I think the shoe is sometimes used to hide any gap that may appear between the baseboard and floor as the wood of the baseboard shrinks due to seasonal variations in humidity. A wider base will shrink a bit more than a narrower one. So, depending on what materials are used and their dimensions, and whether it's all painted and if so how, this isn't an issue. That said, I have 5" wood base sans shoe and have no seasonal gaps. A shoe can also cover less careful work. If the floor is new, it should be flat and baseboard scribing, which takes some degree of skill, should'nt be necessary, giving you a better chance that the installed base will be tight to the floor, no matter who's installing it. I'd go without, unless your contractor has a good reason to use the shoe. Did an architect draw the plan? If so, maybe there's a design reason for it.

Truthfully, that cat door was a source of amusement for all the trades that worked on it. I'll never forget the great, hulking foreman of the drywall crew making it his own personal responsibility to properly mud the bullnose edges of what he smilingly described as the "little kitty-cat door". The finish carpenter - bless his heart - took the time to painstakingly route the custom arch out of a piece of MDF and fit the base and shoe to it. The painters treated it with the same care and detail as every other bit of trim - giggling all the while. The space inside is not large - only a square foot or so - so the vacuum wand works dandy. There is another proper catflap set 90 degrees to the decorative doorway that then goes into a small 'catroom' where I can keep the food dishes and dirtbox. Doing the doorway in the wall like that was much easier and cleaner than trying to put the catflap in the 'people' door. As for the builder - since I was the designer/owner/GC/foreman/gofer and chief ditch-digger I pretty much got what I wanted - eventually.

I struggle with the "shoes off" in the house policy. In theory, that would be my preference. And certainly in bad weather, my kids all take their shoes off. However, I have four kids, and two of them are outside playing all the time. They come in and out for a variety of reasons, so requiring them to take shoes off each and every time just isn't manageable (especially since one of them has fine motor skills problems, so just tying his shoes is difficult for him). I usually take mine off when I come inside, unless I'm wearing sneakers and coming from the store where I have to make multiple trips to the car. That said, I also have three entry points. The kids go in and out through the garage, which is underneath the main floor. If they are coming in and staying in, they usually leave their shoes in the garage just outside the door (a huge pile which I'm trying to organize - used to be a big basket but too many shoes, so now I have an organizer to put together, but not sure they will actually put their shoes in each compartment!). I always use the front door and kick my shoes off at the front door - there is a basket there by the door, so if I'm going out again later, I leave my shoes there, but if not I bring them upstairs to my closet. I wear slippers in the house. We also have a mudroom but it is accessible from the back door. There was a time when my kids always used it after school/coming home from somewhere, but now my key no longer works in the lock so they always use the garage instead. The mudroom, however, seems to store whatever shoes they haven't left in the garage (as well as shoes that are not in use regularly, like cleats, church shoes, etc). They each have their own cubby, and a basket for shoes in their cubby. I find it perfectly normal here where I live to see a basket of shoes near the front door. The only houses where I don't see them are my friends' homes who have homes that are more formal (don't look very lived in), or if they have a mudroom or other main entry for family. I just read the two posts above mine and see that they both have four kids like me. I had to laugh at choclot b/c her battle sounds like mine! Mine each have their own cubbies and STILL I find their things all over the mudroom - coats laying on the bench instead of hanging on the hook, shoes on the floor *right next to* their shoe basket, socks they've taken off and left in their cubbies and then wonder why they have no socks after I do laundry! I do call them from wherever they are to fix their mistakes, but much of the time I'm off doing something else and don't notice right away. My kids are 8, 10, 12 and turning 14. My oldest has actually become very organized (she keeps all her shoes in an organizer up in her bedroom after years of using the mudroom), hangs her coat in her room, etc. My 12 y/o is a slob, but he is incredibly organized with his schoolwork, binder, etc and judging from what I hear from his friends' mothers whose boys are constantly losing things, forgetting to turn in schoolwork, etc, I figure I'll take that over him not putting his shoes away properly!

Find a work person who can make a simple storage/window bench for you exactly to your specs. Consider shelves underneath the bench like this one, which has two levels of shelving. Or a lidded hinged bench. You might be able to spec a bench that aligns with outdoor chaise cushions, so you don't have to get an upholstered cushion made. Something with a drawer for each person with lovely cushion on top that coordinates with dining room. Drawers: Deep bench with baskets underneath for each person. Put a great indoor-outdoor rug in front of it to catch the outdoor grit. Etsy has many woodworkers who make benches on spec and ship them unassembled. This isn't from Etsy, but they do offer some styles like this. The trick is training the household to take shoes off on indoor-outdoor rug and walk shoes over to their bin/basket/drawer.