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

We take our shoes off when we come in to our house...but we live in the country wher out side can get really nasty...dirt and mud and lord knows what else is getting traked in. Most people that I know that live in the country do take off their shoes when they come in and even in their own homes. I think it just depends on where you live. If I lived in a neiborhood with concrete out side (our drive way is gravel) and hard wood floorsin side I would probably leave mine on...but since my neighbor has dogs that rome freely and my other neighbor has horses...I sure hope he takes his shoes off before coming in my house LOL!! I do how ever respect peoples homes and take into consideration if I need to take my shoes off before entering!

I never thought about this topic much b4 I had children and wanted to offer them a clean environment. Now, keep in mind, I don't protect my kids from dirt. We live in the country and you can't keep little boys out of the dirt. BUT, I did watch a program sometime ago about the dirt and germs you can bring into a home from the bottom of your shoes. This is in no way reflective of the cleanliness of the person, but it's just reality.

Like many others, I hate shoes period. I never ask a guest to take their shoes off, but it's nice when they do. Out of respect, I always offer to do so when I visit someone that is not a close friend or relative. I have a SIL that doesn't take her shoes off for anything. I usually don't take my shoes off at her home unless I'm staying for awhile....it's a comfort thing for me.

I say to each their own and show respect when visiting someone else's home. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.....so to speak.

I have a fairly new home with gorgeous beige carpeting. No One but no one comes into my home with their shoes on....even the plumber has little thingies he puts over his shoes. It is nothing but common courtesy and I was raised that way. Call me compulsive, but shoes are dirty....my carpet is not and I intend for it to remain so. I know people that have signs in their front windows asking for you to remove your shoes...kudos to them. I respect that entirely. Perhaps it depends on how compulsive you are about your carpeting and your home...I admit to being overly compulsive....Shoes Off or we visit in the garage and you probably won't come back

Dody

I'm another shoe hater. I wear Berks in the middle of winter! We do take our shoes off in our home because our carpet is so light. And other people's shoes by their door are indeed a good indication that mine should come off too. However...

What if people have some sort of foot fungus, or planters warts.. Ewww! Imagine your barefeet walking over that, or your kids playing on it! Again, Ewww! I know my family is clean so yeah, shoes off please! But anyone else can feel free to leave a bit of dirt rather than possibly leaving behind some nasty fungus for me to lay on later! Ewww!

im married to a turkish man and have lived in turkey where they all ways take there shoes off we live in england now and we have all ways taken our shoes off u dont know what yous treading on out side i think its a good thing and clean your carpets are cleaner longer VERY HYGENIC ps im english by the way

I typically always remove my shoes, since I hate wearing them. My son's the same way, neigher one of us typically keeps our shoes on for very long.

My in-laws think it's pretty funny.

humm..seems like I'm in the minority here....like many others we kick our shoes off when we get home, but we walk around in slippers because tile and wood floors can get a bit dusty. if some ones asks me to i'll take them off, but like p'nut said then maybe some one else with a fungus is walking around and im walking over it...ick! I have a foot thing, i hate feet, the smell of them, the look of them and the touch of them.....ew ew....my feet are nice enough but some other peoples feet scare me! Hubby's favorite way to annoy me is to stick his feet on me in bed at night...gerrrrrr......

I always have my shoes off in my own home. I will take my shoes off if I am comfortable and that would be at family and close friends houses. If somebody asked me to take my shoes off I would gladly do so and would not be offended but rather pleased, like I said, I hate wearing shoes. To me it has nothing to do with cleanliness but rather comfort.

I feel the same, lol warts and fungas and tinea, yucky. Not all over my floor thanks.

But I do admit, I removed all the carpet and replaced it with timber, and the only carpet is in the bedrooms and is very dark grey. So I dont worry about stains - our last carpet was a mushroom colour and by the time the boys were 4 and 6 it looked like wall to wall pizza.

Total commoner here - it would never occur to me to take off my shoes before entering someone's house unless they asked me to - in 45 years, I think I have been to MAYBE one or two homes where they didn't wear shoes indoors. I thought it was a very strange novelty - never asked why, just did it. But I thought it was weird.

I run around the house barefoot most of the time, but it's a comfort thing, not a cleanliness thing. Sad to say, the bottom of my shoes are probably cleaner than my floors... lol

As far as preserving carpet, I've been told to NEVER walk around barefoot on carpet if you want to preserve it, because the oils from your skin gets onto the carpet fibers and then attracts and holds dirt. So, if you really really want to protect your carpet, I guess the best thing would be to have outdoor shoes and indoor shoes.

...by the time the boys were 4 and 6 it looked like wall to wall pizza.

ROFL!! Nice mental picture. No wonder you have a thing about wearing shoes indoors. Who wants to walk on pizza? Well... there may be someone out there who would but that's for another thread intirely! *laughs*

The little slippers you pull on at the hospital for surgery would be a nice touch to have sitting at the door. Gosh, I wish when I left I had gotten a bunch of them....but then maybe that would be considered stealing. I would have gladly bought some. Like I said, my plumber even wears those little pull on paper slips. Oh well, entertaining in the garage may not be so bad. I never, ever wear shoes if I can help it and then only birks that can easily be slipped off. Well, now with my knee I can't stand any shoes...even the birks. Actually, to be honest I can't even stand me lately...my knee hurts so bad I'm being spiteful without really meaning to be. The pain is excruciating and it takes very little I find to anger me...for that I apologize.

I wish the medical issues were behind me....I truly do. Now I have a conflict with being put on Plavix and any surgeries....I have to be on it for 6 weeks after the carotid artery surgery, and Lord only knows if I have to have the knee done next. An MRI is scheduled for this week......God is sticking it to me, and I know he has his reasons, but my plate is overflowing.

Dody

In my home we leave shoes on most of the time. I do change into slippers when I get home. I have some great animal print fluffy slippers that just SCREAM my name.

The only time I'm really aware of removing my shoes is when I go to sangha. It's just out of respect.

I have three small children and when I bought my home it had wall to wall carpet. At five months prego I tiled my whole house except them bedrooms. I did this so I would not have to worry about people and their dirty shoes. (my children included) I have a 13x20 rug in my den that I shampoo monthly but, it is a perfect color for hiding dirt.. lol I love my tile, its so easy to clean, just swiffer it... So to answer the ? if I am asked to remove my shoes I will, but I never ask anyone to remove theirs in my home.

Jmoe

Aww, hang in there Dody. *hugs* I can't imagine what you're going through but I'm sure that God's not punishing you.

Marianne, what's sangha? Oh wait.. I'll google it!

*hugs Dody again*