoe covers or slippers. Not everyone wants to walk about in their socks/bare feet.

The worst is when you go to a party or 'event' at someone's house and you're wearing an outfit with heels and you have to take your shoes off. They are part of the outfit and imo it's rude to ask someone to remove them.

I don't umderstand why you'd want other people's sweaty feet all over your house, yet claim shoes are not hygienic even if wiped at the door (I know some are neat and clean, but not all - especially if they've been running around all day)!

I wear slippers indoors - or nice but easy slip-on shoes that I don't wear outdoors if I have visitors (other than family / close friends).
I think apart from the sweat issue, it's uncomrtable and chilly for guests not to wear shoes if they stay any length of time over a brief visit - what if they want to go to the kitchen with cold floors?

So I'd definitely offer some sliders / slip-on shoes to guests, and woul expect those to be offered to me in a house with no shoe policy. I'd be also happy for guests to wear shoes downstairs if it's dry outside.

I did have a few people insisting on taking their shoes off despite being asked not to.

They definitively went into the "rude" category. Unlike them, I have manners so obviously didn't make a big deal out of it, but WHY would you make a point to disregard your host?

Is it a non-subtle way to judge and express your opinion?
Is it sheer stupidity and genuinely not getting the social etiquette?
I don't get it.

Shoes off definitely.

I take slippers to other peoples houses. I'd feel weird with shoes on in someone's else's house

I can't believe people saying it's rude to ask guests to remove shoes. How is it rude?!? Surely its ruder to tramp dirt and god knows what else all over someone's house!!

If people were polite they wouldn't need to be asked.

@RavingAnnie

I can't believe people saying it's rude to ask guests to remove shoes. How is it rude?!? Surely its ruder to tramp dirt and god knows what else all over someone's house!!

If people were polite they wouldn't need to be asked.

People have different rules and traditions, how shocking!

You keep your shoes on in a church. You don't in a mosque.

The only rude people are the ones attacking the other traditions and pretending their way is the only way.

You just have to see the behaviour of some tourists who refuse to research let alone acknowledge other cultures. What is rude and narrow-minded is refusing to accept that others live differently.

I can't remove my shoes if the floor is a hard surface. I'll have a 2 day, debilitating migraine if I stand on a hard surface without cushioning (I can't wear hard soled shoes either) for more than a few minutes. I just won't come inside if someone is insistent I remove them. Not worth the pain. Carpet is different, of course.

At home I have inside shoes & wear them everywhere inside.

In the middle of summer where we are you definitely don't want some people to remove shoes if they're synthetic & no socks. They make feet stink!

I couldn't care less, life is way too short to get stressed about shoes.
On or off, dont care 🤷‍♀️

Tbh if you came in my house and took your shoes off unless we were particularly close e.g. oldest friend or family member I'd think you were overfamiliar.

My late mum's ndn used to and I thought she was weird. I'd go to my mum's and leave them on, though would take them off at some point. I think it shows a degree of familiarity which is fine if it your mum's, best friends etc but tbh plain weird anywhere else.

It doesn’t bother me and tbh I can’t understand why it would bother anyone else. Your house, you that’s paying for the carpet cleaner bills lol

To the shoes off brigade....

It's a dry, sunny day. You've got friends and family round forces Barbie. You, the guests and assorted ki ds are in and out for food, toilet, fridge etc....how do you managed with constant shoes on/off.

Or indeed any variation e.g. kids in garden on a summers day playing on trampoline/paddling pool/whatever.

Genuine query, from a shoes on person.

I don’t care one way or another in my house. Do what you’re comfortable with. The fact that the previous owners tiled the place and the floor is fecking freezing half the year may help you decide though.

To all of those who think it's gross to keep shoes on indoors, how would you feel about removing your shoes in the office if required? Or is it less gross there, and so ok to keep shoes on?

Ps sorry for typos. Oh for an edit function

Not last Xmas (cos we weren't allowed!) but Christmas before we went to my brothers house Boxing Day. Id got some new boots for Christmas but hadnt broken them in properly. After being there a short while, i asked if anyone objected if I took them off as they were hurting my feet. And this was my siblings and their offspring.