Do you take off your shoes?

[Lucy 0]

We have stone floors and I am recovering from 2 ankle surgeries, so I never go barefoot. At my home I wear crocs (god knows I wouldn't be caught dead in those ugly things in public) but I would never ask someone to remove their shoes at the door.

I loathe removing my shoes at someone's house. Even if I am wearing socks, I think it's rude to ask people to take off their shoes. If you really want to keep your floors pristine, then cover them in plastic and don't invite people over. Besides the fact that carpet, no matter how few shoes have tread on it, is always filthy. How many other organisms and diseases are in that absorbant sponge on the floor? I don't want my feet touching that.

I especially love dog owners who require guests to remove their shoes. Right, like I want to put my bare feet on something that your dog ran around and sat on after playing outside in the same place where he relieves himself.

In the states, it's not usually an issue -- I only know one person who asks people to remove their shoes. When I'm in a foreign country, I'm usually a little more considerate. But I'll Purell my feet when I'm back in the car

[enterprise01 0]

As an American, I find this to be such an odd question. Floors are meant to be walked on by people wearing shoes. I don't want people taking off their shoes in my house unless they are good friends who came over to lounge on the couch and watch a movie with me. If a workman came to my house and had dirty shoes, I'd ask him to wipe his shoes on the doormat before coming in. God only knows how stinky his feet may be, so I certainly don't want him taking his shoes off! There's a funny episode of Sex and the City when Carrie was asked to take her shoes before coming into a friend's house. The friend wanted to keep the house free of allergens and pollutants because of her overly protected children, so she made everyone leave their shoes in the hallway. Of course, Carrie was wearing outrageously expensive Manolo Blahnik shoes (like $500 or something) and they were stolen. There's a lesson for you.

And, yes, like others have stated, I would be insulted if someone asked me to take off my shoes before coming into their home. I'm not dirty and I know how to use a doormat.

[Lucy 0]

Of course, Carrie was wearing outrageously expensive Manolo Blahnik shoes (like $500 or something) and they were stolen. There's a lesson for you.

Huh? Not sure I follow...

[argon 3]

Apparently if you take your shoes off in anothers home, you're just asking for them to be stolen.

As a Canadian, I find the fact that so many people think taking your shoes off when going to someone elses home is ODD. I can't even comprehend the thought of someone walking into my apartment, shoes on, and coming and sitting down with me on the couch to talk. I don't tell, OR ask ANYone to do so... it's an understood courtesy here.

Glad to see this thread being revisited.

[enterprise01 0]

Huh? Not sure I follow...

Don't leave expensive things unattended in someone else's home (or in a public place).

[enterprise01 0]

Another issue with people taking their shoes off is disease. What if they have athlete's foot or plantars warts and are walking barefooted on your floors? My doctor suspects that I got a plantars wart from having to walk barefoot through a security checkpoint at the airport since that is the only time I've ever been barefoot outside of my own home in the past 10 years.

[Lucy 0]

Don't leave expensive things unattended in someone else's home (or in a public place).

Conversely, don't make your guests remove their footwear.

[Lucy 0]

My doctor suspects that I got a plantars wart from having to walk barefoot through a security checkpoint at the airport since that is the only time I've ever been barefoot outside of my own home in the past 10 years.

This is a lot different from removing your shoes at someone's home, but I'm actually really glad someone brought this up. I hate removing my shoes at the airport. I never protest because I don't want to be carted off by security, but it completely disgusts me to walk through security barefoot where who knows what has gone through there. At the very least, they should supply booties to people.

(I did ask once to go through without removing my shoes and they took almost an hour to do a full body search, test my shoes for explosive matter, and dig through my suitcase)

[green 6]

Apparently if you take your shoes off in anothers home, you're just asking for them to be stolen.

As a Canadian, I find the fact that so many people think taking your shoes off when going to someone elses home is ODD. I can't even comprehend the thought of someone walking into my apartment, shoes on, and coming and sitting down with me on the couch to talk. I don't tell, OR ask ANYone to do so... it's an understood courtesy here.

Glad to see this thread being revisited.

I am another Canuck and up here removing your shoes upon entering a private residence is generally considered to be the norm and, well, correct. A few years ago I was reading the blog of an American who had chosen to immigrate to Canada and one of the things that sent her into culture shock was our practice of shedding our shoes upon arrival at someone's house or apartment. This was the first time that I realised that there was a difference on this issue. I imagine that Canucks drop shoes because our weather is often lousy. As for me, I hate wearing footwear! I don't even like wearing socks!

Mind you, a Canadian foyer can look pretty messy during a winter party what with all those boots, etc. And it is fun watching drunken Canadians trying to stagger back into their footwear when they are leaving. Haha.

For formal parties Canadians will bring footwear to wear indoors and the elegant ones carry their Manolo Blahnicks in velvet bags.

[argon 3]

This was the first time that I realised that there was a difference on this issue.

I have thought about this for a loooong time, and now the internet has given me the opportunity to ask more than just the odd American I meet now and then, about it. When I was young, young, I noticed that on the TV shows I watched (and 99% of the sitcoms were from the US) , people were walking in and around homes and not removing shoes... kids and adults, and I was baffled and thought it was just 'an American thing' (but always wanted to find out)

They also never used the washroom... I've since discovered Americans, like Canadians, do have bowels and urinary systems. hehe

[green 6]

Yep, that lack of toilet activity thing always baffled me, too. I was very, very envious.

[Lucy 0]

I have thought about this for a loooong time, and now the internet has given me the opportunity to ask more than just the odd American I meet now and then, about it. When I was young, young, I noticed that on the TV shows I watched (and 99% of the sitcoms were from the US) , people were walking in and around homes and not removing shoes... kids and adults, and I was baffled and thought it was just 'an American thing' (but always wanted to find out)

They also never used the washroom... I've since discovered Americans, like Canadians, do have bowels and urinary systems. hehe

Yep. Most of us keep our shoes on. There are a few exceptions, but the only people I know in the States who remove their shoes at the door are Brazilian, so that doesn't really count. When I was a little kid we used to vacation in Canada and I always thought the shoe thing was odd. But not as odd as the milk in plastic bags and the ketchup or pickle flavored potato chips.

Toronto is one of my favorite cities in the world. If I could stand the cold, I would move there in a heartbeat (and I might even get used to removing my shoes in the doorway).

[Devana 0]

Yep. Most of us keep our shoes on. There are a few exceptions, but the only people I know in the States who remove their shoes at the door are Brazilian, so that doesn't really count. When I was a little kid we used to vacation in Canada and I always thought the shoe thing was odd. But not as odd as the milk in plastic bags and the ketchup or pickle flavored potato chips.

I've just seen some ads up here for curry flavour chips. Haven't tried them yet.

Green, like you, I'm not fond of footwear. I usually wear sandals year round until the snow gets above the cork line. Our foyer is a mess year round. Any shoe organization I try just gets ignored by everyone.

[green 6]

Yep. Most of us keep our shoes on. There are a few exceptions, but the only people I know in the States who remove their shoes at the door are Brazilian, so that doesn't really count. When I was a little kid we used to vacation in Canada and I always thought the shoe thing was odd. But not as odd as the milk in plastic bags and the ketchup or pickle flavored potato chips.

Toronto is one of my favorite cities in the world. If I could stand the cold, I would move there in a heartbeat (and I might even get used to removing my shoes in the doorway).

Wha...??? Don't you have milk in plastic bags down there? :faint: Do you have sour cream and chive flavoured potato chips? Salt and vinegar?

By the way, on her blog :ranger: the American woman who moved to Canada mentioned that she found that Canadians tend to be cheap compared to Americans. She says that while Americans will simply pay for an item that they want Canadians tend to shop around and then yap to each other about the various prices they have paid for the item.

I am very pleased that you appreciate Toronto, Lucy. It's my home town.

[enterprise01 0]

Wha...??? Don't you have milk in plastic bags down there? :faint: Do you have sour cream and chive flavoured potato chips? Salt and vinegar? ....

Never heard of milk in plastic bags. In the US, it's in cartons, plastic jugs, or glass bottles. Yes, we have potato chips in lots of flavors, including sour cream & chive and salt & vinegar, but I haven't seen any curry flavored ones yet.

I've only been to Canada once. That was a trip to Thunder Bay a couple of years ago. Absolutely loved it there. I went in May and it was about 50 degrees which was a welcome change from the 90 degrees in Houston. The people were very nice, but they looked pale and sickly compared to Texans. There also was a noticeable lack of wealth in that town. Maybe one of these days I'll make it to Toronto or Montreal.

Back to the issue of shoes, although we gets lots of rain in Houston, my shoes only get wet, not muddy. It's a very urban environment, so I'm always walking on concrete. In fact, due to the heat, I'm rarely outside at all. I go from my attached garage at home to a covered garage at work and then I walk through tunnels to get to my office or to some place for lunch. I can't even remember the last time my shoes were wet or dirty. And certainly they are never muddy. I might feel different about the shoe issue if I were dealing with mud and snow all the time.