What if your pants are just the right length to be worn with your highest heels, and you'll be walking on or tripping over them if you remove your shoes? Do you roll up the hems and look like Goober Pyle for the evening?

For those who say it's not a big deal, you're right. It isn't. For you.

I don't take my shoes off because of germs, and if you ever visited my house, that would be obvious, haha, we are neither germaphobes nor obsessed with keeping our floors pristine. For us it's a matter of practicality, we live in the snow belt, down a mile long dirt road, then a 500' dirt driveway, we have dogs, we heat with wood, we live on a lake, we have a garden, we are outside a lot and for many months of the year, the foot coverings that are practical or comfortable outside the house aren't practical or comfortable inside the house, which is why so many of us in this thread, and in our area, have "houseshoes" (read: supportive slippers with good tread, like the hot pink Uggs posted upthread). No one is required to remove their shoes at my house, but most do, especially in the colder months, it's just our way in the northern areas.

Do you roll up the hems and look like Goober Pyle for the evening?

Ida, you just made me laugh out loud.

Somewhat related, I remember visiting a friend in high school and being shocked that they had plastic runners going all over the house. I was instructed to only walk on the plastic. They had nice cream coloured carpeting and nice cream coloured furniture (also covered in plastic). This was farm country and the family had 3 boys who worked on the farm. I wonder if they'd just made a decorating error and regretted it later, or if this seemed logical to them.

As a child growing up on a farm in central Texas, I did have outdoor shoes and indoor shoes, and I changed shoes on the porch. The barnyard was very smelly, and I did not want to get that smell on my good indoor shoes. It's nice to be able to change shoes if it is muddy outdoors, but I do not want to be shoeless indoors.

Right after my mother's funeral, my brother and I were supposed to go to our other brother's house for lunch/dinner, but it was raining, and sister-in-law had put up a sign on the outside of the house saying to remove shoes and not wear them inside. The shoes that my brother and I were wearing were very difficult to put on and take off, and so we turned around and left and did not even knock on the door. I was not in the mood to be treated that way on the day of my mother's funeral. To me, some things are more important that a bit of dirt on a floor that can easily be cleaned. I've never asked anyone to remove shoes in my house, but we do most of our entertaining outdoors, and it would be very awkward to be taking shoes off and putting them back on to go outdoors. The front of my house has hardwood floor, but the back (with the exit to the patio) has travertine. We also do not do any entertaining during the rainy season, and sometimes we barely have a rainy season.

If I were invited to a no-shoes house, I would probably decline, unless the hosts were Japanese. However, I do not want to sit on a floor. I've been to Buddhist and Hindu temples where one is required to remove shoes, but this is very different from a personal residence. I've only had one friend in Los Angeles who asked people to remove shoes, and that was because she had white carpet. She ended that policy fairly shortly because the white carpet did not stay white for very long, despite her no-shoes policy. I think it was actually her husband's policy, and he is half-Indian (Sikh).

I think for a lot of people, this is more of a regional and weather related thing than anything else. When we lived in California, we were usually barefoot at home, but no one ever removed their shoes when entering another’s home.

Now that we’re in the midwest and we have wet, snowy, salty and muddy conditions, most people do expect shoes to come off regardless of who it is, especially in the winter months.

I like the idea that your friend asked for everyone to “bring their slippers”, it’s a nice way of saying, we don’t wear shoes in the house without pulling any surprises at the door. I wouldn’t be offended at all.

I love this conversation. Until the internets, I never knew this was a thing.

Where I grew up, when guests came over that meant it was time to put your shoes ON. Greeting someone at the door without shoes was considered incredibly rude! Like you didn't care enough to properly dress yourself for them.

It's interesting to see where this is an issue and where it isn't. I'm sensitive to all cultural norms and submit, but deep down I really do NOT want to take my shoes off. I feel nekkid.

In my home guests are not asked to remove their shoes. A neighbor has a no shoe house and provides disposable slippers, which surprised me the first time I went there for a party. A very dear friend has a no shoe house and always encourages guests to bring their most comfy slippers, which for me is a pair of freshly washed Snoozies.

Your book club host asked you to bring slippers, which I think is more thoughtful than springing on you at the door.

In addition to the rural, northern thing, it's also about how you entertain. For example, Ida, I understand your comments about the right shoes for your clothing, at work, it matters to me, I have to look professional. But at home, we never, EVER entertain formally, when we have people over, they wear jeans or shorts (with our closest neighbor friends, it's often sweatpants, yep, we are those people), not hemmed pants or dresses. However, if I ever entertained formally, the thought of which actually cracks me up, I would have zero expectations that people would remove their shoes, it's just different when your life is as casual as ours is, heel height and clothing tailoring just doesn't factor into things.

"it's just our way in the northern areas." That was one of my points. Shoes off is not a universal truth in the north. I think it is more a cultural than latitudinal phenomenon.

Wow. My grandchild when a baby, toddler, and now pre-kindergartener is all over the hardwood floors and plays on the area carpeting in my home. No way do I want outdoor contaminants tracked all over inside. And tracked in material can become airborne as well. (BTW, once worn outside, I consider slippers no longer indoor footwear!) I was raised in a strict no outdoor shoes in the home environment, as was my mother by her German parents. It's what I knew and how I raised my kids and how they are raising theirs. Over the years visitors have respected how we live, and I have always respected them and their homes when I'm the visitor. I resent the implication of being "weird", or that no outdoor shoes in my home would apparently be acceptable to some others if I were Japanese. For real? As a guest, I'm not going to wear any perfume to your house if I know you have a sensitivity, or bring you bring you nut bread if you are allergic.....or expect to tromp around in outdoor shoes in everybody's house. And if i smoked, I wouldn't expect my host to be amenable to my lighting up in their living room, although at one time, it think it would have been considered rude not to supply an ashtray. So times change. Just maybe the contaminants tracked into today's tightly sealed homes will someday be viewed more like the indoor pollution from smoking. Regardless, I so appreciate those who have been or are trying to be tolerant of others who live/think differently.

Sas95 and d-g.....I would love to hear more Martha stories! Maybe a new thread lol

I never wear shoes when I'm in my house. I'm more comfortable without socks/shoes and have multitudes of washable slippers. I don't have any policy about others taking off their shoes in my house, but I will call my husband out when he drags in a lot of clunky mud on the bottom of his treaded boots.

We had an interesting experience in Japan when visiting an elderly couple in their home on a farm - aunt and uncle to Japanese friends of my brother. No shoes in the house so we were in our socks which was normal for us. But to use their toilet rooms (one for male, one for female) there were bathroom slippers outside of the doors to be used inside. Since I had my socks on, that was ok, but otherwise it was kind of icky. And the floor was cement with an open hole that went to a cistern. I was not frequently successful hitting the target.

I don't think anyone is saying they would refuse to honor a request to remove shoes, but those who make the request should also consider the comfort of their guests. It absolutely goes both ways.

What I am hearing is that some may choose to decline an invitation if they know ahead of time that shoe removal will be expected. There's nothing wrong with that, as it all boils down to personal choice.

People are funny about feet. One of my favorite services during Holy Week is Maundy Thursday when we wash each others' feet. Or I should say some of us wash each others' feet. It's entirely optional and I know lots of devout parishioners who want no part of taking their shoes off in church and having their feet washed. I always enjoy walking around barefoot with my pants rolled up.

I've been in one house with the no shoe rule, and it was my high school BFF, and I practically lived there. The first time I visited she told me about the rule and there were many pairs of men and women's slippers in the entryway. I didn't ask why though, that was all new to me, but I stayed in my socks.

We walked into the LR where the carpet was to die for. I swear it was ten feet thick! The den & DR had that shiny light blonde hardwood with those little brown decorative dots scattered about. Remember those? The kitchen had a brick floor.

Back bedrooms had regular carpeting, but still on the thick side. I don't blame them for wanting to keep the floors looking nice.

I live in house shoes and slippers, and have a small basket full of them in my closet. :)

Oakley, I first misread that at "BF" and wondered what were you doing looking at the carpet in the back bedrooms !

Seagrass, that is a whole 'nother thread! As you may know there are many parts of the world, esp in Asia and Africa, where that is de rigeur. But you can even find that in Parisian restaurants in immigrant neighborhoods. They often are in very poor parts of the world where they also do not provide any paper products. Quel horreur.

Then you have the other extreme, with the singing and spraying and warming toilets of Japan. And somewhere in between, Indian toilets with wall mounted sprayers that look like something from your kitchen sink.

Now I feel the need to comment on the formal vs informal aspect of this. We don't entertain formally in the cocktail dress, valet parking sense. We serve good food and drink but our people are jeans and t-shirt types (please don't wear sweats when you come over for dinner though ;-) ). Makes no difference whether peeps would be required to remove their Jimmie Choos or their Keens. Keep your shoes on.

I would be thrilled if the host who asked me to remove my shoes upon entering the residence offered to wash my feet - otherwise, not so much. Also, if the host washes everyone's feet, there would be less concern about foot odor. I have some hand-made Persian slippers (think Aladin) that I would be fine wearing, as I have only worn them indoors, although I may have worn them in Shane Black's back yard at his Halloween party.

I'd welcome an invitation from someone who asked me to bring slippers; would be thinking comfy feet!

Perhaps, there's someone immunocompromised living in the home.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-it-healthier-to-remove-your-shoes-at-home-1491649200

We wear shoes in our house. I think it is ok to ask young able-bodied people to remove their shoes, but my mother and some of her friends around her age would have to decline the invitation. She needs a good chair to sit on to put on and remove shoes these days, and she has actually been advised not to wear slippers at all because they are not supportive enough and could cause a fall.

Raising my kids in the Bay Area, CA, it was common to remove outside shoes. Asian-American families were prominent, percentage wise, and it is courteous to be respectful of their wishes.

I was often bare footed simply because I am lazy lol. But I would never ask anybody to remove their shoes. My dad would be really uncomfortable with that. My kids usually wore their slip on thingies if they had not gone out during that day. It just seems so rude to insist that your own wishes, as the host, be respected and those of the guest would be secondary. Here, in SC, in the winter months, I wear my Uggs. Once they are on, I don't take them off for the day. In the summer I have easy slip on sandals that can be slid on/off depending on how lazy I feel.

Just to add fuel to this fire or maybe a bit of perspective. The students like to put their feet up on chairs and tables so they were shown a slide show of just where their feet/shoes all walk, through dirt/garbage/lawns where dogs do their business...the amount of YUCK possible on the bottom of shoes is substantial.

I don't ask people to take their shoes off in my house...our floors are vinyl and are easy to clean, but some insist and do it anyway. Fine by me. If it is someone's house policy, I have no problem with complying and would definitely appreciate the suggestion of bringing slippers to keep my feet warm if I don't know their policy in advance.

We go annually on a holiday house tour and the policy is no shoes in the homes to help keep them clean and protect them. My feet do get cold in only socks, so now we bring a bag with our slippers and swap shoes for slippers at each home.

Also at the gym, and something we practice at home too is to keep a special pair of shoes that don't go outside to use on the treadmill and such as the grit from outdoor shoes gets into the machinery and destroys the belts and such sooner. I also have indoor only shoes when I go line dancing to help protect the wood floor. I change when I get there as do most people.

Frankly, I think it's a trivial issue...I'm there or they're here to see the people and enjoy their company...not worry about what's covering their feet.

Annie Deighnaugh - Off topic question - Do you have a thread with info about your vinyl floors? I am thinking of getting my wall to wall carpet removed and replacing with vinyl but I want something that looks nice.

I didn't get to post earlier, but at any rate...

In my house I go without shoes. I do prefer if guests wear their socks (they do NOT need to bring dedicated slippers) but I just let them decide on the basis of what I am wearing. Life is way too short....

I do have softwood pine so if I did see someone coming in with 6 inch heels and they were sharp, I might say something. I don't actually know anyone who does wear those these days, so I don't need to say anything.

I do remember one house (among others) I visited where shoes had to be removed. I was fine with that. I did that at the other homes that it was expected, and that's their home and their choice. BUT at that one home there was no place for someone with a seriously bad ankle (plate and pins) to put the dang shoe back ON. I found myself sitting on the house doorway threshold putting that shoe back on, half of me outdoors and the behind of me sitting on the foyer substance of whatever it was. That is NOT RIGHT.

I have a sturdy bench by my front door to encourage shoe removal, but for those who don't wish to... fine. I give my guests choices. And at least, if I really wanted to insist on it, there's a place to SIT and DO it, in comfort.

My DD has a no shoes policy because when they bought their home they had an infant and cream colored carpet. I questioned it because they also have a dog-but I didn't say anything. Now I just kick off my shoes when I go to her house. The entry way is vinyl flooring so it work ok, but I sometimes go into the kitchen with my shoes on.

Our house is a shoe on house. DH works in our garage so if he had to take his shoes on/pff all day coming in, he'd spend half his day doing that. We also have pets indoors so I don't really care. I just gripe if there are muddy shoes-and for that I leave lots of throw rugs near the doors for wiping.

I never mind following house rules as a guest but I would welcome the heads up on her no shoe policy and the advance notice to bring slippers or wear socks.

I have no such rule because I actually wanted the young kids in my house to be exposed to as many contaminants early as they could. Our germaphobic culture is very unhealthy to our immune systems. There is a reason allergies, autoimmune disease and colon cancers are on a rise.

But this said I also have the time to vacuum and mop frequently to keep my floors looking good and respect other might not have that time nor desire.

Condo Home, here's an old thread with pics of my flooring. This is amtico and is not cheap, but we are still please with the outcome 9 years later.

https://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2261321/anniedeighnaugh-your-flooring

Sorry for the interruption eld !

Condo Home, check out Flooret luxury Vinyl. I recently sent for several samples from a variety of vinyl flooring brands. Flooret really stood out quality wise. Plus, they do a 40mil wear layer compared to 8 - 22 mil of other companies. The real life samples look a 100 times better than their online photos.

My sample but not the color I will eventually use. It even feels like real wood.

https://www.flooret.com/

It is regional. In our snowy Colorado resort town brewing asked to remove your shoes is the norm, but we don't follow that trend in our home. Two big dogs mean I have to clean it often anyway and LVP makes the job easy and I don't have to worry about the moistuture from tracking in snow.

Obviously, take your boots off. Leave your heels on. If I'm expecting you, I will probably have cute shoes on too.

But DO NOT put your handbag on my kitchen table.

Yes, gardener...no handbags on counter and no hats!!

Oh, on top of this, something I DO insist on:

NO snow cleats in the chicken coop! Those things really do a number on the otherwise easy to clean out epoxy floor.

I wouldn't want these on my pine flooring in the house proper, either... Nice 1/4 - 1/2 inch spikes.

But... awesome for winter outdoor use when my chickens need everyday visits!

Oh, I tuck my winter hat into a sleeve of my coat when I visit anyone. That way I can find it again.

Southern Living weighs in:

https://www.southernliving.com/culture/etiquette-guests-take-shoes-off?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=southernliving_southernliving&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=BD1F7C62-41E5-11E9-ABA7-4C920F4A2151&fbclid=IwAR3uV1ilk_G37NZ0QeEwSM3TYhocC0yrjhswhPAWK6xcHnklBiyo_tNIp8M

I agree that the host makes the rules, but letting invited guests know in advance is what a thoughtful host does. Don't pull any surprises, like, oh, I don't approve of pants in the house, so off with them.

We are a shoes on family. When the kids were little they, and their friends, used to take them off. We might have Japanese friends visiting next month. I will have to convince them to keep their shoes on ... or they will have very hairy socks!

We have 3 dogs now and the new one likes to lay in the dirt and dig. I don't always notice her paws have dirt in them, but notice it later when I feel dirt/grit under my shoes. I have weekly cleaning help and vacuum in between too, but they still shed and track in dirt, specially with all the rain we have had recently.

Many have brought up the Japanese and their customs. We lived in Tokyo and the majority of Japanese do not entertain at home, so guests rarely have to remove their shoes in someone else's house because they don't get invited!

This topic is no different than if someone wants to smoke in your car without even considering you may have asthma or that you might prefer that new car smell to that of an ashtray. Guests are guests, not shareholders, which means someone is extending a welcome and not an entitlement in their home.

As for comments like what kind of hardwood dents with heels - -google it lady. Almost all hardwood or luxury vinyl plank flooring and even some softer stone flooring may be damaged by rocks stuck on soles, sand on soles and the enormous pounds per square inch of any woman in stilettos. Some very hard older blonde hardwoods may survive stress like that, but your gambling with someone else’s money if you click along their flooring in your stilettos.

I had a lady step on my foot by accident with her high heels on, and it went right through my skin and lodged firmly in my bone. Let me rephrase that for the hardwood comment .... it didn’t just hit my bone it ploughed right in and got stuck in there!

Luckily I blacked out as she tugged and struggled to tear her heel free. She left me unconscious with the puncture wound, a shocked crowd, and the bloody mess pooled on my clothing and the floor. It’s funny how fast a person in heels can actually run when they realize the damage their clickers did.

If your feet stink and that’s the issue - bring fresh indoor only shoes or socks to wear at the hosts place and don’t wear the stinky shoes over in the first place.

If you truly feel entitled enough that your outdoor shoes are a must in someone else’s home when you know they expect you to remove them - then by all means tell the hosts that their property is there for your convenience as you are the esteemed guest and the host needs to stop expecting you to be considerate in return. It is about YOU after all.

On the flip side -

If your host or whomever owns the property expects you to wear your shoes inside, they will speak up. In some places they prefer this and that is their prerogative. Lastly - The reason WHY a person expects guests to remove shoes does not need to be justified. If you don’t like their rules then stay home. You didn’t pay a penny for their home so you have zero right to dictating what they can or cannot expect in regards to protecting their investment. If in doubt ask the homeowner. That’s all it takes.

waiting for other shoe to drop....

Why conjure up this old thread?

Probably 80% of resurrected threads are for the purpose of adding spam. Many are innocuous posts, that are edited hours or days later to add a spam link.

And this one, resurrected by Rachel Hunter. I'm waiting for Rod Stewart to drop the spam bomb.

Must contribute even though it’s an old thread - in Canada my experience is 90% of people remove shoes at the door. we are well trained by snow, salt and mud 75% of the year. in big cities add on subway grime, dog pee (and human pee), bird poop - honestly just can’t imagine tracking that in someone’s house. On the rare bright summer day I might keep sandals on.

people who are dedicated to their outfits I find generally bring “indoor shoes“ to slip on. Some men wear removable rubber overshoes but I find that’s less common these days.

I just hate seeing spike heels headed toward my hardwood.

AHA! Caught ya! "Rachel Hunter" had another thread, and it was just edited to include the spam. Please flag it. I am so tired o this game.

https://www.houzz.com/activities/user/achesty

I don’t like feet and butts. I don’t want to see your feet or your butt. Leave your shoes on in my house.

We have mats at all doors for people to wipe their shoes in before entering the house. If their shoes are very muddy they may remove them if they like. We don’t ask people to remove their shoes in our house because it’s a floor. We don’t sit on it or roll on it, we walk on it. our floors are cleaned regularly and i frankly don’t like looking at people’s feet or socks.

DH wears some sort of shoe all the time. I’m not sure, but he may even put on shoes to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night 😆. If he were asked to remove his shoes at the door, he would be highly uncomfortable. Plus, with his gait problems, it would probably be dangerous for him.

I would never ask a guest to remove shoes. It just seems rude and inhospitable to me. If they want to, fine, but I would never ask it of them. There is no one in our circle of friends who would expect you to remove your shoes at the door. In fact, they would think it quite odd if you did.

Like Kswl, we have door mats outside each door. I do expect people to wipe their feet.

"Rachel Hunter" edited post include spam. Please flag.

ETA: Looks like spam is gone. Thanks to all.

Looking at this wiki article, I'd say warmer countries more likely to allow shoes in the house, unless there are religious or cultural reasons or lots of sand.

Colder countries much more likely to be strict about shoes off.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradition_of_removing_shoes_in_the_home_and_houses_of_worship