***Do you wear shoes in your house?
***If you don't wear shoes in your house, do you ask your guests to take their shoes off? If so, do you provide them with slippers/socks? Or is the rule for family only?
We wear shoes in our house, so this is a non-issue for our guests. Sometimes guests actually feel more comfortable if they have their shoes off, and we're fine with that, as long as their feet don't smell. ;-)
When I go to someones house, I try to remember to take along a pair of socks. That way, if they prefer me to take my shoes off, I feel more at ease doing so. For some reason, I am *not* comfortable at someones house with my shoes off (though I do go barefoot at home quite often). One time it was the express wish of someone, and I didn't have socks. I had a *HUGE* runner in my nylons, and didn't wish to while the evening away with my big toe sticking out! So I asked the lady of the house for a pair of socks.
And while I do not necessarily feel comfortable with bare feet, I always respect the host and hostesses wishes!
23 comments:
We wear shoes. But I do agree with you and I am not comfortable with my shoes off at others houses.
Right now we *have* to wear shoes in our house because of nails and things like that. : ) But we prefer not to wear shoes. I have never asked guests to take off their shoes, but they are welcome to if it makes them more comfortable.
We live in Sweden, where all guests automatically take off their shoes. Sometimes they bring slippers, but mostly they just stay in their socks. Everyone is used to it - and I've become so used to it that I really feel strange when I visit back in the UK and see people tramping through others' houses in their dusty outdoor shoes.
To me it seems like bad manners to risk messing up people's furnishings. It also doesn't seem very hygienic to bring dirt in and grind it into the fitted carpets. My parents still have a nasty mark on their living-room carpet where a visitor stood in his outdoor shoes, and one of their sofas has an ugly shoe-polish mark on the front for the same reason. It seems so unnecessary when taking one's shoes off costs nothing.
I rather agree with Musiclover on this one. We take off shoes in our home, and I do expect others to do the same. I won't ask them to, however, they generally will out of habit. I think part of it may be because we are in Maine and more than half our year is spend with snow and/or mud. I this Musiclover summed it up best in her last sentence.
I don't like to have my shoes on at home, but I don't ask people to take them off either. I too would respect the host or hostesses wishes. But I have never been asked to take off my shoes. Other than if one of my children have stepped into dog mess. lol.
hmmm...I've always thought that bare feet is a private issue. Sounds weird since a lot of people go barefoot. But it almost seems to me that a revealing of yourself. If that makes any sense.
I definitely respect other house rules. John usually asks...especially at a new house. None issue for us. We don't care.
We don't generally wear our shoes in the house, but do put on slippers. We have wood floors at this time so we don't ask our guests to take off their shoes unless its really muddy outside. I have a goal of having a basket of homemade slippers by the door for after we get carpet in our living-room. Then I will ask guests to please remove their shoes and help themselves to a pair of slippers if they don't want to go barefoot. I have noticed though that just about all my guests ask if they should remove their shoes. I ask too when I go into someone elses home and I always carry some kind of socks or slippers. My tooties just get cold. :o)
I always take mine off. To me it is more comfortable that way.
When people come to our house, they either ask, which we tell them however they feel comfy, or they just automaticly take them off. We have our choes by the door and I think when people come in they see that and just take them off.
If someone asks me for socks, I have a few clean pairs that I reserve just for visitors. (yes I do clean them in between time)
We wear shoes, socks and slippers. I'm more comfortable in my slippers.
MarthaStewart.com has an easy sewing slipper project. She says she keeps a small basket of them near her front door.
I'll repost a link tomorrow.
We wear shoes in our house and don't ask visitors to take them off--however if they'd like to they can.
We have 3 large dogs and I'm used to frequent vacuuming and carpet cleaning--it's just S.O.P around here.
IMO, people are more important than material things and I don't wish for someone to be uncomfortable by forcing them to remove their shoes. However if I'm at someone's house and they wish for me to remove mine I gladly will--after all it's their house and their rules and I will happily comply. (o:
It just depends. Right now, we are renting and the carpets were just cleaned - I tend to be a bit more neurotic at times like these - but mostly with my family.
When we owned the home, it was no biggie - if the carpets had just been cleaned, I would ask my family members to take their shoes off when they came in. Once the carpets inevitably started looking dingy, the rules began to slip a bit.
Guests usually take their shoes off without my even asking. Most say it's because our home seems clean and tidy - they don't want to mess it up with their outside shoes.
To each his own - not a huge deal either way really. But certainly got me thinking about WHY we do some of these things and what is *really* important!
~In Him~
Lori
I always remove if asked.
We wear our shoes in our house if we want, but I'm always more comfy in socks!
Being in Niger I try to change my sandals at the door to indoor sandals/flip-flops, yet that mostly doesn't happen. When visiting Nigerien homes, I watch what others do as the custom is to remove sandals but not always. In the villages most floors are dirt yet sandals are removed.
We don't wear shoes in our house--they are sometimes worn downstairs, but never worn upstairs. That is just us though--I wear sandals, flip-flops or easy to slip on and off shoes---
It is not a rule set in stone, I don't go running after my son if he if he has his shoes on (LOL) I would never, ever ask a guest to take there shoes off--and I don't know how I would feel if someone asked me to take my shoes off---I can't remember ever being asked to do so...(LOL)
Great question Tammy, very interesting to read all the answers.
Julieann:)
We wear shoes at our house and we also go without shoes at our house. We are a whatever suits the person kind of household. My daughter loves to wear shoes all the time. She does that to save wear and tear on her socks. I on the other hand like to go without shoes on my feet. My feet sweat so much and it makes me so much hotter to wear them so I just choose not to. I grew up no hardly ever wearing shoes. I went barefoot all the time...indoors and outdoors.
Hi Tammy,
Lots of times we don't wear shoes in our home; when I'm really trying to be productive, I wear tennis shoes and just whiz through the work. (Kind of like wearing athletic apparel makes me feel athletic. heh heh)
In the winter we wear socks and slippers. Our guests are welcome with shoes and without. So far nobody's tromped in a big muddy pair!
When we are guests we kind of go with whatever that family does.
Trixie
I try to remember to remove my shoes when I go to someone elses home, but I want people to feel at home when they come to my house so it's an option for them. We have hardwood floors so I'm not worried about mud stains on the carpet.
Your idea to carry socks with you is a good one. And you know, thinking about your idea to carry socks with you brought to mind that it would be a neat idea for those that DO wish for others to remove their socks to have a basket of socks by the door for anyone that would like to wear them while they're visiting.
Do you know that this is very amusing to me. When I watch shows based out of the US I notice that everyone always keeps their shoes on. It totally shocks me. Here in Canada, where I live anyway, it is unheard of to wear shoes in the house. Although it is quite normal to bring our slippers with us wherever we go :)
Laura
I'm still trying to figure out how to get my kids to put ON their shoes when they go outside!! Because when they come back in, they can't take off their feet to get rid of the mud, know what I mean?
Plus I have vague ideas that people in the neighborhood are thinking, "oh, there's that weird homeschooling family that lets their kids run around barefoot in winter..."
So, in our house, just getting people to put ON shoes is a victory.
It was SO interesting to read everyone's responses! Thanks for answering!
Hi Tammy, I did read this post the day you wrote it...I just saved it in my bloglines to answer later, and I'm just getting back to it!
I HAVE to wear shoes, so I don't know what I'd do if people asked me to take mine off. My heel spur surgery on both feet requires me to always have support. So from the instant my feet step out of bed (even in the middle of the night) I slip on tennis shoes...and I have shoes on basically 24/7 except when I'm sleeping!
So, we don't require guests to take their shoes off at our house, altho all the kids here basically wear socks and no shoes around the house all the time.
I hate shoes, so of course I only wear them when I absolutely have to.....aka there's a foot or two of snow outside. :) It is so much of a habit that I take them off whenever I go in someone's house. And I think the large shoe rack sitting just inside our door is a pretty big clue for guests to remove theirs.....lol. :) It's kinda funny, b/c I was NEVER brought up to take my shoes off.....but it seems everyone in Canada does!
oh, and I was going to mention when I went to South Korea, you have to take them off everywhere, which I loved! The coolest part is that their floors are heated so you don't get cold toes!
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