Do you take off your shoes?

argon · May 29, 2006

I'm wondering... if you're going to someone's house, when you walk in the door, is the first thing you do is take off your shoes? Do you take off your shoes in your own home? Does it depend on if you know the person, like it's a friend or family or not?

(this probably seems pretty stupid, but for the longest time, when I was younger, I always noticed on TV how people never took off their shoes, and thought it was an 'American thing" LOL ... Then when I finally knew someone who was American, I asked him, and he said NO WAY would he take off his shoes in someone's house that he didn't know. I just thought that was bizarre, and have always wondered if it's a common thing)

Anyways, now that I have access to all you wonderful people, I have a good way to find out this thing that has bothered me forEVER!

Thanks,

Mandi

Barb · May 29, 2006

It is not customary here to take off your shoes when you walk in the door. Guests generally leave their shoes on, whether or not you know the person.

dawg · May 29, 2006

My attitude is - people walk on my carpet in their crap covered shoes, they can go ahead and run the vacuum on the way out.

I tend to always take my shoes off, unless I know the carpet inside is dirtier than the dirt outside

I find though that attitudes change with the reason for the visit. I find business individuals wouldn't take their shoes off at gunpoint, but people who visit socially usually do.

It's also not unusual to ask the host if footwear should be removed

Jachut · May 29, 2006

No, I dont take off my shoes and its a really big peeve of mine when I'm expected to do it in somebody else's home. I'm not some filthy thing that has to be decontaminated when I walk through their door.

I hate it, I think its really rude. I can understand people taking off their shoes in their own home to keep their floors in good condition, but you take visitors warts and all - what's more precious, their visitors or their carpet?

Eliza goes to family daycare, ie not a centre, she's looked after in someone's home and her carer Maxine asks that you take your shoes off at the front door (the entire house is tiled anyway, no carpet). It drives me freaking nuts, since i have to stand outside in the rain or whatever and get my blasted shoes back on after I've dropped her off. Usually I have on something like birkenstocks or boots or backless shoes but if I've got my runners on its a pain in the bottom.

It doesnt work here anyway, since the kids come in the front door, kick off their shoes and run out the backdoor in their socks - tracking dirt all over when they come back in anyway. I solved the problem by ditching the carpet, we only have carpet in our bedrooms now. I hate carpet anyway.

As to taking off my shoes at the door if I hadnt been asked to, no I wouldnt do that. Probably because I dont do it at home, but I notice lots and lots of people (kids friends parents etc) do it when they come to collect their kids or whatever from here.

dawg · May 29, 2006

what's more precious, their visitors or their carpet?

Duh - the carpet!

Besides, I didn't ask em to come over - Get off my land!!

Bah! humbug. etc.

Road Queen · May 29, 2006

Sorry if I gross anyone out - but I want my shoes on at home. I am living in Africa - I don't know what is going to come across the floor that I want to kill quickly. Right now, its the season for the 2-3 inch long flying grasshoppers....I know the natives eat them but I don't. I want my shoe on my foot to kill them ASAP.

Oh, how my priorities have changed. Celeste

K@t · May 29, 2006

In Portugal, very few people have carpet, we have tile and wood floors with rugs in various places, so its not common for people to ask you to take your shoes off here, however in the states....we never took our shoes off any way, even when my mom got new carpet in her house. After all, thats what carpet is there for, to walk on. And I only did it in some one else's house if I was asked too. (and even then I thought that was kinda snobby and posh to take your shoes off) However my husband and I have this reoccurring battle over the rugs in our house, I walk all over them with shoes slippers, it doesn't matter, but he thinks we shouldn't walk on them at all, or if we do only walk with socks on. Bah to it all I say, I bought them to put on the floor, and you walk on the floor, ya might as well use them :biggrin1:

Woodys · May 29, 2006

You don't know what the heck is on the bottom of your shoes when you enter someone's home. To me it is a sign of respect.........besides, I hate shoes, what better reason do you need to be out of them for a while and be comfortable for a few minutes.

NJChick · May 29, 2006

Sorry if I gross anyone out - but I want my shoes on at home. I am living in Africa - I don't know what is going to come across the floor that I want to kill quickly. Right now, its the season for the 2-3 inch long flying grasshoppers....I know the natives eat them but I don't. I want my shoe on my foot to kill them ASAP.
Oh, how my priorities have changed. Celeste

Thanks for that visual Celeste, bad enuf I have bug nightmares LOL...... EWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOLOL

Are you moving back to the US anytime soon?

NJChick · May 29, 2006

Duh - the carpet!
Besides, I didn't ask em to come over - Get off my land!!

Bah! humbug. etc.

ROFLMFAO @ Dawg ..... my neighbors take their shoes off when they come in my house (I don't ask them to) but they never ask me to take my shoes off in their home....to each his own.

MarianneTN · May 29, 2006

Jack you just made me howl with laughter this early Sunday morning. What a picture I painted in my mind! :pound:

Woodys · May 29, 2006

Hahahahahaha............that was so damn funny Jack..........Thanks! Of course, there are always exceptions to every rule!

Carol

HunnyBun · May 29, 2006

I think we use shoes to protect our feet from the harsh surface and dirt outside. The floor in my house is washed by hand every 2-3 days, and if people wore shoes in here it would happen daily. In my home, I walk around barefoot all the time and would hate to walk all over crumbs of dog poop or worse.

I never ask my guests to take off their shoes but usually they do it anyway.

At my last house I had this gorgeous carpet in the front room that was brand new when I moved in. The cable installer guy came in with his work shoes on and pretty much ruined the carpet. He had something on his shoes, maybe mud from the alley. I was so upset.

I think shoes should always be removed when entering someones home. Unless ofcourse they are needed for a medical reason or something.

A friend of mine allows people to keep their shoes on if she hasn't washed the floors because her dog makes a mess and she doesnt want people to get their feet dirty. When that happens, I keep my shoes on, but when I have to go into her bathroom, I leave them outside of the bathroom door so I don't get her bath rugs dirty.

Just respect IMO.

FunnyDuddies · May 29, 2006

i grew up in japan, so it is second nature for me to take my shoes off. and i don't expect people to take their shoes off in my house, but we do. and when people see that our shoes are by the door then they usually follow suit, without asking them to.

leatha_g · May 29, 2006

I take my shoes off in my own home, out of comfort. I hate shoes. I'm also smart enough to kick them off before going in if I know I'm going to trample something in - as I would at anyone elses home. But, I don't think I've ever been asked (or expected) to undress when going into someone else's home, especially someone I don't know well. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but it would be considered rude to expect or demand that where I live, I think. Or, perhaps I'm such a commoner that I don't know how the other half lives?? lol