To expect no-outdoor-shoe households to provide slippers?

[pairofrollerskates]

Just that - slides, or foot covers of some kind. Of course, if you know in advance it's different, but when you turn up for the first time at someone's house to be told "please take off outdoor shoes" at the door (which is reasonable, we all get to decide what happens in our own homes), surely something should be provided rather than expect visitors to pad about in bare feet, or socks.

Now that I no longer have a crawling child, I'm less precious about shoes being off downstairs. We have wooden floors. I do ask people take shoes off to go upstairs, though, as we have light coloured stair and landing carpet. The only exception I make for that is my elderly FIL who has mobility issues and finds it easier to walk in shoes.
I don't mind taking my shoes off in other people's houses at all, and have no issues with walking about in socks. In sandals weather I keep a pair in my handbag just in case.

Missing the point possibly, but... who wears does without socks? Yuk

Shoes! I mean shoes without socks

Exactly this, the thought makes me feel queasy🤢

UK people are bonkers with their light coloured carpets. In Ireland we generally stick to serviceable-coloured carpets (definitely not cream) and usually only people originally from other countries would dare ask guests to take shoes off. I currently live in UK and the rented house has impractical carpets. We don’t make people take their shoes off though…life is for living! If I expected people to take their shoes off, I’d feel that I should provide disposable hotel slippers 😂 When I go into someone’s house here with light carpet, I usually ask them if they want me to take my shoes off: usually they say “oh no it’s fine”. Maybe they don’t mean it and are just being polite…whi knows?!🤣

Plenty of shoes are designed to be worn sockless, although you're unlikely to be wearing them in December.

Every summer I wear shoes without socks. They are called sandals.

Really? Have you seen many guys under 35 these days? Not a single sock between them.

YABU if you think it is ok to walk around someone’s house in outdoor shoes. Yuck. Personally I find it rude when guests visit and do not offer to remove their shoes. Just make sure you are wearing socks when you are visiting someone’s house. Hardly difficult.

Yep. To me, the idea of wearing slippers that someone else's bare feet have been in, is far worse than the idea of dirt trodden in by outdoor shoes.

I've completely given up asking these people if they're aware that their forks and spoons have been inside other people's mouths. I don't know why it doesn't occur to them that slippers are washed.

I’ve given up trying to explain why it’s a crap analogy

Glad to hear it, your "explanation" as to why washing slippers isn't comparable to washing cutlery was complete pants. Do you people wash those?

well yes, as I wash my cutlery so it follows automatically that I regularly wash everything I own.

Would you believe I even regularly wash my floors, so I can afford to be a good hostess and give people the choice to wear their shoes in my house or not.

Nothing about pants, I see...

@Survey99 the only workmen that have had to use my plastic shoe covers are the oven cleaner and chimney sweep and that’s cos they were in and out the door a few times and it was easier.

Electrician brings his own shoe covers and my plumber removes his shoes. Just had a big furniture order from Neptune and they removed their shoes without me asking, which is good customer service.

I’ve only had one guy refuse to remove his shoes or wear shoe covers. I took one look at his filthy boots and told him to stay outside on the doorstep whilst I manhandled the item (king size mattress) he was collecting down the stairs and out the door myself 😂

Same problem when visiting Hidu temples mosques or Buddhist places of worship where pigeon holes are provided for your outdoor footwear, but from there on socks or bare feet seem acceptable. My problem is severe ankle arthritis which has distorted my feet and affected my balance. I have to wear lace up boots. How to explain this to a strange hostess or religious person?

I'll just leave this here. He's you can wash them 😅

Never given communal slippers a thought til this thread. I have my own slippers at my DM’s house. She’s a no shoe in the house person - but does allow them if we are mopping in. Her floor is concrete under the carpet and feels cold. I can’t abide cold feet. As soon as my feet touch a cold surface my toes Cramp.

There are certain people I know who I visit and take my own slippers. Their houses are usually always cold and they often have wooden floors. They also have dogs!!

I have wooden floors and the main reason we don’t wear shoes is the noise!! I have a range of slippers - they type that look like ballerina pumps and that are more like socks than actual slippers. I also have sim indoor uggs for when it’s really cold. My kids seem to prefer wandering round the house barefoot. I’m always telling them to wear slippers and they rarely do.

My DM struggles to take shoes off in other peoples home. She can’t bend and can barely reach her feet to put them on and take them off - often uses a shoe horn to help. Her shoes are made by the hospital as her legs are different lengths so when she walks without shoes she’s not balanced. She tends to wear pop socks which would be slippery on wood floors. She can’t really get actual slippers to fit her feet due to the swelling and size. She does often walk round her own hose on stocking feet but all her furniture is within reach should she fall or wobble!! She uses a stick/frame out of the house. I’ve not known her to take shoes off anywhere when visiting.

I've offered frequent guests a place to keep their own slippers - the in-laws each have a pair here. A few times friends have borrowed a pair of my socks when visiting - I wash all towels, bedding, socks and underwear at 60, and periodically in a bit of nappy bleach so they are clean.

Shoe germs are a hazard when you have babies and toddlers crawling about, and life is too short to steam clean the floors every day.

@Delatron We have a temporary "Shoes Allowed" policy for parties, then give the floor a thorough scrub down the next day, after throwing away all the plastic cups, streamers etc. You're always expecting more mess at a party though, of all kinds, so it feels different to an everyday situation. For me at least.

In Turkey its standard practice to remove shoes and to be provided with slippers.

I would have apoplexy if I wore my shoes inside. Occasionally, I have put my shoes on to go out, then realised I had forgotten something and if they are not simple slip on shoes have to crawl on hands and knees to get forgotten item rather than tread outdoor shoes on indoor floors which would disturb me greatly!

Jesus wept. Some people are properly bonkers. 😳

@Ineke That's hilarious! 😂I've never gone that far, but would defo spend ages undoing and redoing boots rather than walk dirty street shoes through the house...