Do you take your shoes off when you enter someone’s home ? Most of us likely don’t think twice about our routine , whatever it may be, but it’s a topic that’s surprisingly controversial.
A mom made a post in a parenting forum about asking her guests to take their shoes off when they enter her home — and it sparked a nearly endless debate.
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Customs will vary.
Some cultures prioritize removing shoes when entering a home or a place of worship. Conversely, some cultures don’t prioritize removing shoes . These are the overarching themes that might dictate what someone does with their shoes — but things get more complicated when we’re talking about individual preferences in someone’s home.
“Visitors’ mixed reactions when I ask them to take their shoes off in my home.”
This is the title of a post in the Mumsnet forum . OP wrote:
“I don’t think I am being too unreasonable by asking visitors to my home to take their shoes off at the front door. I am house proud but by no means an OCD clean freak. Just my personal preference for cleanliness and hygiene reasons as I walk around indoors in my bare feet.”
Did it go over well?
OP continues, saying that while some visitors are just fine with the rule, others “roll their eyes and seem awkward.”
At the end of the day, OP just wants to know whether others enforce the same rule in their homes.
“Your house, your rules.”
One of the first comments on the thread stated this simple fact, adding, “Anybody that doesn’t like it should stay away.”
It seems like a reasonable take: even if you think it’s a silly rule, you’re kind of compelled to follow the rules someone has set for guests in their home.
Here’s a different take.
“I’d prefer people walking around in shoes than barefoot in my house. Shoes on doesn’t bother me downstairs because we have all hard floors that are easily cleaned,” wrote one commenter. “While I’m totally respectful of other peoples shoes off rules, I think it’s bad hosting and bad manners to insist on it from guests. I know a few people with diabetes who are advised to wear shoes or slippers and people’s foot care is more important than my floor.”
Is it awkward to remove your shoes?
This is a source of genuine anxiety for some people.
“I hate being asked to balance awkwardly in someone’s hallway to remove my shoes, then leave them there for everyone to see and then sit around with my socks on display,” wrote one person. “All very inelegant and embarrassing and I don’t usually visit again.”
Maybe there’s a middle ground.
Some commenters suggested a compromise of slippers. These slippers can be bought inexpensively, they’ll never go outside so won’t get dirty soles, and can be provided to houseguests after they’ve removed their shoes. This is already the custom in some countries.
When in doubt, trust the host.
One commenter noted that they’re used to leaving shoes on inside a house (unless they’re dirty or muddy), but that they try to respect the host’s wishes — whether they’re overtly stated or more subtle.
You don’t know what’s on someone’s shoes.
“I find it odd that people get offended over stockinged feet, than they do shoes with dirt, animal faeces, etc on them being trained through the house,” wrote one germaphobe. “Who has time to clean the floors after every visitor visits? Don’t really want my children picking up crap that’s fallen of people’s shoes especially as mine are at a stage where it all goes in their mouths!!”
The debate rages on.
It’s still going strong if you’d like to take a look, or even participate. What’s the rule in your house? Do you follow cultural norms or have your own rule? Let us know what you think of this debate in the comments section.
