Etiquette of taking shoes off at the door for guests?

[GYoIsReallyHavingABaby]

Hello
I've just got new hall and dining room wood floor (its bamboo so reasonably susceptible to damage) that was a lot of money to us so we'd like to keep nice for as long as possible.

The front door opens onto hall and goes through to dining room so we take our shoes off in the porch the before the front door.

Does anyone else have a "no shoes rule" and how do you deal with it with guests?

I feel awful asking people to take off shoes on way in... I'd always do it in other people's houses out of respect/ politness and I'd make sure I didnt make host feel awkward about it but a few guests over xmas have made me feel really bad for asking!

I'm a no outdoor shoes in the house person for hygiene reasons. Whenever I've had muslim or japanese visitors they've always automatically took off their shoes in the hallway. We always offer guest slippers as well. Considering the hazards we have to navigate on our pavements (dog dirt, sputum, vomit, broken glass, trails of urine, rotten food etc, etc)on a daily basis the most unhygienic combination ever must be outdoor shoes on carpeted floors. And the british have the nerve to comment on the dirty habits of foreigners. The bloody nerve of it!!

I would most certainly not wear someone else's slippers-however cold my feet were-that is certainly unhygienic and gross!!

Probably the best bet is to get a supply of the sort of overshoes that you get at swimming pools-then everyone would be happy.

I may start removing shoes (at least for us) as dd2 is severely disabled and crawls around mostly. Don't like the idea of her crawling constantly in lead and DDT...

However, I used to live in a rural area where everyone automatically removed shoes at the doorway although I never did! Bizarre situation where I would be wearing shoes but guests wouldn't! I always complied at their houses, but found it all a bit precious....

i dont mean slippers in the conventional sense my suppy are quite like either flip flops type sandals or slipper socks the socks get put in the bag at the door when your shoes are put on and the sandals are sprayed with the same type of thing you get at a bowling alley

Interesting link FrannyandZooey.

Entertaining debate.

FWIW, as a guest in someone's house, I would happily follow their lead, and not feel put out if I was asked to take my shoes off. If they have small kids (of the crawling around variety) I would probably remove outside shoes as a matter of course.

I know quite a lot of people who don't wear shoes unless they have to-one man goes bare foot all weathers-just interested to know how you would deal with this as his feet have been in the same places as people's shoes?

I would suggest amputation but fear it might just be the champagne talking...

yeah, right, franny, I'm really going to listen to someone who thinks it's a blinding revelation that one can use an astonishing new concept called.... ... a doormat!

She seems to be chiefly concerned with lawn pesticides. I don't know if this is a US thing, but even when I had a lawn, I never used any pesticides on it, AFAIK...

yeah, right, franny, I'm really going to listen to someone who thinks it's a blinding revelation that one can use an astonishing new concept called.... ... a doormat!

She seems to be chiefly concerned with lawn pesticides. I don't know if this is a US thing, but even when I had a lawn, I never used any pesticides on it, AFAIK...

I think that anyone would take their shoes off if they had dog shit on them. I think I went all last year without treading in a single lot!
I think there is a big difference in what you have been doing. If I have been on a muddy walk I would automatically take them off at the door. If I have gone to dinner my shoes would have been carefully chosen to go with my outfit and would have gone from the house to the car to the house (pavement or drive all the way)and I wouldn't want to be at a dinner party in bare feet or slippers. If I go to someone's house for a book group meeting or similar I want to keep my shoes on.

When I have 10 women around for a meeting in my house (quite often)there is no room for 20 shoes in my hall and I trust them to wipe their feet! I get children to take them off at the door as I don't trust them to wipe their feet properly.
I have never had anyone tread dog shit in.
I wouldn't want to lick the bottom of anyone's feet either-the shoe might be preferable!

I work 6 days a week to have a home full stop so why shouldn't I have what I want? It's my money.

Asking people to take their shoes off doesn't equal no friends or guests as I hope they know me better than to think that is my whole personality.

"hermetically seal your house so no germ can ever invade and live inside just maintaining the perefect atmosphere forever without any outside intrusion." Yes because that's exaclty what I meant.

I was bought up to take my shoes off in other people's homes. Just good manners in my opinion especially if they have a nice carpet.

It's a class thing. Working class/lower middle classes take shoes off. The others don't because they're not hung up on 'house perfection' and/or have people to do it for them.

Thanks for the link FrannyandZooey.

Agree with Riven - it's not about being sterile, and I wouldn't ask people to take their shoes off in the cold kitchen etc, but if/when I have a crawling baby I will ask people not to wear their shoes in the living room. I clean the floor often enough as it is after DP's drink drips and crumbs, and even more often with a crawler, so why am I going to clean it after every visitor too? Just so they can keep their shoes on? And so the dirt they can't see on their shoes but will show up on the clothes of a crawler and shows up on the soles of my slippers now?

And when I eventually get my new carpet throuout upstairs there will definitely be no shoes upstairs.

I take my own shoes off at home because it's more comfortable and better for your feet. But I wouldn't dream of asking guests to. That's plain rude for all the reasons mentioned.

Are your visitors really so dirty that you have to hoover after they've been? Can't believe adults generate that much dirt. Seems like neuroticism to me.

I never wear my shoes in the house, like edam it is more comfortable not to, but I would feel very uncomfortable, not to mention neurotic, if I asked guests to remove their shoes.

I find this thread really wierd, I think every house I go to there is a pile of shoes by the doorway and everyone takes their shoes/wellies off before entering. I literally can't think of any of my friends houses where people don't take their shoes off when they go in. OK, it can be awkward when you're leaving a party and there are 40 pairs of pretty much identical boots by the front door, but other than that, what's the problem?