...to not want to take my shoes off...

[BetterGetTheKidsTeaOn]

when I've arrived at someone's house for a dinner party having spent ages choosing what to wear, including footwear?
Surely you can't expect people to get dressed up to come round for a meal and then ask them to wander around in their socks/tights (or even worse, popsocks hiding under knee-length boots!)

I would like people to tell me-why do you buy fashion shoes? If people have their way there is no earthly point! They are not suitable for walking far in and if they are part of your outfit (chosen carefully)it is all pointless if your host wants them off at the door.
I think that I would take to keeping them in the box, with a big label NEVER WORN OUT OF DOORS, I then take off my outdoor shoes and put on the ones from the box until I go home. Could anyone possibly complain about this?
It all seems Hyacinth Bucket to me-carpets are more important than friends! Friends can't relax because they are continually worried about the carpet, the sofa etc.

My mum is a woman who keeps her house very clean, or so she thought till dd was old enough to start running around her house after taking her shoes off. Her socks are dirty when we leave. They wear shoes int he house, I dont and have a very light coloured carpet, dd shoes are not black at my house [smug smiley]

I think day to day its fine to be expected to take off your shoes in someones home, although i do think a group of dinner party guests wandering about in their socks would look rather odd. If you are that concerned dont have the party or put it on the invite. Then the guests know what is expected of them and can decide if they still wish to go.

I would never ask someone to take shoes off in my house (even though i have a cream carpet) Its rude! Unless its for religious reasons that is. If someone makes a mess i can clean it, not the end of the world!

I always take my shoes off in other people's houses. I get quite annoyed (but don't say anything) when they don't return the favour. I have one friend who is particularly bad at this. I mentioned her on another thread, she's the one who leaves her LOs nappies everywhere in my house, so keeping clean and tidy indoors is not a priority for her.

I think it's just courtesy tbh.

I have never been asked to remove my shoes in someone's house. I would never ask anyone to do it either - I just think it's odd.

If someone invited me to a dinner party and added that I should take my shoes off I would politely decline. I just can't imagine it ever happening!

When we moved into this house with it's beige carpets, my mothers and stepdad traipsed dirt right through it then watched me pregnant with SPD clean it up before DD1 ate it.

After that we began to use the side door onto the kitchen floor which I can clean every day, I don't always insist on shoes off but we all do it and I do insist if it is a rainy day. My children play and crawl all over these carpets.

I am hopefully getting rid of carpets downstairs for hard floors.

At my Mothers house I remember DD1 crawling around and her knees would be filthy after an hour.

Hmm not sure. I take my shoes off in other peoples' houses and I usually just wear socks at home. I don't make guests remove them though - although they often do anyway. Whatever germs/dogshit particles etc you are walking in outside although unpleasant are unlikely to cause serious harm to your kids though. I caught my baby with my boot in his mouth the opther day and he's still here to tell the tale. Do any of the germ concious people on here put their babies down to crawls in toddler groups or at the library?

I agree thequimreaper.

Ive not long had most of my ground floor restored to its original parquet flooring at a cost several thousand pounds. 'Shoes' as such I don't really mind but if you're wearing heels then either they come off or you're not coming in.

I'm a bit torn on this issue. I see what you mean, OP but cream carpets don't stay cream for very long if people don't take their shoes off!

Day to day: shoes off.

Evening: not expected. Some people do, but I don't expect it.

Only one room in our downstairs has a carpet and I am planning to replace it with wooden boards in the new year - partly because I'm so anal about keeping the darn carpet clean and I want to feel relaxed in our house when we have parties etc!

This is one of the things that keeps me hooked on MN. I read things every day that I've never heard of before or have never experienced!

I am trying to imagine my friends' faces if I said to them they couldn't come into my house in their choice of shoes as my choice of flooring was so expensive!! They would be shocked and completely unimpressed - although I suspect they would think I was joking.

Everybody is different and everybody has different values. I value my friends and guests above my floors. I recognise from this thread that although I am not alone there are lots of people who don't agree. Each to their own!

If your floor's that posh just don't have people over.

i think this may be a UK thing. I am from NZ and wouldn't ever leave my shoes on, party or not, unless asked to do so.

to those further up the thread saying the hosts value their furniture over their friends - well equally, you seem to value your carefully chosen outfit over your friends

Wow. This is a long running thread.

I always made kids take their shoes off (as they were liable to be muddy from garden etc) but not adults. Strangely the kids and firends still do take their shoes off even though they are all around 21 now!!

YABU - wearing shoes indoors is horrible. I wouldn't dream of walking on anybody else's floors in my shoes, so why should I let you do it on mine? I really can't understand anybody who doesn't instinctively remove their shoes on the doorstep.

I don't get how it's a 'class thing' at all. I just really don't understand how anybody could choose to sit indoors, wearing shoes - I hate shoes. :)

'I am trying to imagine my friends' faces if I said to them they couldn't come into my house in their choice of shoes as my choice of flooring was so expensive!! They would be shocked and completely unimpressed - although I suspect they would think I was joking.

I totally agree! I assume that if people have muddy shoes they would take them off, otherwise they won't.
I think it is a class thing. I thought Hyacinth Bucket was a joke but obviously not! (alive and well all around the country!)I know someone whose mother won't let her grandchildren beyond the kitchen-they might make a mess!!
I dare say they do in other countries but they don't have to cross slate floors in the depth of winter. I have to take them off in my SIL's house and I never get the circulation back the entire time I am there!