Do you ask visitors to remove shoes?

claire16c

thorsoak wrote: »

Unless you have a bench or seat for me to sit on, so that I can sit and unlace my shoes and take them off - and put them back on again, I'm afraid I'm not staggering around trying to take them off!

In Japan where it is customary to remove shoes, there is a bench at the front door, where people can sit to remove outdoor shoes. It would be considered rude to go into a house with outdoor shoes on - but it is also considered rude if there is no bench for people to sit on to take them off!

Its called the stairs/sofa..the same as in your house?

Ive been in lots of countries where you take your shoes off at the door - and none of them had benches! Including Japan!

lilymay1

claire16c wrote: »

Its called the stairs/sofa..the same as in your house?

My stairs are not near my front door, and neither are my sofa's!

I'm afraid I'm in the 'its rude to ask' camp too. I don't take my shoes off and wouldn't expect anyone else too either. Floors are for walking on.

shegar

tanith wrote: »

I don't bother but find more and more people do ask nowadays.. its its wet outside then its only polite I guess, but I have wooden floors it doesn't bother me if people leave their shoes on the floor gets washed regularly anyway.

Yep we have all wooden floors too, and washed regularily , but if I go to someone elses house I would always ask if they would like me to take my shoes off. its their home and its only right to use it with respect, but that was the way I was brought up ..................

claire16c

lilymay1 wrote: »

My stairs are not near my front door, and neither are my sofa's!

I'm afraid I'm in the 'its rude to ask' camp too. I don't take my shoes off and wouldn't expect anyone else too either. Floors are for walking on.

Youd just take them off and then put the shoes somewhere, probably near the door. Unless you had some kind of mansion it wouldnt be a problem walking back to do it.

I have to say I never ask people to take their shoes off, but 99% of people just do it as habit. The other 1% I wouldnt ask because theres probably a reason why they havent. I guess maybe if I had a baby crawling round eating stuff off the floor I might, Im not sure.

Even when I looked after some boys who were 6 and 8, all their mates used to come round, and they all took their shoes off as soon as they came in their parents house, or their friends houses, and it was actually easy to spot which persons house they were at because the hallway was covered in little boys trainers :rotfl:

thorsoak

claire16c wrote: »

Its called the stairs/sofa..the same as in your house?

Ive been in lots of countries where you take your shoes off at the door - and none of them had benches! Including Japan!

What about bungalows that don't have stairs ....and the sofa is in the living room? My daughter lived in Japan for 5 years - all the apartments/houses that she lived in - or that I visited when I went to stay with her - had seats/benches by the front door - so no problem there!

Frankly, if I were told to take my shoes off without being offered a seat on which to sit, I'd not be returning a visit! Don't you people have vacuum cleaners/brooms - or doormats that are regularly shaken?

Manners work both ways!

rollnchips

thorsoak wrote: »

What about bungalows that don't have stairs ....and the sofa is in the living room? My daughter lived in Japan for 5 years - all the apartments/houses that she lived in - or that I visited when I went to stay with her - had seats/benches by the front door - so no problem there!

Frankly, if I were told to take my shoes off without being offered a seat on which to sit, I'd not be returning a visit! Don't you people have vacuum cleaners/brooms - or doormats that are regularly shaken?

Manners work both ways!

You don't see like the sort of house guest I would want for sure.

Person_one

rollnchips wrote: »

You don't see like the sort of house guest I would want for sure.

9 posts and (at least) 2 of them pointlessly nasty.

Off to a promising start!

minimoneysaver

Torry_Quine wrote: »

This topic comes up again and again. The two main camps are that it's rude to ask someone to remove their shoes and the other that it's rude not to take them off. You'll never get the two to agree.

For the record I'm in the it's rude to ask people to remove their shoes!

It's a very modern occurence in this part of the world.

Sorry, but I have to disagree. Most of the Eastern World remove their shoes and much of the Middle East too. We're probably in the minority by wearing shoes in the home. In fact, I've even eaten in Japanese restaurants where they request that shoes are left in the reception area.

Torry_Quine

lilymay1 wrote: »

My stairs are not near my front door, and neither are my sofa's!

I'm afraid I'm in the 'its rude to ask' camp too. I don't take my shoes off and wouldn't expect anyone else too either. Floors are for walking on.

Me neither, in fact I live in a flat so have no stairs.

minimoneysaver wrote: »

Sorry, but I have to disagree. Most of the Eastern World remove their shoes and much of the Middle East too. We're probably in the minority by wearing shoes in the home. In fact, I've even eaten in Japanese restaurants where they request that shoes are left in the reception area.

I said in this part of the world it's a minority which is borne out by what you said.

peachyprice

claire16c wrote: »

Its called the stairs/sofa..the same as in your house?

Rather defeats the object if you have to traipse through the house, in your shoes, to get to the stairs/sofa, to take your shoes off.