Houses with 'No Shoe' Rules

Lately I've visited several homes where I've been asked to take off my shoes. In each case it seems that the house has a 'no shoe' rule. The thing is, I haven't been offered slippers to wear and I don't typically keep a pair with me (although I'm reconsidering keeping a pair in the trunk of the car).

To be honest, I don't like getting a good pair socks overly dirty. I don't care how clean a floor is ... it does soil the socks more than usual. If the socks are delicate, I find that going shoeless can wear them through very quickly.

I realize that in some cultures this may be the norm ... but both recent instances when this has occurred I have have been in households of Anglo-Saxon ethnicity.

Anyone care to share thoughts.

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BTW ... it seems to me that the word 'with' in the title shouldn't be capitalized ... but the program makes the decision for me.

You wear socks more than once? Heathen.

I haven't had to deal with this in years. The last time I was asked to do this was at my best friends hose when I was a kid. His parents didn't allow shoes in the house.

Nowadays I would rather not take my shoes off, but there's really nothing you can do about it in certain situations. Especially when your in someone else's home.

The best you can do is tell them that your feet smell like a dirty bag of vomit and hobo funk.

their house, their rules



CharlesAlexander said:

I haven't had to deal with this in years. The last time I was asked to do this was at my best friends hose when I was a kid. His parents didn't allow shoes in the house.

Nowadays I would rather not take my shoes off, but there's really nothing you can do about it in certain situations. Especially when your in someone else's home.

The best you can do is tell them that your feet smell like a dirty bag of vomit and hobo funk.

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Actually, that's basically what you're tracking into the house when you wear your shoes.

their castle, their rules. but if you weigh your relationship with the hosts against a pair of socks, perhaps you should just not visit them.

Lucky that I haven't come across this as I very rarely wear socks. Come to think of it, maybe that's why they let me keep my shoes on.

I've experienced this often in Canada. I'm not sure what the origins are, but it's annoying.

My wife's mother is from Scotland (and her father has roots there as well) and they prefer people keep their shoes on when entering their house, and we do the same in ours.

My wife and I found it peculiar (and distasteful) when we were invited to a party where people were expected to dress nicely (suits, cocktail dresses and the like) and then the women and men were made to remove their footwear, thus diminishing their outfits.

Unless you've just come in from tramping in the mud-soaked trails of the countryside, wiping one's feet before entering someone's home should be more than sufficient to remove any objectionable dirt etc.

I've started a thread about this in the past somewhere...the practice seems silly to me. People have some odd misconception that their floors are cleaner than they really are (as evidenced by your dirty socks...)

I know it is common in asia...but that they also offer slippers.

Its definitely a "their house, their rules" thing...just that at my house I would never ask a guest to remove their shoes unless it is rainy/snowy/muddy outside (in which case any reasonable person would probably remove them without being asked).

If it is a party or event rather than just a normal few friends dropping then I find the rule a little bit rude--my rule of thumb would be was it planned in advance/a formal invitation made or "will the average guest have put extra thought/effort into what they are going to wear to this party". Any event that fits into this will probably require cleanup afterwards anyways and it is rude to ask people to remove something that they chose to wear as a part of their outfit...especially women that are really into their shoes. Beyond a certain number of people, someone is bound to spill part of their drink or drop bits of their food and nobody wants to walk in that **** with socks on.

The other half of the custom is that slippers are supposed to be offered.

This is a Midwestern and Middle Eastern tradition. Taking shoes off when entering a home in the Midwest is a sign of respect. I have new hardwood floors, I do not want them scratched. I have a huge mat to throw shoes and boots on.

I grew up with this rule and do not find it weird at all.

My wife and I generally remove our shoes when we get home. It's not a hard-and-fast rule, but it's something we prefer to do. I know the floor probably isn't any cleaner on a microbiotic level, but it does help prevent tracking in stuff from outdoors, scuffs, etc. That said, we certainly waive the "no shoes" rule when we have company over. It seems kind of ridiculous to expect everyone to do so, especially when it's a cookout or other event where people will be moving in and out of the house.

That said, I agree with the posters above: When you're a guest it's "their house, their rules."

I think it's offensive when someone asks you to do this to be honest.

I'd wager it's mostly of the "don't soil my carpets" sort of request... rather than for any "higher" reason; and nobody outside of about 4 people here understand the "slippers" rule.

I don't usually experience it except when visiting open-house/4-sales.



Master Squirrel said:

This is a Midwestern and Middle Eastern tradition. Taking shoes off when entering a home in the Midwest is a sign of respect. I have new hardwood floors, I do not want them scratched. I have a huge mat to throw shoes and boots on.

I grew up with this rule and do not find it weird at all.

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If anything, it is the carpet I worry about.

Hardwood is easy enough to clean and its designed to be walked on...not to last forever without refinishing. I can see being anal about it when it is brand new for a few weeks but really...it is a floor. Light colored rugs (especially wool) can be hard to clean dirty **** off...but unless you went with pure white, you need to either have moisture involved or have just walked in dirt to really mess them up.

Put one of those fiber door mats outside the door so people get a little brushing when they walk in and a rug right inside the door...this will take care of any sharp rocks or something that might seriously damage your floors--everything else, I could care less.

I usually take my shoes off when I get home as a comfort thing...but sometimes just to put on another pair of shoes, especially if I came from work and its time to polish or I am going to do something thats rough n the shoes. I especially dislike cooking with bare feet when sharp knives and heavy pans are involved...and I don't know any way to get around this if you won't wear shoes indoors.

You wear shoes in the office don't you? Someone else cleans the floors there--are you just too lazy to clean your floors at home?