You say it nicely when you issue the invitation.

If you are inviting someone over who needs the stability of shoes (such as an older person), you must be prepared to make an exception, or to have that person decline your kind invitation.

What I would suggest instead is that you make the "no shoes" rule a family rule, not a guest rule. I don't think a few guests with shoes on will make your home much dirtier than it would have been.

If I were your mother-in-law, I would take my shoes off at your request. And say to my husband (on the way to the car after dinner) that you were nuts. And probably plot how to serve your children extra sweets the next time they come over without you!

If you included the invitation say, "We're a shoe-free household. You're welcome to bring your own socks or go barefoot or we'll have comfy socks for you." That way those who need the stability of shoes can let you know beforehand or they can bring their preferred socks (I like my grippy socks for stability). Since you're inviting them to you should have socks in case they forget. Be a matter of fact, not apologetic. Just let them know you are enjoying the benefits of the cleaner house.

Be prepared for guests who may not want to abide by your preferences. No arguments - let them wear their shoes. But it gives you an idea who not to invite back if that's possible

We're building a new home and installing flooring that we're not familiar with (rigid core SPC). I'm letting my husband and dogs not to wear shoes/paws in the house. My husband is mopping and vacuuming the floors more; I relish that he has uttered, "What is this dirt in the front entry?!" a day later. He's starting to understand why I want to reduce shoes in the house.

We are a "no shoes" home. Growing up it wasn't like that. When my mom came to visit she asked if she could keep hers on and I said of course. Mentioned it to my DH that it was strange she didn't make us when we were younger and he pointed out that I grew up on a slab foundation and we have a basement. Concrete vs plywood makes a huge difference on your tootsies.

I only ask contractors and my close relatives to remove their shoes because they wouldn't be insulted. Otherwise, I allow my guests to decide.

Here are a few off-the-cuff ideas for having guests in a “no-shoes” home. Make it an option for guests, make it fun, make it easy and don't share your “cleaner home” reason unless asked. I was always taught that you provide a comfortable environment for guests and accommodate their needs over yours.

1. Provide convenient seating for shoe removal along with fun socks for those who choose to join you.
2. Incorporate shoe storage at your entry. There are some great cabinets available as many cultures have no-shoes rules.
3. Don't make a big deal out of your rule “If you would like to join us, we are a no-shoes indoors family. We have socks for those who need them. Or you can show us your toes, ” Make it feel like their choice. Surprise, but some people were raise to “always-wear-shoes” indoors.
4. Turn it into an ice-breaker. Hand out miss-matched socks to all and encourage people to find their “sole” partners.
5. People in your social circle will learn your “rule” and it will become a natural part of joining your family for casual and even more formal events. Or they won’t and they will decide how important your friendship is.
6. Have fun with this process and you’ll find even hesitant guests growing to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.

I actually ask contractors to wear booties if they have them, not remove their shoes.

Diabetics should wear soaks and shoes ar all times. So should contractors. It is unknown what could be stepped on in people's homes or dropped during repair work causing injury. Disposable booties (unless they have grippers on the bottom) are a slip hazzard on steps and certain flooring.

My husband was in and out of homes frequently in his line of work. Steel toed boots were mandatory to wear at all times by his employer for safety.

We'll throw down some tarps If we're working in your home, but working unshod is out of the question for me and my crew. Much too dangerous. Not doing the booties either.

Ever since I fell, hard, while wearing socks at a potential customer’s house, I wear shoes.

We are a no-shoes household. I belong to 2 clubs, where we meet at each other's houses. They are all "no-shoes". The hostess just mentions it as we come in. Everyone has a basket of slippers. No one thinks anything of it.

However, I have foot problems (neuropathy and arthritis) and balance problems, that are increasing. I bought a pair of dedicated slip-ons that give me enough support and have a rubber sole. These have never been worn outdoors. They are not loose slippers: they are akin to gym shoes, but with no ties. These are very easy to find and not expensive. I just bought a new pair for $ 14. They stay on with elastic. I almost always have a tote bag, so these are very easy to slip in.

For at home I have a much more substantial pair with an arch support, but these other ones are good enough for the few hours I may spend in someone else's house, where I am usually not standing all the time.

I simply explain to the hostess that they are my "indoor shoes," and that they have never been used outdoors. They look clean, and it is very obvious.

My granddaughter now wants to help me with my "indoor shoes" every time I come in. It is very cute.

My neice married a Japanes guy and they do the no-shoes thing. Every time I come over, there's a pile of shoes in the threshold creating a trip hazard.

I think it's rude to ask. Making your guests feel uncomfortable is always rude. I'm really skeeved by the shared slippers or socks that so many of you mention - was always taught never to share things like bathing suits and shoes or socks. I also would be skeeved to be barefoot in someone else's home - I don't want your foot fungus.

Curious how many and how often do you have people over? Enough that your guests wearing shoes will cause that much extra cleaning? Isn't just having your family stick with it enough? I would find it awkward and not particularly hostess-like to request my guests remove their shoes. As a guest, I do not like to walk around in barefeet or socks; even in my own home I wear hard soled slippers.

We always bring our slippers or “indoor only” shoes to guests’ homes - even if they’re not a “no shoes” household - hoping we lead by example and friends do the same when they come to our home. I find many people will ask if they want us to take their shoes off - if they ask, I’ll say yes.

I live in an area with gravel driveways and rainy mucky winters. We've always been shoe-free in our home and most of my friends live the same way. We always remove our shoes at each other's homes. I need arch support so carry my house shoes (birkenstocks that I only wear indoors) when I visit. Most of my friends just wear their socks. If someone new is invited, I ask them to bring slippers if they don't want to wear just their socks. It's not a big deal to anyone to do so. No one seems to object to coming to my home a 2nd time.

I try to encourage it by having all of our shoes lined up near the door when people come over, but if someone chooses not to remove their shoes I don’t make a thing about it. The house always needs cleaning after guests come anyway so I incorporate cleaning the floor into that.

@joseph…if the pile of shoes is there every time you go there, how long until you’re able to recall it so you don’t trip? Or how tiny is the pile that you don’t see it until you’ve tripped on it?

I have welcome mats at each door and washable throw rugs inside each door. The throw rugs are washed at least weekly. My floors are 100-180 years old and very important to me because of the history of my house. My guests are more important to me. I find, and this is just my personal visceral reaction to the shoe-free edict, it insulting to tell me I am dirty and unmannered. What’s next? Haz-mat suits so I don’t dirty your sofa? Gloves so I don’t tarnish the silverware? Straws for my wine glass? Plastic slip covers on the living room furniture? In the sixties we had a neighbor who actually put white carpet in her living room, plastic slip covers on her white sofa and matching chairs, and-my favorite memory of this crazy person-a rope across the doorway!

azline, you are right on about the differences in walking barefoot on a hard slab for long periods vs the same on a wooden floor.

I see this greatly with our son's house where there is a very hard wood floor atop a very hard concrete slab. After about half a day of wandering around, my feet really feel it. Step afer step on that hard floor is hard.

They dont wear outdoor shoes in their house but everyone has Crocs for indoor use. What a pile of shoes are always near the door, though.

My DIL is Chinese and she and the kids also change their clothes when they come home, into home clothes. I think that came from the fact that she grew up in a crowded and dirty city, and it is just more customary in that culture to do that. Well, she and the kids change their clothes. Our son does not. They live in a nice clean modern suburb so it is not as important as it woudl be if they lived in a city. I always feel dirty when I am in a city.

I live in downtown Baltimore. If you walk anywhere, for any distance, any day or time of the week the odds that you’ve walked through any and all of the following are pretty high: dog poop, dog pee, rat poop, rat pee, bird poop, human poop and/or pee, spit, vomit, food/drink, motor oil/various fluids, general garbage, and blood. But you believe me asking you to remove the shoes that have walked through these things when you enter my home is somehow rude to you? Fine, you don’t have to take your shoes off. If you lick the bottom of one of your shoes you can wear them in my house. If you come into my home, I’ll also ask you not to smoke in it if I see you pull out a cigarette. Or is that rude too?

I don’t have a problem asking kids, family and removing snowy shoes, but please don’t invite me over for a party and ask me to take off my shoes that I pondered over to make my outfit.

I’m also a little bit confused by the concerns of “foot fungus” when outdoor shoes are literally tracking feces particles into the home… That being said I never ask and have actually felt pretty uncomfortable when a friend told me sternly to take my shoes off before entering even though I would have anyway, I was just expecting to be able to get through the front door first and have a place to sit. :) I take my own shoes off and if people ask, I say I’d appreciate it. If they don’t, not a huge deal.

And please include a warning/notice in any invitation. If I am not informed in advance, and just was told as I came in the door, I'd probably say, "Oh, please excuse me, but I cannot stay' and turn and leave. Really.

@donald - Asking someone not to smoke is acceptable - that could kill you. A dirty floor will not kill you, assuming you don't lick your floors. I assume you mop before the guests arrive and afterward? Would you want someone's fungal residue on your floors? You invited people to your home, make them feel at ease and not on the defensive that they're disgusting unkempt humans that dare to grace the home you invited them to.

'Hello, Guest that I invited to my home for a relaxing night of cheese and conversation. Odds are you walked through a whole bunch of poop on the way here. So take off your shoes and sanitize in the bathroom. Then you can put these scrubs over your clothes because I see you stopped at the corner store for some wine. We know what happens in there (wink wink) Chop-chop - we dine in 10. "

I'd be taken back if someone came to my home and took off their shoes if that isn't our custom, but I wouldn't make them put on shoes. I'd suspect that if they knew we wore shoes in the house they'd wear theirs and judge me through the meal.

I/he slept in combat boots for many months of my/our deployment tour - still here. I/he slept in clothes I/he didn't properly shower for a few days (sometimes a week) - still here. After those years, I don't think about it. I prefer off because of the dirt as I have two dogs that add to the build-up, but I'm not making anyone uncomfortable in our home. We've spent too much time away from home to worry about it.

@A D - I can't read the font on that sign. I'll carry my shoes in my purse; I don't appreciate having to dig through a basket for my belongings.

I’m just here for the comments. 🍿

You hire a foot masseuse for the guests. I’d be taking my shoes off so fast. 😁

Littlebug, now we need a ”Toilet paper: Over or under?” thread.

My family has always taken our shoes off at the door and I have indoor crocs at each of my son’s homes. However, I don’t ask visitors or contractors to remove their shoes and I clean the floors afterward. My floors show footprints so I have to clean up afterwards even if they remove their shoes.

@jinx - but what if your TP is stacked? Or what if it's sitting on the back of the toilet? I can feel the disgust forming.

Jen, please take your shoes off before you use my toilet!

(Sorry, OP. She made me post that. It’s her fault.)

Hmm, that does bring up a point, though. I’m not using someone’s bathroom without my shoes on, tyvm.

LOLOL!! I think I’ll adopt the same policy, Jinx! 😂

For 20 plus years, we have not worn outside shoes in our home. We don’t like tracking outside germs into the house. We wear our slippers inside. When guests come over, it is up to them if they want to remove their shoes or not. All our relatives usually remove their shoes as they like walking around without them.

@Jilly nicely done, using wit to tie both your comments together.

There should be an accompanying thread from a Guest's perspective of "how do I know whether to keep my shoes on or off as a visitor?" It can't be overlooked that most of the onus is on the Guest - they should be looking for a pile, what others are doing, or asking the host.

Regarding the remark "If you lick the bottom of one of your shoes you can wear them in my house" - this is only a valid argument if you lick your floors. No matter what's on the bottom of a shoe, your feet are protected from it, while wearing a shoe, and floors can be mopped. Does your dog or cat wear a diaper so his butt doesn't touch your floor?

Asking a guest to expose their feet to potential dirt, fungus, injury is rude. Hygiene aside, you may be making guests uncomfortable for any number of other reasons too - what if they are embarrassed by something like toenail fungus, bunions, hammertoe, lack of pedicure, and hide this with their shoes? What if they have a hole in their sock? What if they don't want to wear slippers or socks that have been worn by others for hygiene reasons? What if they have special shoes to help with balance, pain? What if they have arthritis and struggle to get their shoes on and off?

Having people walking around barefoot exposes *you* to their potential fungus too. You don't know the health history of all your guests.

Wow, I was looking for ideas for nice options to provide to guests who opt to remove their shoes but may not be among those who carry their own house shoes with them. I had no idea of the range of perspectives. Everyone has issues, if I’m a guest in someone’s home and they don’t want shoes worn in their house, I’m not offended - I take my shoes off. I guess if I had concerns about taking my shoes off, I would be in a pickle because my issues would be in direct conflict with the host’s issues. I think everyone should try to be flexible and considerate, there is no “right” answer and no one tries to be a rude host or guest.

I have had this rule in my home for a long time now and find it easier than you may think to have guests go along with it. In our house we have a garage entry that leads into our front entryway. As a result we always have a pile of shoes in that area, and we're in our socks when we answer the door. Most people see this and either just take their shoes off or they ask if they should take them off, to which I reply "yes thank you, we're a shoes off type house." If someone that is coming over doesn't make the move on their own I learned that it is ok to just ask them, it get's less awkward the more you get used to just doing it. What I do is just phrase it more like an expectation than an ask. After I greet them I just say "come on in, you can leave your shoes anywhere on this rug."

Also surprised by how strongly some object to removing shoes, esp. with the increasing number of immunocompromised people.

To answer OP's question.

When inviting people over would say, "We prefer being a shoes-free house, feel free to bring slippers, or just wear socks. If you forget, we have plenty of guest slippers. Is that OK with you?"

If needed, on arrival say, "Would you like to take your shoes off?"

Crazy, If I'm hostng a dinner party or cocktail party or something like that, there is no way in H*ll that I would have the nerve to ask my guests to take off their shoes. Seriously?

If I'm hosting a very casual cookout or something like that and people ask me if I want them to take off their shoes, I just tell them I want them to be comfortable. Whatever they wish.

Floors can be washed. Bad taste can't be erased. IMO, of course.

For myself, I hate wearing shoes. So, if possible and acceptable to the hostes of an informal gathering, I'd rather take my shoes off. But if it's a more formal-ish event, my shoes are part of my outfit.

In July, I was chasing the kids on a water slide, slipped, and my toenails caught the seam with my full weight, jamming my big toenails. You really wanna look at this when I come over?

And the crowd goes silent ….

I don’t enforce no shoes but a lot of friends ask so I provide new gripper socks or slippers. I go back to pigs or cats. I get them at this cute sock only store. I don’t want bare feet. Rather have shoes.

If you have a 'no shoes home" don't have guests! I am often barefoot at home...just because it's kind of comfy. And at a good friend's house I will sometimes kick off my shoes.

I have never had a problem with people tracking stuff in....if it's wet or snowy, polite people remove their wet shoes...I had a huge party one very snowy evening and I didn't think of all the people who would be arriving in boots or wet shoes and the mess by the door got to be substantial!

But on a clear day, with dress up shoes, if I were asked...ASKED to take off my shoes, I would never return.

Remembering however, when my kids were young teens there was always a huge pile of enormous tennis shoes by the door. Seemed kids that age prefer not to wear shoes....winter or summer!!

Never thought shoe removal to be a controversial topic. North of the 48th, kids are raised to always remove shoes and this follows through into adulthood. In short, you treat your friend’s homes like you do your own. Hence, remove boots and shoes at the door. Perhaps it’s cause boots are worn in winter and automatically come off. No one wants snow, slush, mud and dripping water all over their floors. Boot and shoe removal are just a given, regardless of season.

This makes me so sad to think of how many people value a floor over a friend.

If you’ve ever had planter fasciitis like I do you would realize how extremely painful it is to walk or stand barefoot. As a consequence I even need to wear flip flops in the shower - doctor’s orders. Perhaps you should spell out your rules at the time of the invite so people can make an informed decision whether to accept or decline.

I was raised in Europe and in my culture it is considered very rude to enter a house with shoes on. Exception being elderly people who many times cannot bend down or have foot issues. I will not let kids in with shoes on...ever, adults should follow what the hostess does.

I am married to a person from a country in which shoes are never worn in the house. Once the habit is ingrained in you, it's not a big deal. We have hard-soled shoes for ourselves (mine are Birkenstock) that are our "inside" shoes; we kick off the outside shoes and slip on the inside shoes in the mudroom, it's automatic, don't even think about it.

His friends ALWAYS kick off their shoes at the door, don't even have to ask, they wouldn't dream of walking around in someone's house with outside shoes. We do have a basket of slippers of all sizes that we put out when people are coming over. My family is another story -- for some of them they just do it, either use our slippers or bring their own, others don't and I don't push it. But, I do go around the house mopping like a mad woman as soon as they leave. Who knows what they've cr*p (figurative and literally) they've tracked in.

I never ask contractors to take their footwear off. It is part of their work attire, how would you feel if someone asked you to take off part of your uniform? It's not only for their safety but mine -- I don't want to get sued because they stepped on a nail or banged and broke their toe or whatever because I asked them to remove their shoes. But yea I go around with the mop again ASAP LOL!

In my house I encourage guests to take off their shoes, but I do not insist that they do. At home I am almost always in my bare feet.

You don’t