To think it's really rude to keep your shoes on when you visit someone's home

[Pavementworrier]

There's so much dog poo about now it's basically a trampling of dog poo

I’d never ask guests to take off their shoes. I think it’s rude, inhospitable and renders them undignified.

Yay, another shoes off thread! These are much better entertainment than the shite which will be on telly this Christmas.

Grabs popcorn, pulls up chair, puts feet up, wearing shoes of course!
Dame Patricia Routledge might no longer be with us, but the legacy of Hyacinth Bucket lives on. "Under no circumstances do I allow alien shoes on my herringbone wood block, or my grade one Axminster."

What on earth are you talking about? Where are you walking that you’re treading in dog poo on a daily basis? If I put on shoes, walk to the car, drive to your house and walk from the car to your front door I’ve probably done 50 steps and as I look where I’m going it’s safe to say I would know if I trod in something. If you ask me to take my shoes off I will but your apparent poo obsession is completely unreasonable.

It’s more rude to ask people to take their shoes off.

Agree, there is actually far less dog poo about than there used to be, but maybe it's an age thing.

YABU.

I have a shoe free house but not every house is the same. If you want people to remove their shoes - ask them.

I always take shoes off in anyone’s house. We live on a farm. There is literally horse and sheep and chicken shit all over outside. You don’t bring that in the house.

Similarly, I used to live in a city and I’d routinely step on used condoms and needles just walking about my neighbourhood (yes, really). Didn’t want that tracked through my house either.

I would only not take off my shoes if the hosts looked utterly freaked out by my attempt to do it.

Maybe go and read one of the 8,000 threads on this subject rather than starting another one. It's not inherently rude to leave shoes on or to want people to take them off. It's simply a matter of what you're used to. Ideally, observe what your hosts do, then do likewise. But making a big fuss about it (either out loud or in your head) is just twatty (unless they actually do knowingly and visibly tread dog poo onto your floor).

Lol, my other half won't go into people's houses if he has to take the shoes off. He lives in converse and can't be bothered to unlace them.

Ewwww, I'd rather have shoes and risk the rare occurrence of poop than have people sweaty foot jam on my carpets and floors. 🤢

I haven't stepped in dog poo since I was a child. I'd rather people kept their shoes on in my house than I had to put up with their smelly feet.

It’s the last big class signifier. Shoes on = U; shoes of = non-U

i cannot imagine being so uptight as to ask for people to remove shoes.

I'd love to have a shoes off policy but could never enforce it on my home . It just doesn't seem to be common in any house I have been to . I try to have slippers that are only indoors but then forget and run out to the car or back door . What a conundrum. 😁

Yes I agree it's rude to keep shoes on if the house is clearly a shoes off home and they have new carpet/light colour carpet etc. Some homes don't mind shoes on. I don't allow them because of all the germs being brought in.

I’ve made this point before but still got jumped on. I really think it depends a lot on where you live and how people are travelling to your home. I’m in London and everyone travels everywhere by public transport and walking. We are surrounded by dog households. The council have not cleared all the autumn leaves. The leaves and dog mess have got smushed together. There aren’t enough street lamps. It gets dark at 4pm. I walk home at night from the station with my phone torch out so I can watch my step for dog mess. I have twice accidentally stepped in it when I’m wearing my baby sling and so can’t see directly ahead of me. We have to check pram wheels and spray them when we come in from outside.

There is absolutely no way in hell anyone would dream of not taking off their shoes at the door, and guests factor in wearing nice socks or bring smart slippers.

I was surprised to find when going bowling for the first time in ages, that bowling shoes are no longer a thing and haven't been for some time. People keep their own shoes on now.
Something to do with the floors being upgraded?
Maybe not the same everywhere but thank god they are dying a death.

You need to ask. I always keep mine on unless asked. I don't tread in dog poo.

Exactly.

Also, I don't want to put my feet on your floor if you've had people walking around barefoot or in socks, shedding their dead skin cells and fungal spores everywhere, especially as vacuums never truly get all of it out.

Carpets are inherently dirty due to being unable to be cleaned properly, but in shoeless houses, they must be absolutely disgusting. Do they not stink of foot sweat?

If you’re a no shoes house fine with me.
We have some friends who are “no shoes”

We’re a “shoes on” household, however…
Those friends prefer to go shoeless at ours.

But, I wouldn’t ask to wear to shoes at theirs.
My mum is funny about it, and would ask.

I dont know any shoes off homes anymore for all visitors, its just not a thing IME. The only time shoes off is a thing is when i go to friends/family and vice versa to get comfy e.g. put feet up on sofa.

Anyone wanting me to take my shoes off just needs to ask (id quietly find it really rude but whatever, theyre probably not my type of person anyway so unlikely ill be in their home much).

Anyone who doesnt know im ok with them taking their shoes off in my house gets very firmly told to leave them on if they go to remove them. Yuck.

Yanbu, it is rude to walk into a clean house with shoes on. If you’re not sure, ask at the door.

I’ve relaxed about it, but it used to add extra work having to vacuum and mop floors whilst pregnant or with young kids because peope brought in pine needles and mud.

However, I draw the line at people with dirty floors asking others to take shoes of. In-laws have begun this despite having a massive smelly dog who’s never washed. Their cream carpets haven’t been cream the whole time I’ve known them. Not sure what they’re trying to preserve exactly by having shoes off.

People like you make those floors dirty with their shoes. Lol.

People should at least be able to move to a seat to remove their shoes, rather than be expected to awkwardly flamingo off shoes, risking falling over, or expected to sit on the ground to do so, which is not safe for everyone. I've had to sit on stairs a few times to deal with the shoes because there was no other place for me to safely remove the boots I was wearing.

Safety is more important, and if it's really important for the flooring or whatever and the house layout does not give space for any seating as many British homes that open into narrow corridors don't, have shoe covers available as an alternative.

Wouldn’t shoes-on houses be the worst of both worlds then?

Shoes on people also walk around with shoes off at times.

Carpets are yucky regardless, you just have to not think about it!

The boyfriend of my DD godmother always used to ask if I want him to take his shoes off and I would tell him don’t worry about your shoes, we have two children and two dogs, you need protective clothing to come in, .