Do shoes come off at the door?

Metranil_Vavin

I ask everyone who comes into our flat to take their shoes off, including the meter man. We had expensive new carpets put down just before Xmas, and I'm B*ggered if I'm going to let anyone trample muck all over them!
I don't see it as rude however if people don't automatically take them off at the door, but I don't think it's at all rude for me to ask either.

*Louise*

My family all take their shoes off when they get in. downstairs has wood flooring so easy to clean - but it's the noise of them all clumping about that annoys me :rotfl:

I never ask visitors to remove their shoes, I thought it funny that DS1's friends all remove their shoes when they come over to play indoors - even though I have never asked them to.

nadnad

elainew wrote: »

I gthink its rude that someone wouldnt obey the rules of my house. Would you wear your shoes in bed if you had walked outside in them first--i dont see why the carpet my kid plays on is any different.

if someone asked me to remove my shoes then i would without hestitation, but I would feel a little embarrassed as I'm not used to taking my shoes off in other peoples houses.

Mrcow wrote:

Like I said, we all have our own standards. Hoovering a tiled floor doesn't make it clean btw!

yes but hoovering a tiled floor removes most of the visible dirt and debris. also i can wash my tiled floors every week - but you can't wash carpets, so in my opinion tiles are much more clean than carpet. Also i don't think its bad for kids to get a bit of dirt and germs on them - good for their immune system!!

i can understand anyone with carpets not wanting dirty shoes everywhere, but i dont have that worry

sooz

debtfreein4years wrote: »

i voted just family as ive got laminate downstairs and a cream carpet upstairs (who in their right mind puts cream carpet in a rented house??)
gxx

I put cream/sand coloured carpets in all my houses. People like it, & it makes rooms lighter & brighter. I am instantly turned off by any property with a carpet that 'hides' stains
Although they are always washable cream carpets, which do not stain at all. They can be bleach cleaned, but look like normal loop piled wool blends. They are not quite so soft underfoot, & you can get carpet burns if you are too vigourous on your knees;)

Nicki

nadnad wrote: »

i can't believe how many people think it rude that visitors dont automatically take their shoes off! i actually dont know anyone who takes their shoes off in the house. ooh actually when i was little a family across the street did and everyone thought they were weird lol, and also i remember as a child feeling very embarrassed and awkward having to remove my shoes to go into that house.

IME its more of an english thing nad nad. I grew up in N Ireland and the only time I was ever asked to take my shoes off (or saw anyone doing it) was at the house of a friend whose mum was english. Now that I live in England, its about 50:50 whether people want you to do it or not. I tend to take my cue from them though. If they take theirs off when they go into the house or open the door in bare feet, then I'll take mine off too, but if they have shoes on mine stay on too.

In my own house, I was brought up to make visitors feel welcome, so guests can either take their shoes off or keep them on according to how comfortable they feel. I'd never ask them to do one or the other. The family tend to kick theirs off for comfort, but not necessarily by the front door. And I've got 2 kids, now past the crawling stage, and none of them ever picked up any illnesses as a result. If you are worried to this extent about your kids exposure to germs you'd never take them to any mother and toddler/indoor play groups or let them visit anyone's home because they'd be exposed to all these germs and more there, and to be honest that would do them more harm, than playing in a house where people occasionally wore outdoor shoes!

Soubrette

Nicki wrote: »

IME its more of an english thing nad nad.

My husband is Canadian and it is the height of rudeness not to take off your shoes in his eyes. Of course there is a practical reason as they have lots of snow/mud to deal with in the winter but I think it's so automatic that they never think of the reason behind it - you just take your shoes off when you go into someone else's house.

I'm more of a...if the carpets look dirtier than my shoes then I'd rather keep them on thanks very much

And as we are redecorating and have a dog with poor paws at the mo, I don't blame anyone with keeping their shoes on in my house

When we have new carpets though, I shall be asking for shoes off

Sou

lostinrates

I'd klike to further my stance on this. I went, about a year and a half ago to a formal dinner party with colleagues, and indeed seniors, of my DH held in someones home.

I put a great deal of effort into choosing clothes right for meeting his bosses and colleagues and that included the shoes. I purposely wore shoes with a broad heel, so as not to risk floor dents, and to match them to what I was wearing. I have NEVER been asked to remove shoes before at such an appointment, as was, frankly, a bit wrong footed by being asked to. And a bit embarrassed as I had not ''prepared my feet'' for the evening and I had yucky chipped nail polish on etc. Might sound silly, but I was very concious of it, though I hope no one else noticed. I was very relieves I had no athletes foot or verrucas! But I hope none of the other barelegged/thin tights women did. The only woman who was quite relaxed was the hostess. She had lovely silk slippers on, though.

Had it been a bbq and we had been wandering in and out of the house I would have more easily understood it, but it was a very 'formal' meal in the home of someone who I didn't really no, and wasn't really at by choice!

Where I live in the country I often pop into my neighbours and if I'm wearing what I call ''outdoor shoes'' trainers, boots, muckers, of course I'd remove them without being asked, its a different scenario.

When I go to other people's homes it tends to be either close friends (who can tell me what they like to do with my shoes) or more formal things....dinners, lunches, coffees. I choose shoes appropriately and would no sooner walk into their homes in floor damaging stilettos or mucky trainers, than I would in my underwear.

We are often barefoot at home, and often run into the garden barefoot too.

Soubrette

lostinrates wrote: »

I had not ''prepared my feet'' for the evening and I had yucky chipped nail polish on etc.

I'm a bit strange about my feet

I always wear socks when visiting in case we are in a house where I need to take my shoes off.

It's only in the last few years that I've been relaxed enough to have bare feet with visitors in my own house.

No toe shannigans for me

Sou

lostinrates

Soubrette wrote: »

I'm a bit strange about my feet

I always wear socks when visiting in case we are in a house where I need to take my shoes off.

It's only in the last few years that I've been relaxed enough to have bare feet with visitors in my own house.

No toe shannigans for me

Sou

lol, socks and evening wear don't make a great look, off the fashion pages

Soubrette

lostinrates wrote: »

lol, socks and evening wear don't make a great look, off the fashion pages

I can just about deal with semi opaque tights

Sou