My two daughters (currently living at home) both wear spiked high heeled shoes. I don't. My floors have not been damaged by their heals. The red oak floors is very hard. Several years ago, we had heart pine floors and had a babysitter come in with high heels (go figure!) and she left a trail of little pock marks all over the house. I just chucked it up to character and let it go. It was nothing worse than what the cats did to the dining room table, or the dogs nails did to the floors, not to mention what the children have done to our houses over the years. :)

I can't believe how BIG of an issue this is. What a joke. If someone has a sign requesting no shoes in the house, I don't even think twice about it. We are remodeling a home now that will soon be up for sale and there is NO WAY I won't have a sign. People are not very considerate and will wear high heels on brand new refinished hardwood floors and/or track mud on the new carpet and not even think twice. We are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars fixing this house up and if someone has a problem with taking their shoes off (or wearing booties) so be it. This is a sellers market and I'm not worried about it. If someone doesn't want to see a house because they have to take their shoes off....they don't really want to see the house. Move along. Keeping a remodeled home in as pristine condition as possible until it's in contract and closes is paramount.

Chrissy, I understand that people want to protect their floors and carpets - all of that - but I think we should be more concerned about *people* than about our floors...I had a friend who had to wear special inserts in her shoes to keep her knees from dislocating. When she was in a shoes off home, she had to walk on the sides of her feet to keep her knees in place. It looked *awfully* uncomfortable...I guess I don't see how people can do that - insist that shoes come off, even if it makes their guests uncomfortable...yes, I could take "indoor only" shoes when I go places, but I don't have a huge shoe wardrobe - to have indoor shoes only. My goodness. And since they are tie shoes (not slip on), they're a pain to switch.... Sorry. Perhaps this is a bit off topic, but it does relate to cleaning floors - doesn't it? :-P

Thank you so much for your kind response. I am glad you are a snob. I love it as it can only help me to understand what to look for. I have never had engineered and just accepting that I have to choose them has been a tough pill to swallow. Our new place is down south and is on a slab which means if we go with solid wood it is going to have issues long term in this humid wet area of the country. It has been advised by many floor people to go with an engineered hardwood. Real wood is out of my budget. I only have $30grand set aside for floors. In fact one guy suggested we do a floating floor over the ugly saltillo tile we currently have. I refuse to do that. So I am stuck. I have to choose engineered hardwoods and I am lost as to the direction of surface. I don't love hand scraped just thought it might look more natural. Ha Ha I am wrong. And Beveled edges? I never even thought about it until you mentioned it. Now I am going to notice every floor I see. And I will probably wind up with the exact beveled edge you detest. Being a novice I have no idea which looks the most real so have to just dive in and chose something as a backdrop for the space. The Vorges looks the most real. The wood on top of the engineered is 1/2 inch thick and has the texture of oak. It can be sanded and stained comes in wide plank and various sizes. Not sure if that matters? But maybe that would be the one to go with. I had dark white oak (solid wood not this engineered stuff) in my last house. I loved my floors, I guess I must be a slave to a diva as I did not mind having to dust them every other day. Was I a slave to my floors? Yes, i guess when you love the look of something it is easy to accept the labor. However this time around I like your idea of going a shade or two lighter. Medium non orange or red toned flat matte soft brown floors is what I am going to search and hopefully find. Thank you again., If you can recommend an engineered hardwood floor that you believe to be one of the prettier ones of all the uglys, share it. As I trust your snobbery and appreciate it. Your knowledge is exactly what I was searching for. Regards, boxerpal