Do You Ask Your Guests To Remove Their Shoes

[Peppermint Leaf]

has anyone read the heated discussion in this thread : http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=832587

Its worth reading

[normajean]

No we do not ask our guests to remove their shoes.

[carole3]

No we do not ask are guest to remove shoes.

[organic-momma]

It's pretty much just the norm in Canada that nobody wears shoes in the house (we'd be tracking in lots of slush & snow if we did), so it's just never a question, people walk in and take of their shoes. I find it really gross when people wear shoes indoors personally.

[the_lissa]

Same here. I have never asked someone to remove their shoes because they do. It is the norm and the polite thing to do here.

I find it really gross too.

I have asked guests to keep their shoes on if they want if my floor is dirty for some reason.

It really annoys me when people think it is rude to ask guests to take off their shoes or something. First of all, it is cultural. Just because it isn't your culture doesn't make it rude. Second of all, I am sure everyone has things they don't permit in their house- smoking for example.

[the_lissa]

Is there a country besides the U.S. where this is not the norm? My googling is showing that only the U.S. does this.

[Peppermint Leaf]

Originally Posted by the_lissa

Same here. I have never asked someone to remove their shoes because they do. It is the norm and the polite thing to do here.

I find it really gross too.

I have asked guests to keep their shoes on if they want if my floor is dirty for some reason.

It really annoys me when people think it is rude to ask guests to take off their shoes or something. First of all, it is cultural. Just because it isn't your culture doesn't make it rude. Second of all, I am sure everyone has things they don't permit in their house- smoking for example.

__________________________



I agree. I think if someone is truly my friend they will respect my wishes in MY home. If I asked you not to smoke - would you light up anyway? If I told you I had a nut allergy would you bring me a Walnut Cake?? NO ... so this shouldn't be an issue either

[tree_hugger]

I don't ask guests to remove their shoes. Most will offer to do so if the weather is bad.

I find the idea of wearing someone else's slippers really gross. I seems unhygenic to me.

[the_lissa]

I've never worn anyone's slippers.

We just wear our socks here or bare feet in the summer.

[honolula]

We take our shoes off, but I wouldn't ask anyone else to.
I hope that my guests follow my example but if they don't, I have to suck. it. up. I would MUCH RATHER have to clean up the scant dirt left by the the very occasional guest (what, are you people entertaining theater troups on a nightly basis?) than potentially embarrass a guest in my own home.

I'm saying this from my limited regional perspective, of course. I might have a completely different attitude about it if I lived in a place where people expected to take off their shoes, and were therefor prepared for it. I have a pair of shoes that stinks to HIGH HEAVEN, but they're so darn comfortable, so I wear them all the time. If someone insisted that I take them off in mixed company, I'd probably just leave. But, I guess if I lived in Canada or any other place where shoe removal is the norm, those shoes would be alocated for shopping, and I'd be wearing un-smelly ones to visit friend's houses.
I'm sure I'd invest in the occassional pedicure, too

[aratiaw]

No, but we often wear shoes around the house ourselves. Our carpet is in pretty bad shape (old, rental property). Perhaps if we had nice carpet we'd feel differently.

Sometimes guests offer to take their shoes off out of politeness. When I visit someone, if I notice shoes by the door I offer to remove my shoes too, but most people tell me to leave them on.

[MommyErin]

Originally Posted by the_lissa

It really annoys me when people think it is rude to ask guests to take off their shoes or something. First of all, it is cultural. Just because it isn't your culture doesn't make it rude. Second of all, I am sure everyone has things they don't permit in their house- smoking for example.

That's kinda funny that you put it that way. Where I come from, it's very rude to ask people to take off their shoes. You can set the example, if that's what you want to encourage guest to do, but having been raised to be a "Southern Lady", one would never ask a guest to take off their shoes simply to keep one's house cleaner.

On the other hand, where I come from, no lady or gentleman would ever light up a cigarette in someone else's house without being invited to light up. If you aren't invited to, you step outside. I was raised in KY, south but not the deep south, so I never really thought of these being strictly southern mores. This is particularly funny as KY is still a completely smoking state -- you can still smoke in restaurants even!

*I* get particularly incensed when someone asks me to take off my shoes in their house and their floors are so dirty that my socks get so dirty and crusty that I don't want to put my shoes back on. Now *that's* rude! And it's happened to me more than once!

[brogansmomma]

I don't ask but only because everyone that I know automatically removes their shoes when coming into the/a house. I would ask though if they didn't. I have enough trouble keeping my floors clean with my 3-year-old without cleaning up outside dirt as well. I also automatically remove my shoes when going to someone else's house. It just feels strange for me not to.

[CortLong]

I would never ask someone to remove their shoes in my house. I wear shoes a majority of the time just because it's the only way I get anything done- and most people who know me know this.

ETA- The 'open' part of our house (ie. the only part that guests will walk in) is hardwood. Don't know if that makes a difference in people's decisions to remove their shoes or not. It's easier to clean (IMHO) and much more hygenic.

[artparent]

i didn't realise it wasn't just the thing to do! i guess it must just be canadian
i would ask if someone didn't...we live in the city and my kids eat off the floor

you could start a cultural revolution.

*

[BookGoddess]

We don't have to ask people to remove their shoes. It's the cultural norm here. It would be completely shocking in Hawaii ,where I live, to wear shoes inside someone's home. It's just not done. Ever. Well if one is a newcomer or a tourist perhaps it's done but locals and long-time residents don't do it. Even newbies can tell what needs to be done because there's usually a big pile of shoes by the front door.

[rawbanana]

Yep! But its because my 2.5 yr old has lots of unknown environmental allergies so we dont want stuff tracked all over our house (even though we DO have wood floors thru out-at 34wks pg, I dont have the energy to mop all the time) =) But everyone is always understanding and we never have guests over that are 'surprise guests' so I always tell them ahead of time that we have a no shoes house, so they might want to wear their 'good socks' =)

Anna

[Erin+babyAndrew]

Originally Posted by organic-momma

It's pretty much just the norm in Canada that nobody wears shoes in the house (we'd be tracking in lots of slush & snow if we did), so it's just never a question, people walk in and take of their shoes. I find it really gross when people wear shoes indoors personally.

totally agree. even if the person's home is less than spotless, I still remove my shoes. IMO it shows respect to remove shoes.

[ollineeba]

Originally Posted by honolula

We take our shoes off, but I wouldn't ask anyone else to.
I hope that my guests follow my example but if they don't, I have to suck. it. up. I would MUCH RATHER have to clean up the scant dirt left by the the very occasional guest (what, are you people entertaining theater troups on a nightly basis?) than potentially embarrass a guest in my own home.

This is how I feel, too. I prefer when people take off their shoes, especially since my kids play so much on the floor.. but I don't want to embarass or make a guest uncomfortable. I almost always take off my shoes when I visit someone else.

[bwylde]

Originally Posted by organic-momma

It's pretty much just the norm in Canada that nobody wears shoes in the house (we'd be tracking in lots of slush & snow if we did), so it's just never a question, people walk in and take of their shoes. I find it really gross when people wear shoes indoors personally.

Actually, it is not the norm here. Nobody takes off their shoes when visiting and I don't ask them to take them off.