To ask visitors to please do this?

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Remove their shoes. I have very pale cream carpets and no one in the household wears shoes in the house. My niece recently called and it was heavily raining, she had cork sole shoes on which sucked up lots of water which she tramped over my carpets. I asked her to take them off as wet soggy prints were being left behind. I do not have to ask some people but feel awkward when I do ask.

Or else it could be that you come from another culture, in which shoes on the floor are considered dirty or taboo.

Genuinely think there'd be an intervention

This. Here you’d take a second pair of (nice and clean) shoes with you if you were to go to someones house and wanted to wear shoes.

It really depends. I have found some engineers like British gas will ask automatically. Meter readers no- but they are only walking on wood floors.
Some people- elderly and those who have mashed their feet feel uncomfortable taking shoes off so I would neve ask. I would also prefer those with smelly feet to keep shoes on.

Or you'd be called Shoebags for the rest of your life @JenniferBarkley

Shoes off house here and most people just do it automatically when they see the shoe rack. For those that don’t, we just ask. When we’ve had tradesmen in, we’ve offered the option of shoe covers as they often need to steel toe caps but some bring their own covers anyway.

I don't think it's U in general; though, like sunsetsandsandybeaches, I would avoid asking elderly or disabled people, who may feel less stable without their shoes, or just have trouble removing them.

Ah stop, next you'll be telling me you prefer a Kings over a Tayto! Barry's for the win😅

Excuse the derail!

“Good manners”. 😁
Good manners are making guests feel welcome not putting your floors above their feelings. Still if you want athletes foot and sweaty socks over your carpets good for you.

I’m sure people will offer to take shoes off if they see cream carpets.

And yes, obviously there should be a loo brush. A lack of one indicates poor cleanliness. I wouldn't put my dainty, well-bred buttocks anywhere near an un-brushed pan. The horror!

If I confess I only drink peppermint tea and DH has Yorkshire do we have to hand in our passports?

We don't wear shoes inside but I don't ask guests to remove their shoes. There could be dozens of reasons why it's not appropriate and I'd prefer my guests to feel comfortable.
We have real wood flooring and a large navy rug so anything is easily cleaned up.

Everyone in the UK with good manners already takes off their shoes, and most people expect it. No shoes get past my hallway for any reason.

Last time I visited a house like that, I fell over trying to comply as we were expected to do it standing, no where to sit other than the ground outside which'll have all those things people don't want brought into their house.

I've no strong opinion on shoes off/on/shoe bags, done them all, but thoughtfulness and consideration are the basis of good manners, and is not shown if you push people to take off their shoes standing when it's risky for some (and with some types of footwear), which I've had far more in the UK than elsewhere.

What class is athlete’s foot?

and can you tell how well bred a pair of buttocks are by their shape and size?

Unless for cultural reasons, I find this really rude.

What class is athlete’s foot? world class?

If you are wearing wellies or look like you've waded through cow muck, shoes off
Otherwise I just prefer people are comfy. So shoes on, off, bring your slippers, really don't care unless you're treading dog shit into my carpet

My friend arrives, puts her slippers on and checks out what food is in the fridge so that probably says something about my laid back approach

I only know one shoe-off household, and I hate walking about feeling their toddler's biscuit crumbs and split squash sticking to my feet.

It is just grim.

@Thepeopleversuswork ''I’ve never really understood the logic that says bare or socked feet are cleaner than feet in shoes tbh''

Really? pretty obvious I would say. I live in London and pavements are full of dog shit, traces of vomit, gum, spit and general grime which of course will stick to shoes.

Unless you have a habit of walking with bare foot or socked feet on dog shit I would assume that feet will always be cleaner than the soles of your shoes in that type of urban environment...

So it is shoes off for me.

We asked MIL to take her shoes off and she then went on a rant that if we were asking people to then we had to provide socks and should have a socks basket at back door for people

What’s rude about saying, “I’m really sorry - do you mind if shoes are removed? We’ve got a carpet that’s a muck-magnet.”
I wouldn’t want to tread dirt into anyone’s carpet so I wouldn’t mind at all being asked this. I understand how much people save to get nice things in their house.

We ask shoes off in the living room or upstairs. But not fussed about shoes on the wooden floor elsewhere.

I think the simple answer is, make it easy for people to take off their shoes and provide them with clean socks/slippers if they would like, but don’t make it a rule, just have a really good mat when they walk in the door. Obviously if it’s a formal event where people are in white tie or something, don’t make them take their shoes off.

It’s more of an offer of comfort than a demand for hygiene thing, you can just keep your floors clean in between having visitors.

God no. Tayto every time.

I don't drink either lyon's or Barry's. I'm a total tea snob and buy loose tea from the fancy tea suppliers where they only import top quality and blend their own varieties. Drives my in-laws insane that I don't have teabags. Doesn't take any longer to make the tea but it's the fact I have proper notions that seems to bother them🤷‍♀️

I'll join you. As well as only drinking fancy tea without milk, I hate potatoes.