How do you start a no shoes policy?

[helsi]

We are just about to start renovating our house to how we want it. This means that I am getting brand new flooring and carpets throughout and due to the colour scheme I have decided to operate a no shoes policy once it is all done.
How do I start a new shoes policy with adult visitors e.g family and friends who come round? I don't want them to think I am pretentious and I feel a bit nervous about saying to them "will you take your shoes off please".

notice on the door , explain in advance of visit
we'll have to face this soon to so I watch wwith interest

there was a big thread about this a while ago

I'd love to be able to do this....(I do make dp leave his 'dog walking shoes' at the front door)...but its where do they all go?

helsi don't be nervous - its your house and if they've anything about them they won't mind you saying 'do you mind if I ask you take your shoes off? - we've got new carpets - we promise to let you have them back later! Just hope no-ones got smelly feet or holes in their socks

If you can get to a Chinatown or even just a very cheap shop with those fabric slippers, you can have a selection for guests to put on instead of their shoes. (They're only about £2 each, and have large medium and small, not exact sizes.) I had a Japanese neighbour who had a whole bunch of them in her house and people were quite pleased to be able to rest their feet.

if your nippers are rugrat age, you can always say it's for hygiene purposes?
anything higher than the ground floor is supposedly no-shoes in our gaff because of daffy carpet colour choice (thanks, DH -- i'd definitely advocate mid-brown instead of pale), but in laws and my dad simply can't stick to it.
i suspect they find it a real fag to bend down and in any case think it's culturally bizarre. i've sort of given up on it, TBH.
however the idea of slip-over japanese style things is genius, if you're totally committed (i don't think i was)

you'll need a big rug by the door on which to leave shoes .. and just ask politely like everyone says

I don't have a no shoes policy, but because DS and I always take our shoes off before we go in the lounge so do all visitors even when I tell them it doesn't matter

you may find it easier than you think at first

oooh yeah smelly feet pwarrghhh!!!

helsi -- lol re whiffy feet but i actually meant you could use the excuse that you didn't want nippers crawling around in 'street scrapings' carried in on shoes...

at some nurseries apparently everyone takes off shoes when entering baby rooms?

one of those shoe racks by the door, our nursery has one outside the babyroom and everyone has to take off their shoes, even the other kids in the nursery

I was thining about the big rug AND the rack - enough hints do you think without me having to say anything? I suppose I will have to say something if they don't take the hint.

Maybe a big neon lit up sign like those telling you to slow down on the roads would be acceptable? or an automatic voice activated thing saying "shoes off shoes off..." as they cross the threshold

We don't have a no shoes policy at home as we've wooden floor but I do take my shoes off whenever I go to anyones house and I make the kids take theirs off as well. I know alot of people do have a no shoes policy now.

You have to take shoes off in DS's room (baby) at nursery. I always presume it's to stop us treading on babies. It's more of a hassle putting shoes back on when I've picked him up - he crawls off while I'm zipping up my boots .

Slightly off the topic I suppose...

And there is a sign there too.

We don't have our own shoes off policy at home - not sure where everyone would put their shoes in our house

We take our shoes off and leave them scattered across the hallway (must get a rack!). We do this because its comfortable and thats where the shoes live (then you can find them when you go out!). But I find that guests look at the jumble of shoes in the hallway and promptly offer to take their shoes off.

when we got the ew caerpets / flooring we asked people to take there shoes - just expalined we'd spent a fortune on flooring and wanted to look after it.

Once we told people we never had to mention it again

we've just done this for the same reason as you and it wasn't a problem at all. Everyone understood and was fine about it. Just make lots of references to you new carpet to everyone - they'll soon get the message.

Although we havent actually asked any one to remove their shoes, most people do prior to comming in. Those who dont, and drag in crap from the street, i make a bit of a fuss with the vanish so the next time they come they remove thier shoes. No one has said any thing about it to us directly but they all mutter to each other about the state the carpets will be in by the time DS is 10.
My choice of carpet was because its a bit kinder for DS as he learns to walk and get around. Granted the carpets are cream,have been down for about 18 months now and with care still look ok. Ive cleaned them once.
People saw how hard we worked to renovate the house over a 4 year period so have some respect for our efforts and expenses.
We also find that without shoes people tend to make themselves more comfortable, you know curl up on the settee with a brew and their feet up which i love.
I cant tell you how much it PISSESS me off though when some one comes in with crap all over their shoes and trail it all over the place! HO HUM.

why do people get light-coloured carpets if they're so worried about dirt?

Because they don't get dirt on them if no-one uses shoes inside the house, and they look nice.

but even with no shoes dirt/drinks/stuff happens. why light?

I guess people like the way it looks.

I don't have cream carpets myself, they're a mid green colour, but I would never have dark coloured carpets.

Plus, you can get them steam cleaned.

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