Sometimes I am barefoot, but my feet get cold, so I usually have on socks or slippers of some sort. I'm in SoCal, so I keep flip flops or slides by all external doors just in case.

We wear our shoes in the house and guests/visitors are welcome to do the same. That seems to be the prevailing practice in my area except it seems to be common for people of Asian origin to have shoe-less homes and ask that guests' shoes be removed. I quietly accept whatever the rules are for any particular home but I find having to remove my shoes to be annoying, especially when a visit involves time indoors and outdoors.

Wet weather is infrequent here. I've encountered towels to dry off shoe bottoms at the front door when someone whose house normally welcomes shoe wearing is having guests at such times. But even then, rarely a request to remove shoes.

I would love to have a no shoe home but with two mud packing dogs living here it would be futile. I never go barefoot in my own house because there is always dirt or dog hair. I'm hoping to get a load of gravel soon for the mud spots out back now that the building is over with. The deck is muddy now too. ) :

Slip-on sneakers are my house shoes.

I never did like going barefoot, and even in the house I never know what I'm going to step on (or in . . . Thanks, cats), or what might fall on my toes. And with the sneaker, I can still dash out of the house if I need to regardless of the weather.

Also, wearing a shoe as opposed to a slipper signals my brain that it is not loafing time.

But, I have no problem with wearing shoes in the house, or anyone else doing so. Funny story, though: when DS was little he wore his shoes in the house all the time, for safety. He kind of slipped in socks. Well, first time he went to a friend's house the mom asked him to take off his shoes and he looked at her like she had lobsters coming out of her ears. Take off my shoes? For him it would be like being asked to take off his shirt!

My DSIL was always an adamant no-shoes gal. In fact, you left your shoes outside the front door in nice weather. Well, then she moved to a house without carpet. I don't recall if it was hardwood or something else, but she was no longer as anti-shoe.

First thing off when I come inside are my shoes. I don't like wearing shoes. Has nothing to do with tracking in sand or mud. Like Kathsgrdn, we have two longhaired, active Australian Shepherds. I wear slippers in the house - more comfortable for me. We went to Japan when my brother was stationed there in the Navy. Took a trip with friends of his to visit an uncle on a farm near Nagano. Definitely a no shoe house - but outside of each of the his and hers WC's was a pair of backless slippers we were expected to use. No toilet - just a hole in the floor to squat over. I was always afraid I was going to lose a slipper into it.

I do not enter houses with no-shoes rules. I do wear Croks in the house, but I am never barefoot - I'm not Huckleberry Finn and have no desire to be. I tend to be quite formal and am more comfortable with formal rules than with casual ones. I never want to see people's bare feet unless I am at the beach or a swimming pool.

I will, however, take my shoes off to enter a Hindu or Buddhist temple, but then that is not a personal house, and I wear shoes that are easy to take off and put back on when I go there.

Growing up in Texas, we had a front porch where we would change shoes going from inside to outside, if we were going to the barn. Barn shoes were never worn indoors, but indoor shoes were always waiting to be put on when one returned from the barn. As a child, I would always also take a bath and put on clean clothes after a visit to the barn. I did not like going outside as a child.

Slippers or bare feet in the house here. This is mostly due to snow and mud season. Anyone who lives in snow country knows the mess of dirty icy balls of snow, and then spring is dirty balls of mud and rocks. I don't care in the nicer summer or fall weather.

We store our shoes in a closet near the side entry. I never ask guests to remove anything. Most of my friends actually keep their shoes on, I don't care.

Always barefooted. Winter do wear socks. Have carpet.

"I'm not Huckleberry Finn and have no desire to be."

This is a fantastic comment, I so enjoyed reading it. Thanks lars.

I do not like bare feet either for some reason. Not sure why I find it offensive.

I think shoe/boot removal is commonplace here so as not to traipse though a house with snowy, wet boots.

A question that has always puzzled me about not wearing shoes in the house. Those that do this in colder climates how warm do you set the thermostat?

Summer time I am generally bare foot but during winter my house is not warm enough to just wear socks. Normal temps is between 65-68 less at night when I go to bed.

When we lived in CA it didn’t seem to be an issue, I was almost always barefoot but my DH liked to where his shoes. When we moved to Michigan, it was a different story and we don’t wear shoes inside. It doesn’t matter how cold it gets, I’m always barefoot inside and I have slippers I use when I go out into the yard. My DH hated being barefoot, so he’s would always wear his slippers. Not wearing shoes in the house makes sense though especially in the winters. Between the snow, salt and mud it’s easier on the wood floors. In the summer’s and spring we get a lot of rain, so it keeps mud from getting tracked in.

One thing I don’t do though is make service people take theirs off. I will usually even tell them they don’t need to put those booties on.

I have house shoes and outdoor shoes. But they are strictly for comfort. I cahnge into the rubber flip flops in the summer and Ugg type boots which I use for slippers in the winter. We are not a no shoes house. DH puts shoes and socks on every morning and doesn't take them off before bed. He used to change his work boots at his job to avoid bringing chips into the house. The only shoes I try to take off at the door are my barn boots. Actually I often change out of them even before getting in the truck. Depends on how mucky they are.

If asked to take off my shoes in someone's house I may do it once but that will be the last time I visit. I have no desire to clean their floors with my socks or my bare feet. The idea of walking about wearing socks and slipping them back into shoes afterwards gives me the heebie jeebies. Talk about creating a germ environment in your foot wear. Ack! I even wash my feet before donning socks and shoes (or going to bed) after flip flops unless they are the ones I wear only in the house after bathing.

We are a no shoes household. It seems gross to me to walk around outside and then walk on my floors with germs on my soles. Now, with Covid, I spray the bottoms of my shoes with alcohol after I've taken them off. Also, I've spent most of my adult life in apartments, and I think it's rude to the people downstairs to wear shoes.

One thing I do is take a pair of socks to the airport that I slip on when it's shoe removal time in the security line, that's the only place I wear that pair.

Lars: my kids, 19 & 20 hate to see peoples feet too. We live where in high school it was common that kids would wear flip flops but they weren't having it. LOL The only time I see my sons feet is when he first gets out of the shower...otherwise he has socks on in the house.

i never wear shoes in the house. i keep a pair of slip-ons next to the sliding door that goes out to the deck. the only time i put socks on in the house is when i'm expecting visitors (which doesn't happen often) because my feet are beyond ugly!!! lol

Although we have carpet in most areas I wear slippers indoors and hub wears flip flops in summer and slippers in the winter. I don't like transitioning from carpet to the harder kitchen/bathroom floor in bare feet and socks are too slippery in hard surface rooms. I keep Crocs near the back slider to wear outside for chores, I could never get used to wearing regular shoes inside, not a floor issue, a feet issue, slippers are much more comfortable for me.

It varies in the house I may be bare foot on occasion or have my thick sock things with the dots on the bottom for grip. I don't know what those are called. I keep some slides by the door to quickly slip on to go outside but I rarely walk outside. If we are leaving the house I put on some type of shoes, sandals or slide on. But I am in my chair not walking.

We never wear our shoes indoors and this is common in our area, particularly with our climate. DH wears socks indoors and I go barefoot in the summer, socks and slippers when it's colder. Both of us keep shoes that are easily slipped on at doorways for quick trips outdoors.

Slippers all the time. Socks and slippers in the winter. I have crocs and sandals and runners outside my door to step into when needed.

Truthfully, I don't know anyone who wears shoes in the house. I think very few Canadians wear shoes in the house.

Open houses, model homes etc, there is always a pile of shoes inside the door from people touring the home, walking in socks.

Business people take their shoes off when entering our homes as well.

"thick sock things with the dots on the bottom for grip. I don't know what those are called."

Here they are called slipper socks and I think they are wonderful! Soft and warm, they do not have the confining effect of either shoes or slippers and they come with grippers or sometimes an entire gripper sole, so no slipping on hardwoods or slick, non-carpeted floors.

ETA: Jasdip, I don't know anyone who wears shoes in the house either. I know none of my extended family does. And we're not Canadian :-)

Small feet do not do well in those slipper socks on hard surfaces after they have stretched out. Or even not stretched if they are loose on your feet. Hard to find ones for size 5-6. One size does not fit all.

When I visit friends who also have no shoes in the house (and for my first visit to anyone's home, since I don't know their preferences), I just put a pair of my indoor Birks in a bag and take them with. It's easy to do and ensures I have arch supports when walking around.

We don't wear shoes. We come and go through the attached garage, leave shoes in the garage. I wear slippers most of the time, they have soles so I can go on the patio/front porch/garage. Other's only wear socks or bare feet. My slippers wore out this spring so went most of the summer in just socks. As I age I FEEL the support of shoes really helps my hips and knees so new slippers with support arrived today.

We can wear shoes inside but I usually wear socks instead.

I don't wear shoes in the house but only because I like to go barefoot. I wear socks or slippers in the winter but otherwise barefoot. I keep flip flops by the door if I have to step outside. I also have carpet everywhere but the kitchen and bathrooms, so it's comfy ;o)

I always take off my shoes. We keep shoe racks out in the hall. My daughters do as well. My husband and son always forget. Strange because my husband grew up in a household where it was mandatory. Not for hygienic reasons, a cultural thing.

I always wear a comfy pair of sandals I buy specifically (not flip flops) though. I don’t find walking barefoot, unless I’m at the beach is for me anymore. I can’t walk in socks. If I step in as much as one drop of water it really bugs me.

I wear slippers, socks and occasionally am barefoot in the house. I also wear other shoes inside, but not my ‘work-outside’ shoes. DH wears shoes inside, but mostly Crocs or sneakers. We do not have a no-shoes rule. We both put our shoes on and do what we need to do before leaving the house to shop, run errands, etc. Our garage is attached and we keep work shoes on a shelf there plus we each have a pair on the back porch for going out to the garden or quick trips into the back yard.

I am barefoot as I type.

If no one wears shoes in your house your floors are going to be much cleaner.

We used to blame the dog for all the trash that came in. She passed and it is DH and his shoes.

I have some Muck shoes to wear outside in the winter but would likely just go bare in the summer except in the roses. I do wear socks in winter even though we have hydronic heat in the floor. I have Neuropathy in my feet and need to be sure my feet arent cold. I cant tell now if I sit with my feet up. I would wear slippers but I cant really tell if they are secure. It is a pain but there you are.

I wear pink Adidas slides in the house. I prefer to be barefoot, but as I do not prefer to scrub my floors everyday, it's easier to wear those and keep my feet clean. If I go outside I have flip flops by the door or if I am going somewhere muddy or to work in my garden I wear an old pair of SOs work boots that are in the garage. They are too big but whatever.

I do not have specific shoe requirements for my house. I am going to clean the floors eventually anyway, so whether or not someone tracks dirt in on their shoes is no big deal. Its also no big deal if they wanna remove their shoes. It just shoes. I always felt kind of unwelcome in homes where it is required of me to remove my shoes. Its like I'm contaminated or something.

If my house had carpet in every room I would probably be barefoot all the time. But I still wouldn't impose shoe requirements on anyone else.

I never go barefoot. Too many pet toys to tramp on. I wear socks year round and inside wear Dearfoam slippers year round. Husband wears shoes but neither of us do upstairs. I have Crocs by the back door that I wear in the yard.

I just ordered some pairs of socks with treads on the bottom. Decided a good idea not to slip and fall in my socks.

I don't request guests remove shoes (unless muddy). But I do have a bench by the front door so people can easily do so if desired... many do.

Word of warning for artemis and anyone trying out grippy socks -- I found them less secure than either plain socks or regular slippers. Could be they were too lose for my feet, because the 'tread' seemed to catch while my foot kept going -- not good on stairs! Be careful until you've figured out how they work for you.

This house has hydronic radiant heat. If you have "cabin socks" on, you can feel the heated flooring....even the garage floor and lofts are heated. In the summer, I wear those barely show socks, so putting on tennis shoes to go outdoors is a snap. I have a lot of flip flops, then I take off the socks.

nickel that is exactly what I found. Only way I could walk in them was to plant my foot then raise it straight up then plant the next step straight down with a straight foot.

It is also easier to trip when wearing certain styles of slippers. Many people wearing an opened back slipper slide their feet across the floor and their toes go under the edge of area rugs or scatter rugs and they fall. With a shoe on, people tend to lift their feet and not shuffle.

Of course, folks who are in a high risk for falls should not have scatter rugs to begin with.

I never wear the grippy socks for the reason stated above. I think they are more hazardous.

I never make guests take off their shoes because I know how hard they are sometimes to put back on especially when there isn't a bench to sit on. I always wore shoes with the old hardwood floor but since the new floor was put in I want to keep water off of it. I don't have a foyer so you walk right into the living room from the front door.

nicole, that's exactly my situation (minus the heated garage floor). Hydronic underfloor heating is a wonderful invention! We don't care if people wear shoes in the house, but when I'm home I'm usually in some sort of socks, the 'no-show' kind in the summer so I can slip and out of my gardening clogs.

We are a no shoes household, all shoes are in garage where we come and go from. Barefoot in summer and slippers in winter. I don't make guests take off shoes.

I remove shoes as soon as I come in. Put on my boxy, oversized, slip-on, suede, boat shoes with white rubber soles. Those are my "slippers". If I want to go out even briefly, I put on outdoor shoes.

I grew up hardly needing shoes indoors or out-- mainly just for school, church, and winter. My paternal grandparents considered shoeless-ness uncivilized, so my mother always instructed us to keep our shoes on when staying with them. It felt so formal to me to be indoors with my shoes on.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/07/03/my-shoes-dirty-studies-suggest-theyre-covered-fecal-bacteria/1637780001/

Our house is all tile, which is regularly steam cleaned.

The Kitchen Injuries thread reminds me why I wear my house sneakers. Yikes!

I would love to find support *slippers* that don't look like shoes. I need something like the Merrill shoes that reallign my posture. I can't wear soft slippers -- even those with hard soles -- without getting a backache in minutes. Those 'hospital' socks with grippers are a menace, and no-grip socks are killers on hardwood or tile floors are killers.

I understand the hygienic reasoning of leaving outdoor shoes *outdoors*. That is easy in warm climates where you can easily 'shuck' your slippahs, and it's a *necessary* chore where there's snow and mud. It's very wise when you have babies and toddlers ON the floors. (But, do you stop and wash a dog's feet every time you bring him indoors? Do you clean the cat, post-litter box? Oh, they clean themselves? And then you let them lick your face?)

Tip for the non-skid slipper socks: I wear a low-rise or no-show sock under them. Much more secure. And the extra layer is nice in winter, and even in summer on tile floors.

Chisue, maybe you could get a pair of Merrill’s that you wear just indoors. I’m tempted to do that with a couple of shoes I have!

Oh, I have a long shoehorn from ikea that hangs by our back door, it’s ideal for slipping both indoor and outdoor shoes on without bending over.

I like to be barefoot in the house. We have all tile, except the bedrooms which are a laminate. I need shoes or slippers at the patio door for when I run outside to the car or walk the dog etc. I had come out the other day and slipped my shoes off at the door and it was hard for me to keep my socks on while in the house for the evening. I'm so used to being barefoot.

We kind of don't wear shoes in the house, lol. I'm better about it than my hubby is. I had a foot injury and kind of can't go barefoot anymore. So for going out and about, I have shoes for that. Different pairs for outdoor/yard shoes, winter shoes. Bit heaver duty and support. Sometimes that gets skipped during warm season if I'm going between the front and back porch several times- I just keep my outdoor shoes on then.

Otherwise, indoors those shoes tend to get shucked in favor of house shoes. Lighter soled shoes that slip on and off more. Light indoor/outdoor- like from indoors to the porch or patio, but not really outdoors. And slippers- I live where it gets cold. I also prefer to leave all my shoes outside my bedroom if I can.

I never go barefoot in the house, ever. First thing in the morning my feet go into the shoes by the bed and they don't come off until I'm ready to go to bed at night. If I were to go barefoot I'd have a backache within a minute!

Around the house I wear Alegria slides, which have around 2" heels. I have a lot of pairs, as I love Alegrias! The wedge heel is very comfortable and the footbed conforms perfectly to my feet. If I go out I wear either dressier Alegrias or my pink and gold sneakers or a pair of plain-ish pumps. I'm fairly particular about what goes on my feet - my grandfather owned a shoe store and also made and repaired shoes, and my mother was adamant about wearing shoes that fit well and looked good.

People who visit can do whatever they wish concerning what's on their feet. Barefoot or stilettos or workboots - whatever makes you happy!

Sable

DH and I mostly wear slippers but often enough have to have shoes for going in and out of the house I just vacuum tons and I have a carpet shampooer that I use frequently. I have dogs and cats so I have to vacuum and shampoo the carpets frequently anyway. Usually when I come home and want to get right into my slippers that is a signal that I'm going to need to get right back into my shoes because I forgot something in the car or I have to take the dogs out or...

I do not require guests to take off their shoes. I tried that many years ago and was met with such resistance. Maybe nowadays I wouldn't be but I'd rather have friends and relatives not hate me for cleaning related things. It doesn't seem worth it to me for an extra little bit of cleanup.

SOCKS ON! Cloudy, 72 at noon, doors open, and socks! Yes! Not going anywhere, today. Sipping on a cup of coffee!