data point: shoes off in the house is probably the exception, rather than the rule, in Australia. People who insist on shoes being removed are more likely to be from Asian, Subcontinental or Middle Eastern background. Anglo-celtic or European types who insist on shoes-off are likely to either have new carpet, or else they're the kinds of people who leave the plastic wrapping on their lounge & car seats in order to 'preserve' them.
Which is pretty weird since I'm from Northern Europe and I'm pretty sure that most of the people in Northern Europe and Russia don't wear shoes indoors.
Apparently it's very common in North America and UK(?) and at times I have wondered why people wear shoes indoors.
So as many of the folks here are from America and UK, here's a question for you: How many of you wear shoes indoors and why?
Southern USA, yes indoors. Some people wear special slippers so that doesn't count b/c it's not street shoes. Maybe we don't have as much mud as other places (less snow).
In my house, I DO wear shoes b/c I'm a crappy housekeeper and who knows what I'll step on, plus if I walk in bare feet then the parrot's food is always stuck to my soles. (They tend to scatter when they eat, and NO amount of sweeping can keep up.)
I *like* the idea of leaving street shoes at the door. But then I'm kind of an eclectic person in some ways.
"Humanity is a parade of fools, and I am at the front of it, twirling a baton." From Chapter 9 of _Brother Odd_ by Dean Koontz / from Chapter 10: "Life you can evade; death you cannot."
In my house, we both take off our shoes when we get home.
Interestingly enough, this was always a huge deal for my mother when I was growing up. My dad's family is more from the southern US and my dad and his parents always took off their shoes when they came in the house to stay for a while... Heck, it's even in the Beverly Hillbillies theme song - 'set a spell, take your shoes off.'
My mom's family, however, always left their shoes on in the house and she insisted I should do the same - that it was unhealthy and trashy to take your shoes off. Whatever. LOL.
We do here, but I don't know if it's for any more reason than it's just comfortable.
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I'm with wingy. it all depends on what's going on. most of the time, I'll take them off, but I'll walk up to my room in them first and take them off there because my mom "doesn't like shoes scattered all over the house" . anyway, if I'm not going to be home very long, like under 30 min or so, I'll leave 'em on. But, I do tell my guests (unless its business or I'm not real familiar with them) "take your shoes off, stay a while." I also leave them on typically when my niece and nephew are visiting because they scatter crumbs everywhere and that just makes me cringe when I step on it.
Pretty much the same as Esy. I usually wait until I'm to my room because of my mom as well. Most of the time, I don't even wear shoes to go outside if I'm just going to be in the yard or driveway.
We wear shoes indoors, 'cept when there's a white/new carpet involved, though I have known families to get bored with that rule after a month or so and forget/relax the rule.
Personally, I don't like the idea of wearing shoes indoors, but then I follow a Japanese blend of culture (if you ask anyone who knows me, I use a Japanese meditation technique and also loosely follow Bushido).
But as a rule? UK = shoes indoors. Not sure why, probably something to do with how cold/damp it can get here.
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fourpawsonthefloor wrote:Yeah, here in Canada? We mostly take shoes off. Rare exceptions for heels that a woman is wearing for appearances or when you're renovating. LOL
Where I live, it depends on the kind of shoes and the kind of weather. Snow boots in bad weather do not stay on indoors. And if the weather's bad enough, sometimes the socks come off too! Otherwise, people around here are very laid back about shoes.
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I wear shoes indoors, unless I don't want to. Although, considering what we walk on outside, it'd be waaaay more healthy to NOT track all that around...
When I tried to do the whole Japanese removing shoes and putting on house slippers, I got so much flack from my family, and then my house shoes would get icky as everyone else wears their shoes all over inside, it just wasn't worth the hassle.
"... Pirates just kidnapped the bride and everyone is laughing. God I wish I spoke Finnish."
My husband actually has a small stroke if someone so much as puts the toe of their shoe on our carpet. Take them off at the door is the rule. I wear shoes and socks as little as humanly possible, and consider that much healthier than if you wore them all the time...that reduces the strength of your foot's muscles. And yeah, tracking that dog poo/whatever in the house? Not so much. LOL
However, different strokes for different folks and I would respect the persons wishes of whereever I was.
same, paws. I had a best friend in elem/jr high who's parents made you take off your shoes at the door. I think her mom's reasoning was because they had an expensive oriental rug in every room of the house just about. But I also wondered about culture. Her mom's mexican, but her dad's Iranian, so I thought maybe it was a thing for him too. I did what they asked of me though and didn't say a word as I loved her family.
I didn't, until my podiatrist told me I had to...with orthotic support inserts. I have to wear them in my moccs too. It's an old lady thing.
I would go barefoot all year round, if I could, and I did, as a child, except for public places where it is a health regulation that you must wear shoes indoors.
I think it is a good idea to take off your shoes indoors, if you can, especially if you have carpets. Keeps them cleaner.
I go barefoot whenever I can. People mostly wear socks or slippers or go barefoot. But if company's coming over and it's someone special, you put on shoes. If it's just plain old folks you've known for years, you don't.
But no one ever takes off their shoes if they visit someone unless that person tells them it's okay.
I never wear shoes indoors...And I think that's why I have healthy feet. However, my parents, sister and most other (and especially older) people I know always wear shoes indoors. And when you visit somebody's home, you never ever take off your shoes...
“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a bike and that’s pretty close”
Elwing wrote:And when you visit somebody's home, you never ever take off your shoes...
I was raised the opposite to this. You NEVER walk in someone's house with shoes on (unless they tell you that's the way it is, but it doesn't happen much). Even if you're only going in for a minute, if you go past the entranceway where the shoes are, you must take them off. I thought it was because everyone has wall-to-wall carpet everywhere but the kitchen and bathroom where I come from. Don't want to mess it up.
In Korea this is an even bigger deal, like when I moved into my apartment the floor was filthy (no carpet) so I kept my shoes on, and the administrator helping me was absolutely horrified.
People wearing shoes inside when they were just hanging out in Europe was really weird. But most people didn't have carpet so I guess it wasn't a big deal. Aside from being really uncomfortable, and then when you take your shoes off your feet get all dirty.
It's amazing how complicated this is in different areas.
Yes, it's absolutely true, when visiting people keep on your shoes. I don't wear shoes at home, my mom thinks that's a bit odd and everyone keeps their shoes on when visiting me, and it would never occur to me to ask them to take off their shoes. You don't do that.
I think this may be rooted in cold living conditions in the past. Also, well, European people tend to dress up more for visits and just generally all around. My stepmother who shows up at my home in her armani suit, nylons, jewellery and everything would just look wierd all dressed up without shoes! Same for my dad- he sits on the couch at home with the newspaper, burberry jacket, tie, and of course shoes. I've never in my life seen him dressed down or shoeless.
It's very deep rooted, especially in older people. It's unfortunate too- I work at a hospital and I get to see those poor deformed feet that have hidden deep into shoes for 60+years. Ugh!
Go shoeless whenever possible, much better for the feet!
“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a bike and that’s pretty close”
The Drastic Spastic wrote:Winter is when shoes need to be removed the most, because they are covered in snow and make a big mess.
Can't say we really have that problem here...no snow. Not even rain lately...stupid drought...
One problem I do have while enjoying my barefootedness is dislocating the little toe on my right foot. I did it once a long time ago and now I just have to brush it against something and out it goes. I nudged it against a bag of groceries I hadn't put away yesterday...and out it went. Hurts like all get out until I can pop it back in again.
The Librarian ~ Keeper of Elfin Facts
I'm sick of my subconscious...it's like it's got a mind of its own...
All this shoe talk reminds me of my wedding reception. I forget who started it, but somebody (probably hubby -- this was before he needed orthotics like neling) took off shoes, then I saw it as perfect excuse to take off mine (I dont "do" dress shoes ... more of a Birkenstock gal back then, so mine felt umcomfortable no matter how hard I'd tried to find a malleable pair) and we have all these pictures of several of us sitting on metal folding chairs chowing down, our stockinged feet propped on the floor. The kids of course used it as an excuse to go zooming and slipping around in their socks. None of the over-40 crowd removed shoes, however - only those of us in thirties and under.
Nice memory.
"Humanity is a parade of fools, and I am at the front of it, twirling a baton." From Chapter 9 of _Brother Odd_ by Dean Koontz / from Chapter 10: "Life you can evade; death you cannot."
It's kind of a "whatever" thing in my house... I usually take off my shoes because my doctor told me it was better for my feet... but generally we wear shoes all around the house. Mostly because we love to play out on the computer in the unheated sunroom, which frequently drops to forty degrees air temperature. And then, of course, it's tiled with ceramic, so it's like walking across ice. My toes go numb if I don't wear something out there.
~Def.
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Right across the lane from the demon and just down the wall from Wolverine.
RIP Kurt Wagner. You were the character who brought in me into comics, who introduced me and inspired me. Now your death has sent me away again. Wherever you are in the Marvel Universe, I hope its someplace pleasant.
My mom would tan my hide if I cam in the house with shoes on. We leave them at the door. My background is Polish-Irish-Russian-with less than 5% Mongolian. For public places, shoes are required.
I came cuz the post's title intrigued me and what I read intrigues me even more because I always thought it was only Asian cultures that followed the 'no shoes indoors' policy. Mexico, and as far as I know all or most Latin American countries, don't follow that at all (don't take my word for it though, I've never been to any LatAm countries), and those people who do are more the exception than the rule. In all my life I've never been to a house where I was asked to take my shoes off, but when we do (and you have to be absolutely at ease at that house, otherwise it's rude to do so) it's only for comfort and even then we tend to wear slippers or something.
~Twitch~
We are what we are Scott--wishing won't change a blessed thing. Nor will feeling sorry for yourself. I learned very early on that I must either accept what I am, or go mad. And though I am now occasionally crazy, I am not mad. If you keep tearing your guts apart every time you think the world's shafted you, my friend, you'll destroy not only yourself, but those who love you.
:multiple 
. anyway, if I'm not going to be home very long, like under 30 min or so, I'll leave 'em on. But, I do tell my guests (unless its business or I'm not real familiar with them) "take your shoes off, stay a while." I also leave them on typically when my niece and nephew are visiting because they scatter crumbs everywhere and that just makes me cringe when I step on it.
I did what they asked of me though and didn't say a word as I loved her family. 
The Librarian ~ Keeper of Elfin Facts 
I'm sick of my subconscious...it's like it's got a mind of its own... 
