Just move to Canada- we all take our shoes off here ;)

I'm gonna use your sign idea for my Motorhome.

Guest bring in sand, gravel, stickers and doggy do. If it was there Motorhome, I'm sure they would take off their shoes.

Canada is a huge country; we do not ALL take off our shoes . Certainly not in the summer when everything is dry. Same as americans, some canadians won't allow shoes in their home and use that cute little sign to advise their guests; other canadians don't care and won't remove their shoes unless it's rainy or slushy outside.

My feet are ugly and my lower back hurts if I walk barefooted for too long . Winter is easy, we wear boots outside and change to shoes upon entering a home.

If I see that sign on your door, I will be turning around and leaving. If my shoes are dirty I am smart enough to remove them or clean them if they aren't dirty I won't be taking them off in your house.
Linda C

I take my shoes off at most homes, not sure why but I tend to. There are some friends who have baskets near door, so I follow suit if I see that they do this with their family. I never did this growing up. We always had our shoes on unless we were sleeping.

I have never asked anyone to remove their shoes but wish I hd the nerve. I have near white carpet and I wish I had nerve to ask guests. But like one posted, some have bad feet or such.

I do have laminate floors that I would hate to get scuffed up because of a lady with heels that are worn down. My sis tends to have worn heels and I can hear that metal post tapping on my floors. My dog and kids are more gentle than she is. I will say that when I get my new floors in I will begin to ask those in heels to remove them. Luckily this would only pertain to my sis and I offend her all of the time-lol!

I have had many workers this past year ask if they should remove their boots, very considerate to me. Of course I say no and direct them off the white carpet and tell them that the other floors are being re-done so it is ok.

I did have a fireplace install team try to charge me $200 to put cardboard down so they would not harm floors. I refused to pay and put my own cardboard down and promised not to sue if they marred the floor. Fireplace installed just fine.

I guess the shoe removal thing is fairly new in America. Isn't it a custom in a lot of countries??

Oh...this is good! The last time this subject came up the thread went to over 100 postings and it was great fun!

Let's have more!

I usually take my shoes off too, especially when in a prospective customer's home measuring for new floors. Guess it is an occupational thing. I also notice what flooring is installed in almost every place I visit...supermarkets, churches, airports, the planes themselves, government buildings, subway stations, the subway trains themselves, the ferry...almost everywhere I go I take notice of what I'm walking on...I guess you'd call that an occupational obsession.

I go barefoot everywhere.

So do I have to put shoes ON to come in?

I am one of those who do not take my shoes off. I have plantar facitis, and have gone thru extensive PT to try to help them, but nothing has worked. I sure miss the days of walking barefoot, or even being able to wear slippers around the house. Oh, what about all the cute shoes that I have missed wearing!
Besides that, I don't make anyone take off their shoes unless they want to. Yes the carpets get a little dirtier, but I can clean them! I have a dog(Golden) who does not take her paws off! I think that I have more of a problem with shedding than with dirt from shoes. I guess that I like to live in my house, and make people feel at home comfortable doing what ever makes them comfortable!
Mary

Same here. As a courtesy, I do remove my shoes at other people's homes. I find that most people do the same. I don't insist that anyone but my children remove their shoes in my home (the sand and mud they manage to find). Since my guests are not my children, I would never dream of asking them to remove their shoes to enter my home. First, I wouldn't want to embarrass a guest in my home, and second they may have a foot condition I am unaware of that precludes them from going without shoes. I figure if I can't handle a little clean-up, I shouldn't invite guests. Although I'm not offended when I see signs requesting shoe removal, I do feel a little less welcome.

I generally keep my shoes right near the main door, I go barefoot in the house, and guests typically notice that or my own lack of footwear and ask my preference. Or they already know. Or they don't and I don't bother about it. So far it has worked well.

It is actually better to walk on carpet with shoes on...the oils from your feet even with socks on do much more damage to your carpet than soil from shoes...going barefoot is actually the worse thing you can do for your carpets.

Tara

Cute sign. My problem is not with guests. And all the service techs who come to the house now put on those disposable shoe covers over their shoes before they come in--as sanitary as an operating room.

However, my bigger problem lives here. Twenty years into the marriage and six decades into his life, he is too far gone to change. Last night I acted puzzled at what was on the blanket I keep on his couch. He came over and looked, said "It's okay, it's only grass clippings." I balled up the blanket, handed it to him and supervised him on the patio while he shook the grass off that blanket. He did drag it on the patio and pick up debris from the concrete, so I helped him shake that off too.

Do I have ANY illusion that involving him in cleaning up his mess will encourage him to remove the shoes he wears while cutting grass? Uh, NO. As they say, after age 50 the only thing you have a hope of changing in a man is his diapers.

I could post signs till the cows come home and DH would probably just bring the whole freakin' herd of cows in with him. Cause they're so cute. This is one reason we have and always will have: ceramic tile floors throughout the house; sheets/blankets covering all surfaces of all furniture; good laundry equipment; in the new house, a Family Room with doors that close and containing all DHs toys; in the new house, a small Living Room for visiting with guests, arranged so that DH will have little reason to enter it.

Not to be nitpicky (ok, I am being nitpicky) but the soles of the feet do not have oil glands. They DO have sweat glands, though. And salty sweat is probably not good for carpet if there gets to be enough of it.

We lived in Denmark for awhile and everyone takes their shoes off inside houses there. Yes, everyone! We had roofers come to our house there to do an estimate and they all took off their clogs at the front door and went up to the attic in their sock feet, even after I told them it wasn't necessary!

My teen son has had friends over who take their shoes off at the front door. I think it was triggered by a pair of shoes that happened to be laying there. Maybe not.

To me it's not a big deal, off or on, I am there for more important things like hanging out and having a good time. Sometimes my feet get cold in the winter if I don't have my shoes on indoors but that's a minor discomfort.

My sisters husband.... I guaranty, if you asked him to remove his shows, you would gag and tell him he could put them back on. The stinch!!! It could gag a maggot.

They make house shoes for a reason, and I agree, feet do secreet oils, when you sweat. It will make your carpet get dirty and wood floors get smudged.

I'm from Canada too, and I do think it IS the usual custom here for people to take off their shoes when entering a home, particularly when a guest at someone else's home and before you 'know their rules'. I always find it strange when I watch an American TV show or movie and see them lay on their couches or beds with shoes on!!!

So, for those who know, what is the best way to protect nice floors, whether carpet or hardwood (Laminate is pretty bullet proof isn't it?).

I grew up in Canada, and we always took off our shoes in the house. My 16 year old son recently went to a friend's house to work on a school project, and very much impressed his friend's mom when he automatically removed his shoes upon entering the house. She said he was the only white person she ever had in her home who removed his shoes! (She is Filipino).

We live in Las Vegas, and though we rarely have mud in the desert, the dust is rampant. It just makes sense to avoid tracking it into the house.

I always remove my shoes when entering someone's house. I was raised that way, and do not even think about it. It just happens. I wear slippers in my own home, and often take them with me when I am going visiting. Most of my family takes their shoes off too. I do not request anyone else do it, but do have slippers at my fornt door for those who do. We live in the boonies, so there is always grass, dirt or mud around, and I do appreciate it if someone offers to remove shoes. If you are insulted by the request do do so, I think the person you went to visit would be glad you turned around and left.
G

I thought that's what doormats were for - so people could wipe their shoes off before entering the house?

Always such an emotional thread...I don't remove my shoes, despite having thousands of dollars' worth of handmade rugs. They're there to be walked on, and just about everything comes off wool with no problem. I don't want to see people's toes or bare feet in my house. Like some other folks, I have serious back and foot problems. About 10 min is my max for not wearing footwear before I start to seriously hurt. I had to give up pretty shoes many decades ago.

The last time my MIL came with us to a party in my nephew's house, she removed her shoes politely - and promptly slipped a few minutes later on their saltillo tile flooring. Since she is 79, has osteoporosis, and just recovered from fracturing her elbow in a fall, we were, to put it mildly, rather concerned. I told from now on, she leaves her shoes ON inside their house.

We don't eat off of the ground, now do we? Have we taken a good look at what we're walking on these days? If you woudldn't lay on the ground w/o a blanket or drop your donut on the ground and eat it because you're grossed out, then why would you track that stuff into my home?????

I don't wear shoes in my house and I ask folks to do the same. The best plumber I've ever used requires his workers to wear those little disposable booties over work shoes.

Okay, so if you're going to request that people not wear shoes in your house, there should be some support on your side for those who have foot problems, etc. Here's my suggestion:

For invited guests, don't surprise them at the door. When you invite them, tell them of your no-shoes requirement, so they can bring their own "clean" shoes. If you have requirements for the indoor shoes, you must tell them what they are. (Ex: Indoor shoes must be shoes you have never worn outdoors. Or may be shoes that have been worn outdoors, but soles have subsequently been cleaned with soap and water. Whatever.)

For uninvited guests: Point out the sign and then offer them these alternatives, of your choosing:

1) disposable shoe covers
2) As the Japanese do, you supply a variety of differently sized indoor slippers. They must be compatible with a variety of hosiery. And for those who wear their own shoes/sandals without hosiery, but prefer not to wear strangers' shoes without hosiery, then you should provide a variety of differently sized and gendered hosiery that is compatible with your slippers.
3) Oh, and provide an indoor place with seating in which they may change shoes and store their own.

All of these obligations on you are part of just being a polite host.

I have relatives in Calgary, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. I've also visited the homes of friends in Montreal and Quebec City. No one ever took off their shoes in ANY of their homes.

Ditto, here at home in New Jersey.

When I lived in California and Florida and Arizona, we NEVER took our shoes off. Now that I live in Ontario, Canada, everyone takes their shoes off, mostly in the winter though. My dermatologists office even has a sign when you walk in. I think its mostly a summer/winter thing here. Although, we were just visiting some friends in Cali and my spouse took off her shoes. I said " we're in cali, you dont have to remove your shoes". It was weird for her to see my friend and her husband and kids wear their shoes in the house.

I have hardwood floors. I didn't want to be neurotic about "take your shoes off" rules, so I've allowed people to wear their shoes in my house. Now, only 2 months after having new floors installed, I have 2 significant gouges and hundreds of tiny "pock" marks caused by rocks in people's shoes. I spent almost $12,000 on flooring and now it looks beat up. I should have said NO SHOES from the beginning.

I dont mind either way. I came across this looking for a sign that says no shoes. It is interesting to read everyones perspective. I am going to get the sign and have unused slippers at the door

I grew up not wearing shoes in the house. My husband did not. But as for my household, we take out shoes off. I think that its gross to wear them inside. I mean think about it, you walk through the parking lot and you step in oil or someone's spit or gum, what happens if your outside and you step in dog crap? There are endless possibilities of what you bring in with your shoes. I have a children and they play on the floor and I don't want them playing in that gunk. I think its rude and disrespectful to go to someone's house and refuse to take your shoes off. And I hate hate hate it when people have the feet on their bed or couch with shoes on. YUCK.