to not want people to wear shoes over my lovely oak floor

[Carameli]

we have since we moved been doing some major renovations to our house. It is now at an end and as we put really nice oak flooring in the living room and dining room we decided to have a no shoes rule in the house. Lots of my friends do this and it works fine.
I also lived in Finland for a few years where it is the norm and expected that you take off your shoes when you go into someone's house.
My stumbling block is my mum and dad who refuse to and have said they will sit in the kitchen rather than take off their shoes.
I love my parents dearly and but feel so upset over this. Have just had an email from my mum saying she does not know when my father will want to visit us again. What am I meant to say. My worry is he comes in with a stone on his shoe and we end up with a big scratch on the wood or I am not ale to invite them over for dinner etc etc(thinking ahead to Christmas etc etc birthdays)

arrrgggg. feel so frustrated.

Oak is a very hardwearing wood. It will improve with age.

If you had any taste, you would be paying people to tap dance on it in stilletos.

Your all style and no substance. Or all wind and nee balls as I sometimes put it.

I haven't read all the responses but I do sympathise. I think your parents are being a bit over sensitive but could that be because of the way it was presented to them? Maybe if you'd left it until they got to your house, you could say "we'd really appreciate you taking your shoes off now" and not making too big an issue of it.

The only problem with high maintenance stuff, is just this, it's stressful for you! Whilst I think it's fine to ask people - would you really ask people if they came over to dinner for example? I certainly wouldn't want to take my shoes off if I was all dressed up for a night at a friends house.

I agree with Amber that wood looks better with age and wear. We bought a beautiful walnut table and benches that sits in our kitchen. I spent 6 months wincing at kids and guests making little marks etc, but soon got tired of that and realised that a home is meant to be lived in to a certain extent and I want our table to be the centre of family life and not a stress for me!

I also think most people won't want to ruin your floors whatever, and will respect that they are your pride and joy. So try to enjoy them and remember wood can easily be repaired if the worst comes to the worst.

Lucky you - I only wish we could have nice floors! With a messy puppy though I'm quite glad we don't at the moment!!!

Maybe the floors do look better with wear & tear but if the OP wants to keep them pristine I think she should be able to.