Wearing shoes inside the house?

[Matt]

Grew up in a shoes-on-inside house, but Ive been in Asia so long that it feels weird to me now.

 

[Flieger]

This is probably an asian thing, taking your shoes off, etc.
It is a weird concept to me. If you have invite family and friends over to your house, being all dressed up for a party, you would then ask them to remove their shoes? People in suits, cocktaildresses etc. would then have to walk barefoot or on socks because the host is obsessed with his carpet and bacteriae etc.
Sounds pretty ridiculous to me. I would respect that habit though if it is the culture of the country I am in. Or perhaps the culture the host is from.

 

[Matt]

correct, and first time I did it, it felt really odd.

 

[CDFS]

Originally Posted by holymadness

Eason and unjung have nailed it. It's not about cleanliness, it's about manners. I have never known anyone, friend or family, to allow shoes on in the house where I grew up. And understandably, that attitude might differ from place to place.
It's about manners to take off shoes when asked or when expected. But I think there is another side to that coin (if that is an English expression). Manners would also indicate to not let guest have cold feet. And I have experienced that the host had nice slippers while I sat there with (slightly) cold feet. A faux pas, IMO.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by m@T

Grew up in a shoes-on-inside house, but Ive been in Asia so long that it feels weird to me now.

+1. It is so rude in Japan to wear shoes in a home that it is simply never done.

I know of some companies that have facilities where employees swap their street shoes for slippers as soon as they enter. As a guest, I was given slippers to use...very ugly slippers. Nothing like getting all dressed up in my finest suit, etc and then wearing a pair of cheap vinyl slippers as I shuffled about giving a presentation to the board of directors.

 

[Agnacious]

Asking people to take their shoes off is one step away from having plastic on your furniture.

I don't wear shoes around my house because I don't want to. If someone comes over (and is not family) I put shoes on. I would never ask someone to take their shoes off with the main concern being so they don't soil my home. I have my place cleaned regularly.

I can also think of few things more repulsive than the thought of visitor slippers (not intended for bedroom stays). I hope I never meet anyone so crass as to think I would don a pair of these.

Obviously cultural norms do not apply to my position.

 

[dkzzzz]

Some folks say it is not about hygiene or general cleanliness. I say yes it is. Average home in Scandinavia is 10000 times cleaner than any American home. I have been to a number of homes and apartments in US , you people are pigs . You take 4 showers a day and douse yourself with deodorants to appear clean and proper, but behind the doors of your dwellings you leave in a pigsties. To think of it; it is very similar to your public and private personas.

 

[greg_atlanta]

I do since my roommate is korean, but I HATE the pile of shoes that accumulates near the door.... sometimes 10-15 pairs. Asian homes sometimes have a shoe rack at the front door, but often the whole family's shoes are cluttered near the door. Hard not to trip over them.

 

[TheFoo]

My wife and I don't wear shoes in our home--both of us were raised that way. Growing up, I thought it was a Chinese or Asian thing, as most of my non-Asian friends seemed to wear shoes around the house or not care either way.

But I agree, it's annoying to be asked to take off your shoes at a party, unless it's a really casual get together. We don't ask people to take off their shoes when they come over, but we appreciate it when they offer to. We do the same when we're the ones visiting.

 

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Alter

I know of some companies that have facilities where employees swap their street shoes for slippers as soon as they enter. As a guest, I was given slippers to use...very ugly slippers. Nothing like getting all dressed up in my finest suit, etc and then wearing a pair of cheap vinyl slippers as I shuffled about giving a presentation to the board of directors.
yup, the Panasonic office/factory in Vietnam is like that. Was very odd.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Barefoot in the summer, socks in the winter unless I'm entertaining. I follow whatever the rule of the house is if I'm a guest, and tell my guests to do whatever they prefer. I think pretty much all of them have followed my lead.

I ask any tradesmen or other people who are doing work in my house to take their shoes off. I've got a few pairs of those paper slippers that you see in some airport security check-in lines for anybody who has a problem with that.

 

[Renault78law]

I take my shoes off at home, and ask my guests to do the same. I prefer removing my own shoes when I'm at a friend's house.

For households that make it mandatory for guests to remove their shoes, I think the least they can do is provide a stool. Not everyone wears slipons.

 

[Lucky7]

Nobody wears shoes in my home. I have hardsurface throughout my home, tile, stone, wood, and area rugs. You wouldn't believe what carpet hides. When my crews are out ripping out carpet in homes/office buildings what is left under it, or buried in the fiber is absolutely disgusting.

 

[SField]

I would never even think of going in someone's house/apartment with shoes on. Every home I've been to where people wear shoes indoors have been (including the families themselves), a little on the 'rustic' side, socio-economically.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by SField

I would never even think of going in someone's house/apartment with shoes on. Every home I've been to where people wear shoes indoors have been (including the families themselves), a little on the 'rustic' side, socio-economically.

I doubt that people who live in those old English "piles" take their shoes off.