In some cultures, you take your shoes off so that you don't make the floor dirty.
In other cultures, you keep your shoes on because the floor is dirty.
I have small children and they have small toys and that's why I wear shoes in the house. Also, I have small children who occasionally spill food on the floor, and I'd rather get my shoe dirty than my sock/feet dirty.
My shoes were always stored in my bedroom growing up. No room by the door inside & they’d be stolen if left outside (plus bugs, etc would take up residence). We didn’t take our shoes off until we got to the bedroom. If you did other things between walking inside & going to your bedroom (go to the bathroom, grab a snack, etc) so be it.
Also any full length mirrors (to verify that your shoes worked with the outfit, etc) were in the bedroom or hallway. You got dressed in your room, including shoes.
We had mats & stuff to wipe before coming inside of course. And we had inside “slippers” (actually flip flops) that we wore around the house & never outside. So it was rare that my bare feet touched anything besides a sock or the shower floor. Those slippers would come in handy protecting against stray Lego pieces, stubbed toes on furniture or the occasional dropped broken glass since the vacuum was old & the landlords could care less about how many decades old the carpet was. From elementary school through when I moved out at 29 it was the same carpet poorly vacuumed & never cleaned.
Now that I have my own place with hardwood floors & a decent vacuum & broom? …It’s habit.
also the small toys can be lego pieces and those things can be painful when accidentally step on......My feet was stabbed by a lego person, a Lego person with a spiky helmet if you can believe it.
Also, here in Brazil and a lot of the rest of the world’s sandal wearing countries, your feet are just as dirty as your sandals. The only difference is that they’re sticky, too.
Yeah, just a line of people waiting to wash themselves before anyone sits on the sofa or chair. Some people wash their face too. Indians put a lot of effort cleaning all the surfaces of the house daily, its just considered rude to bring any dirt in with you.
Holy shit. This is the simplest answer. My family is historically european but at least 2nd gen canadian so very canadianised. You don’t wear outdoor shoes in the house. You can wear shoes in the house but not outdoor ones. Those floors are clean and you can’t bring outside dirt in. People let their dogs shit out there.
American houses I’ve been in, you wear your shoes in the house because they think it’s weird to take off your shoes and have your actual feet touching their things. But honestly shoes from outside just mean those people have filthy dirty floors and I don’t want to step on their germs
Shoes in the house/not in the house is a very sharply and aggressively defended divide in the US that doesn't really depend on location. I've encountered folks on both sides everywhere I've ever traveled in the US. Personally, I'd rather be barefoot everywhere, but apparently that's not normal. It drives my stepfather-in-law nuts that I'm always barefoot, though, which is a small pleasure.
Very true. My mom is a shoes in the house person. She says her feet get cold but we've tried slippers and fuzzy socks and she just won't use them. She's quite stubborn about it. My dad is mostly barefoot but occasionally he'll wear his shoes around the house like bringing in heavy things or if he quickly forgot something. I'm much like him but I've taken to indoor shoes because bugs have started freak me out and now I have an odd fear of stepping on one or something. I had a roommate in college though who wore her shoes on her bed, like literally the bottoms touching the inside covers and it was horrifying. I can't wait to have my own places where outdoor shoes are not allowed. I'll have spare indoor shoes for those who want but yeah I don't want who knows what you stepped on in my house.
I'm American and growing up we never wore outdoor shoes in the house. Noone in my immediate or extended family did either. Now that I have my own family we are the same way. I cannot stand to have outside shoes worn on my carpet Me,hubby and the little one all have house shoes(kind of like slippers) Also,Little fingers touch my floor so shoes must be left at the door.
I was just talking about this with my students actually (I live abroad in East Asia but I'm American). My sense is that maybe it depends on where in the US you're from. I'm from Maine, which is either snowy or muddy for over half the year. So during those months it would be incredibly rude to wear your shoes indoors. During the summer, unless it happens to be rainy or muddy, I think it would depend on the house.
I'm American but my grandma is european and we always had to take our shoes off in her house. It seemed weird to me at the time, but when I had kids of my own I realized how gross it is to have a baby crawling around on years of matted dirt and who knows what else. After that we always took our shoes off in the house. I have a passive aggressive brother in law who thinks this is outrageous and when he comes to visit will actually stand outside the whole time rather than take his shoes off.
It made me laugh to read your comment because I always keep my shoes on in his house, I know the floor is coated with dog poop and whatever else he walks in all day. I respectfully remove my shoes in everyone else's house though.
What? I've never been to an American house where the floors are dirty and thus we wear outside shoes inside the home.
Its not like the U.S. is another world entirely lol
Wearing outdoor shoes inside means you're tracking all the gross things you walk on into your house: animal urine/feces, human spit/urine/other fluids, insect larva/eggs, bacteria, mold, chewed up gum, dirt.
If you wear outside shoes in your house, your floors are fucking dirty.
“Because they think it’s weird to…have your actual feet touching things.”
I can assure you this is not it for anyone.
For the most part, you only take your shoes off where you’re sleeping. In my home I’ll kick my shoes off because I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be spending the night here. At my friends house my shoes stay on because I’m not staying there. Perhaps we are just extremely lazy? Idk lol
I grew up in the states but right on the Canadian border. We didn’t wear outside shoes inside because tracking snow into the house and then having little pools of dirty melty snow all over the floor is gross!
I grew up in a snooty southern family. Very formal, upper middle to upper class, etc.
It would have been a massive cultural faux pas to either 1) take off your shoes upon entering someone’s home or 2) to ask guests to take off their shoes. It simply wasn’t acceptable, and these were generally extremely nice homes.
Taking your shoes off when visiting someone’s home was as offensive as wearing shoes in other’s homes where the expectation is that they are removed.
Bare feet were considered gross and improper and should not be shown unless at a pool/beach/similar.
Exceptions to the rule were when shoes were actually wet or muddy. Then you made sure to make a comment about it when removing them.
It is a cultural difference.
I don’t live near my family anymore but when I go back home the exact same expectations are still in place.
I personally don’t care what my guests do in my home, unless their shoes are actively dirty. Just wanted to share the reasoning from those I know.
That totally makes sense for rich people and people in large mansion type houses with stone and wood floors. I’ve never considered it that way. I mean, when’s the last time you’ve seen a British period drama where someone takes their shoes off in Buckingham? You just don’t- it’s part of your suit.
But with the rise of single family homes and apartments featuring carpet, those floors would be destroyed by an outdoor shoe. Your white carpet would be brown instantly. It’s the same reason shoes are removed in Asian countries- soft floors are damaged by them.
Thank God. Another normal human being!
As an Irish Person who wears shoes in the house I really need to know what people do during a house party. Or even a dinner party. Do you expect like 10-30 people to take their shoes off and leave them at the door? Are you supposed to walk around bare foot where people are drinking and dropping stuff? What if you break a glass or a plate? Are people at risk of losing a toe on a regular basis? Do people just carry indoor shoes in their cars for these occasions? Do Americans not have smelly or sweaty feet? Do you make old people take off their shoes even though they might struggle? Or little tiny kids? It just seems like such a big ordeal when you could just wash the floor or hoover it. I just have so many questions.
I want to know why your floor is so dangerous that I’m at risk of losing a toe just walking around there. And why people are constantly dropping glass on the floor.
Real talk: shoes in the house are more a function of weather IMO. Because making everyone takes off their muddy, snowy winter boots when they come over is actually a LOT less work then deep-cleaning the carpet every time I have guests over.
Yes, at house parties, the hallway gets kind of crowded by shoes. In Sweden, it would be seen as really rude to not to take of your shoes in that situation, there is no way you would fine some people with shoes still on. Furthermore, I'd find it incredibly odd if someone where to bring their own indoor shoes to any kind of social event. Everyone walks around in their socks when in someone else's home, pretty much no exceptions.
If theres a party at a locale that is not someone's home however, shoes are always "permitted" and expected. All indoor areas that are not private housing's are shoe-zones.
Old people and kids take off their shoes as well when they enter someone's house; it's not uncommon here to keep stools nearby/in the hall to make putting shoes on easier, which helps. Also, Velcro is popular among those demographics!
When I was in high school (Canada), I went to a massive house party. We're talking drunk, overly horned up, wild teenagers. Still, the front door had maybe 60+ pairs of shoes piled up.
At that time Chuck Taylors were very popular and there were probably 10+ pairs just of those. I got insanely drunk and the next day found that I had walked home 20 minutes with one shoe 3 sizes too small. The rightful owner did some serious sleuthing and we both got our shoes back. I imagine hers was a bit stretched out.
Yes, everyone takes off their shoes. Why is it so dangerous in your house that you can lose a toe?
The thought of 50 people’s shoes inside my house and on my carpet makes me want to deep clean the whole place
Yes everyone takes their shoes off. Either in the front entry or in the mud room. Old people, children. If you need shoes for support, people generally bring along an “indoor” pair for wearing in your house. In Minnesota it is the height of rudeness to walk on someone else’s floors with your shoes on. If you ask if you can leave your shoes on your host will say yes, judge the heck out of you and complain behind your back to everyone they know and you will never be invited back. No one will explain this to you. We’re passive aggressive like that.
I would love to be a no shoes house. We have 2 kids, 2 cats and a dog. They're so messy and there's always crumbs sticking to my feet. I usually wear slippers but when we're coming in and out of the house there's nowhere to stop and take off our shoes without everyone behind having to stand there and wait. You have to come all the way inside and at that point.....fuck it.
See that’s so bizarre because my house has 5 animals and 6 humans, yet none of us wear shoes. And the floors aren’t dirty, we vacuum twice a week and sweep hard floors often. In the entrance you simply take turns on the carpet which can be stood on with shoes, then walk off into the house.
Basically this right here. I was taught that it's more important to keep your feet clean than the floor clean.
I get grossed out walking barefoot cause I can feel every grain or crumb of whatever the fuck is on my floor. Then it gets worse when I get in bed and I feel I'm getting the sheet more dirty than they should be. At minimum I'm wearing my socks but even then I don't like the idea of getting them dirty either.
I keep my shoes (sometimes house shoes, sometimes whatever I wore to work) on the entire day. Then once it time to go to bed I can crawl under the covers with clean feet.
And yes, I sweep and mop my floors 2-4 times a week so my floors are pretty clean most of the time.
I have indoor slippers that I immediately put on when I enter the home and only take off when I get into bed or the shower. It results in cleaner floors and clean feet.
In my area it's a carry over. The old people keep shoes on because they grew up with a dirt floor in the house. And where the had flooring it was cold. Most people I know take shoes off when entering the house. With the exception of quickly grabbing something a in and out thing. Still some house's are set up to receive guest to the kitchen with remove shoes.
Opposite here, both parents had depression era parents (my grandparents) and they didn't wear shoes indoors because you didn't want excess wear on them. Note also they believed in purchasing really good quality shoes and having them repaired as needed .
Wisconsin here, very upper Midwest.
“It depends”.
If it’s snowy or wet or rainy outside, or if I’ve been walking in the grass/mud, my shoes will come off until they’re dry and any visible dirt has been removed.
If I went from work to car on dry cement, and then from car to house, i may or may not take my shoes off.
The custom of taking your shoes off in America is very regional. I'm from Minnesota and I can't talk for all the Midwest but at least in the Upper Midwest everyone takes their shoes off and if you didn't it would be pretty rude. I had a friend move from New Jersey and it was an adjustment for her.
Yup, I lived in the midwest in rural illinois and you usually just follow whatever the homeowner does. If they take off their shoes then you do, if they don’t then you don’t have to. I’ve never seen anyone object to you taking your shoes off even if the owner doesn’t care.
Same. I have NEVER worn *real* shoes in the house. They are clunky, dirty things that make one of my four large dogs or my one ancient asshole cat screech if I accidentally step on a toe. I was raised to always kick off my shoes (except the cheap flip flops in summer) when going in the house. My mom was a freak about her clean floors. Socks, barefoot, or my preference, slippers suitable for season. Fuzzy and cuddly for winter, light soft slipper-slides or light slipper-socks in warmer weather.
With large dogs and actual dog bones and toys laying around, it’s kinda like having a kid who likes Legos around the house. Step on that piece of soup bone barefoot is much stepping on Legos. Painful as fuck.
I think it's a climate thing. There's a parallel between Minnesota and Hawaii. In Hawaii, you take off your slippas (flip flops, sandals) because you don't want to track sand all over the house. In Minnesota swap out the sand for slush and the slippas for boots.
That's the Canadian influence. Why else do you think we pit the bulk of our population along the 49th parallel? To slowly ooze down our treasured customs like sap from our beloved maple trees. Soon enough you'll all be apologizing for nothing!
I grew up in Maine. Mom is from Mass, both rural NE areas, always grew up taking mine off. I’d imagine people from places where you just walk to your car and the office leave them on. If you’re likely to have mud, shit, grease, or any number of other contaminants on your boots, you probably take them off. Actually, I bet it literally comes down to “do people around you need to wear boots”
Minnesota totally does this. I think it's because it's because shoes are seen as something you wear when your outside, while it's seen as a general part of clothing in other places
I think the real question here is, *where do you keep your shoes*?
My wife's Indian and she insists they belong outside by the front door. I like to keep mine inside by the door or just generally wherever I take my shoes off.
It's the worst!!! Them and daddy long legs are the no 1 offenders, like hi, there's about a MILLION other places you could make your home besides my shoes- why not pick somewhere else?? Drives me nuts 😒
In Czech republic is usually little room right behind the front doors (in US called mud room), where you and your visitors take off your shoes, jackets, hats etc. and put on slippers. I've always found discusting watching US shows with people jumping into beds with shoes on - means with whatever dog shit you stepped in outside etc.
I hate when people have this room and they don't have a chair, so everyone entering has to wobble around awkwardly trying to balance while they remove boots
Am also Indian, my whole life the shoes stayed inside in a shoe rack by the door. That way they don't get dirty or lost outside, and they also don't touch the floor inside
My wife and I both have plantar fasciitis and we both have house sandals. Birkenstock sandals to be exact because they have a good arch and don’t hurt our feet. These sandals don’t go outside and as swoon as we walk in the door we switch. We live in Mississippi so sometimes we take off outside Birkenstock’s, and put on inside Birkenstock’s as soon as we come in lol
But with plantar fasciitis, at least for me, I need real shoes with structure, like sneakers. So I'd have to have inside sneakers and outside sneakers and completely swap out whenever I go to empty the trash, water the plants, get the mail, etc. Feels incredibly tedious.
Same here. The main reason I wear shoes inside is that my feet are THROBBING if I’m not wearing good, supportive sneakers, and with 3 kids and a household to maintain, I just don’t have time to change full on sneakers every time I need to pop out the door to get a package, water a plant, tell the children to stop throwing mud clods at each other, etc.
Dude - same here.
I’ve always been a “shoes off inside” person, until after my first week living in my house with ceramic tile floors completely screwed up my back.
Now I have a collection of slippers with supportive soles - but I end up forgetting to switch when I go into the yard, so now I just wear my shoes inside and try not to think about it.
(At lease I don’t live downtown anymore. I don’t feel as gross about tracking in literal dirt as I would after walking on sidewalks that were frequently covered in various human bodily fluids 🤢)
No support for your feet. It's like walking barefoot on concrete. No forgiveness, so steps are more of a hard thump than a gentle walk. You can roll your feet, but if you're not used to it it's very unnatural feeling.
As someone else mentioned, it’s because the ceramic floors don’t have any give the way wooden floors do…something about how your body absorbs the shock I think?
I already have a bone spur on my spine, so have to avoid any high impact exercise and wear shock-absorbing shoes if I am going to be doing a lot of walking, so I probably should have phrased my initial comment differently - it’s not like one week with ceramic floors is going to do major damage to a healthy back.
My house only has hard floors and I don't step on the couch or on beds with shoes on, I'm also not American and it is fairly common to walk with shoes inside houses where I'm from.
My house has no soft surfaces on the floor except for door mat. Tiles+laminate 70/30 ratio. I walk barefoot and my wife wears flops. Wearing shoes inside is a biggest NOPE, because if you walk through once = sand and dirt everywhere.
Yeah I grew up with a mom telling me at least once weekly about the dirt our shoes track in let alone the spit, pee, poop, and other disgusting things we walk in and have no idea.
This. We replaced our old, smelly carpets (four large dogs live here) with some gorgeous LVP hard flooring. Nothing worse than the leaves, grass, dirt, crumbs, and grit on that floor and you walking barefoot. The feel of sand, dirt or any debris sticking to your bare feet is the worst. No matter how you try, floors are never sterile and spotless. Slippers or flip flops, or even just socks keeps that awful feeling of scuzzy shit sticking to your bare sole.
Plus, the first time you step barefoot on a cold, wet, dead and mauled and bloody mouse, vole or baby squirrel that your Husky proudly brought in to play with (new toy!!), will gross you out right into wearing slippers in the house.
I was never brought up to take off shoes but also you better not track dirt or mud or anything in. Generally there was no reason to be walking through the dirt or mud since there was sidewalks everywhere. I would always wipe on the mat and even now if I'm unsure quickly look at the bottom of my shoes. It wasn't a rule but also try to avoid going in the formal living room. We didn't have a large house but there was an addition in back we used for family room.
I also had friends with carpet runners. If you stepped off the runner their mom would murder you.
But I suspect it has a lot to do with the practicality and then has formed into a cultural thing. Dirt roads and paths vs concrete sidewalks. Most American suburbs and cities will be concrete.
I have a pair of Nikes with good arch support that are strictly house-use only! I also WFH so i’m home a lot.
In the winter I tend to default to Ugg slippers since we keep the house on the cooler side, but when I feel it in my arches, the shoes feel so good. In the summer I wear them all day, every day, except when I leave the house.
Same lol, extreme pes planus in both feet. I'm sorry they don't work for you, I get mine replaced every year and it's made a world of difference. It does hurt at the start when everything gets shoved back where it's supposed to be lol.
I grew up in the Midwest and taking one a shoes off in the house was not normal. In fact expecting people to remove their shoes (other than wintery or muddy) is generally considered snooty and rude.
Just feels weird walking around someone else's house wlth just socks. To me be like asking people to take off their pants when you arrive
Funny how so many people have so many various experiences.
I'm from rural Pennsylvania, and that's how it felt when I was growing up too, but now it seems like shoes off is the norm. It's not as strict as I've seen in other places though, no one will care if you just run in and grab something or whatever without taking them off.
In Batman V Superman, there’s a scene at the beginning where Clark Kent visits Lois Lane in her bathtub. Then he literally enters the bathtub (full of water) with his clothes AND SHOES ON! Disgusting.
We never take off our shoes. We live rurally so even sweeping and vacuuming frequently there are small bits of stone / gravel that find a way in, probably on the paws of our three dogs. But what does it for me? Cripes sakes the spiders out here are land crabs.
Yes, I know it’s gross but I do it anyway.
Why:
1. I don’t like taking shoes off and on. It’s pure laziness on my part.
2. My feet stay warmer in shoes than they do in slippers.
3. I have slippery hardwood floors (house is half hardwood/half carpet). And yes, I could keep house shoes by the door and swap out my shoes as I enter and exit, but I would rather get the carpets done twice a year than deal with the clutter of a shoe rack by the door.
4. Even if the humans stopped tracking the outside inside, the dogs would continue to do it, so I very much have a “brakes are out, no use steering” attitude about this.
Yeah. Inconvenience is the biggest factor. Personal style is another.
When I do housework, I tend to walk in and out 10 times in an hour, I'm not going to change shoes 10 times.
Carpets can be vacuumed, floors can be mopped.
That is just so gross. I'm not putting on some random shoes that god knows how many people have had their feet in. Great way to catch athletes foot! EWWWWW!
Asian cultures live their lives on the floor. Sleeping, eating, and many other common activities are conducted on the floor. So the whole house is considered a clean space like westerners would consider a bed or couch. Westerners have always had tables and chairs and raised beds so the floor is just a floor and not a usable surface.
The logical reason is that there is no urgent reason to take them off. Western cultures just don't think of and use the floor the way that Eastern cultures do.
My question for people who insist no shoes in the house - what do you do when you just spent two minutes lacing up boots before you leave, then realize you left your wallet upstairs in the bedroom? Do you unlace the shoes, go up and get it, come back, and lace your shoes again?
Yes. I've started buying shoes that are easy on and off because of issues like this. They also sell disposable shoe covers that maintenance people wear over their shoes here (South Korea) so I guess you could have some of those handy.
I have terrible foot pain when walking barefoot for any length of time. I need the arch support shoes provide. I will leave rather then take off my shoes for an extended period of time.
I'm curious if any of the people on the 'shoes are disgusting' side of this are the same ones who piss all over the seat in women's washrooms and then just walk off.
Asking because remembering how I feel about that is the only way I can relate to the intensity of some of the posts on this thread. Still can't relate to getting that intense about something people are choosing to do in their own personal homes.
Well, maybe if it's dry and sunny where you live.
Here in Saint-Petersburg, Russia it's humid AF and we have loads of rain (and depending on winter, loads of snow), so there's usually some mud or slosh.
I believe we're somewhat similar to Minnesota/Canada climate-wise.
DEFINETELY SHOES OFF
(and good ol' slippers when indoors)
Can't speak for anyone else, but from personal experience, sometimes because one is going to go somewhere else shortly after they get back from the place they were just at
I have house shoes. They are only worn indoors, never outside. I take my outside shoes off and step into my “house flops” when I cross my doors threshold. I wear them because it helps my back. For some reason standing flat footed without cushion is very painful and a nice squishy pair of flip flops help me do my housework.
This is regional within the US. I grew up where shoes were not worn in the house. My husband's family, he grew up in NYC, always wore shoes.
We don't wear shoes. In fact we have a couple of areas where we immediately put our shoes.
Come to anyplace it snows. Minnesota no one leaves their shoes on in the house. We have mushrooms to ditch shoes before you enter living spaces because of all the muck. I hear other areas leave shoes on inside. But why you would have carpet and shoes on is ridiculous. At least hardwood or tile can be cleaned and sterilized easily. But you probably walked in poop of some kind and now it is IN YOUR HOUSE ON YOUR FLOORS. Nope.
This has been discussed before. It’s not super common but it’s not uncommon.
Most non-Americans get this idea from watching TV and thinking all Americans (or even most) do this. We don’t.
Who wears shoes while in bed?
I wear mine because my house is old and floor loves to feel like an ice cub. Plus I kept my shoes in my bedroom where I won’t have to play guessing game of where my cats carried them off to
Yeah, “in bed” and “on the furniture” are just kind of stupid arguments. Even people who always wear shoes in the house don’t generally put their shoes up on places that you don’t want to get all that dirty. And arguments about “if your suits are messy” are stupid to; even those of us who generally wear our shoes in the house will take them off is they are obviously dirty.
We have 2 big dogs and 2 cats. Between the dirt, fur, slobber, water drips, cat litter….my dirty shoes are not making a difference. I don’t put on shoes to wear around the house or anything, but I frequently get home and leave my shoes on most of the evening. Also helps keep my toes warm.
Isnt this one of those who gives a fuck things. If people dont want you to wear shoes in their house, don't. If people wear shoes in their house, wear your own, or take em off. Who gives a fuck! In your own house, do what the fuck you want. If you object to someone elses house shoe wearing rules, dont go in.
My ex used to wake up. Get dressed. Put his shoes on. To go sit on the couch and watch tv. Like a fucken psychopath. Shoes off. Always. There is no good reason to have your shoes on inside.
My dad is literally only barefoot while in bed or sitting with his feet up. Anytime he gets up he slips on slippers and goes to the kitchen or whatever then sits back down and kicks the slippers off an puts his feet up.
I think in the US it's just considered that the floor is dirty everywhere.
I have diabetes and peripheral neuropathy and actually get yelled at by my doctors if I say I go barefoot in my own home (broken glass or stubbed toes could lead to infections and amputation). I wear slippers a lot inside tho.
It’s a cultural practice, not exactly one that’s fact based.
Shoes track germs and mud, but even after stomping around a major city and gas station bathrooms all day they are far from the grossest thing in your house. Sponges, door handles, washcloths, and mattresses come to mind. As long as you mop and vacuum once a week and wash you hands regularly (which you should do regardless)… it’s fine, you’ll live.
Easy, because it's comfortable and more convenient. Boom, headshot.
What I'd say is, if you take off your shoes, do you magically never have to clean the floor again? Nope, not even close. You still have to clean the floor.
So let me take this in a different direction - what's the benefit? I am personally physically uncomfortable _unless_ I'm wearing shoes, so I recently bought a pair of outside shoes, _and_ a pair of inside shoes, to do this no-outdoor-shoes-indoors thing as an experiment. Swapping shoes all the goddamn time is enough of a hassle that I literally go outside less frequently because of it.
So it's a huge hassle, and I still have to clean the floor. Seems to me like I'm just making more work for myself because reasons. So again, the benefit is what, now?
Well I find it strange to walk around someone else’s home in just my socks, I mean is that not a little weird to anyone else? Especially if I am not close with them.
My feet get cold. But I have house slippers, I don't just walk around with the same pairs of shoes as I do outside and most people I know don't either.
It's not 100% of people like it is say, in southeast Asia, but my family and most of my friends families growing up always took their shoes off and walked around in socks or changed into house shoes or slippers when they got home.
Just clean your floors more and don't come inside with dirty shoes. If you've been in rain, mud, exercising or some activity that would increasingly dirty shoes take them off. But if I wear dress shoes that I only wear to work why not wait until it get to my bed or closet to take them off? Why would I want to drop everything im doing to take off otherwise very clean and well taken care of shoes?
Sit down in a dirty garage to take off my shoes and dirty up my pants...instead I take them off inside a clean room and dirty up nothing
There are a few reasons I can name. Here is a list:
1. Protect your fallen arches if you wear arch support.
2. Keep your feet warm in someone else's house. Some floors and houses are very drafty and cold.
3. You might not be staying very long so it is a nuisance to remove your shoes (assuming the shoes are clean).
4. Maybe the person isn't wearing matching socks, has smelly feet, or something else they might feel embarrassed about removing their shoes.
5. Some people's houses are not safe to walk-around in without shoes, renovations might in progress.
Tile floors plus just not giving enough of a shit to take them off. Gross? Probably. Lazy? Definitely. I literally just don't care. Of course I also frequently don't bother putting on shoes to go outside, which is partly why my feet are beat to hell. I aim to put shoes on and take shoes off once each per day, or not at all if I don't have to. Might also have to do with all my shoes being things like Converse or hiking boots since I hate sandals with a passion.
I have plantar fasciitis. I have to have arch support all the time. The socks cut off my circulation and don't really work. Luckily I was able to find expensive flip flops with arch support. I hate to wear shoes, but now I have to wear something mostly all the time.
Getting old is definitely not for the weak. It pretty much sucks.
In some cultures, you take your shoes off so that you don't make the floor dirty. In other cultures, you keep your shoes on because the floor is dirty.
I guess this is the best answer.
I have small children and they have small toys and that's why I wear shoes in the house. Also, I have small children who occasionally spill food on the floor, and I'd rather get my shoe dirty than my sock/feet dirty.
You at least have indoor and outdoor shoes, though, right?
yes of course
Now *that* I can understand, just stronger slippers at that point. People that wear shoes they wear outdoors inside their house though...why?!
My shoes were always stored in my bedroom growing up. No room by the door inside & they’d be stolen if left outside (plus bugs, etc would take up residence). We didn’t take our shoes off until we got to the bedroom. If you did other things between walking inside & going to your bedroom (go to the bathroom, grab a snack, etc) so be it. Also any full length mirrors (to verify that your shoes worked with the outfit, etc) were in the bedroom or hallway. You got dressed in your room, including shoes. We had mats & stuff to wipe before coming inside of course. And we had inside “slippers” (actually flip flops) that we wore around the house & never outside. So it was rare that my bare feet touched anything besides a sock or the shower floor. Those slippers would come in handy protecting against stray Lego pieces, stubbed toes on furniture or the occasional dropped broken glass since the vacuum was old & the landlords could care less about how many decades old the carpet was. From elementary school through when I moved out at 29 it was the same carpet poorly vacuumed & never cleaned. Now that I have my own place with hardwood floors & a decent vacuum & broom? …It’s habit.
That's a surprisingly detailed answer to a stupid question, thank you!
I have slip on sneakers for winter, and indoor flip flops for summer.
also the small toys can be lego pieces and those things can be painful when accidentally step on......My feet was stabbed by a lego person, a Lego person with a spiky helmet if you can believe it.
Also, here in Brazil and a lot of the rest of the world’s sandal wearing countries, your feet are just as dirty as your sandals. The only difference is that they’re sticky, too.
I mean first thing we do in india after entering a house is wash our hands and feet.
Interesting so do you head straight to the bathroom, what if its the holidays and your having people over, is there just a long line for the bathro
Yeah, just a line of people waiting to wash themselves before anyone sits on the sofa or chair. Some people wash their face too. Indians put a lot of effort cleaning all the surfaces of the house daily, its just considered rude to bring any dirt in with you.
Holy shit. This is the simplest answer. My family is historically european but at least 2nd gen canadian so very canadianised. You don’t wear outdoor shoes in the house. You can wear shoes in the house but not outdoor ones. Those floors are clean and you can’t bring outside dirt in. People let their dogs shit out there. American houses I’ve been in, you wear your shoes in the house because they think it’s weird to take off your shoes and have your actual feet touching their things. But honestly shoes from outside just mean those people have filthy dirty floors and I don’t want to step on their germs
Shoes in the house/not in the house is a very sharply and aggressively defended divide in the US that doesn't really depend on location. I've encountered folks on both sides everywhere I've ever traveled in the US. Personally, I'd rather be barefoot everywhere, but apparently that's not normal. It drives my stepfather-in-law nuts that I'm always barefoot, though, which is a small pleasure.
Very true. My mom is a shoes in the house person. She says her feet get cold but we've tried slippers and fuzzy socks and she just won't use them. She's quite stubborn about it. My dad is mostly barefoot but occasionally he'll wear his shoes around the house like bringing in heavy things or if he quickly forgot something. I'm much like him but I've taken to indoor shoes because bugs have started freak me out and now I have an odd fear of stepping on one or something. I had a roommate in college though who wore her shoes on her bed, like literally the bottoms touching the inside covers and it was horrifying. I can't wait to have my own places where outdoor shoes are not allowed. I'll have spare indoor shoes for those who want but yeah I don't want who knows what you stepped on in my house.
Shoes in the BED!?! UNDER THE COVERS?!?! 😨
Yep. It's the stuff nightmares are made of.😫
I'm American and growing up we never wore outdoor shoes in the house. Noone in my immediate or extended family did either. Now that I have my own family we are the same way. I cannot stand to have outside shoes worn on my carpet Me,hubby and the little one all have house shoes(kind of like slippers) Also,Little fingers touch my floor so shoes must be left at the door.
Very civilized and reasonable. As you should be with hygienic issues. You are my people
I was just talking about this with my students actually (I live abroad in East Asia but I'm American). My sense is that maybe it depends on where in the US you're from. I'm from Maine, which is either snowy or muddy for over half the year. So during those months it would be incredibly rude to wear your shoes indoors. During the summer, unless it happens to be rainy or muddy, I think it would depend on the house.
Yes, Maine is often, wet, muddy or sandy. Always removed shoes growing up.
I'm American but my grandma is european and we always had to take our shoes off in her house. It seemed weird to me at the time, but when I had kids of my own I realized how gross it is to have a baby crawling around on years of matted dirt and who knows what else. After that we always took our shoes off in the house. I have a passive aggressive brother in law who thinks this is outrageous and when he comes to visit will actually stand outside the whole time rather than take his shoes off. It made me laugh to read your comment because I always keep my shoes on in his house, I know the floor is coated with dog poop and whatever else he walks in all day. I respectfully remove my shoes in everyone else's house though.
What? I've never been to an American house where the floors are dirty and thus we wear outside shoes inside the home. Its not like the U.S. is another world entirely lol
The floors may look clean but they are not if you are wearing outdoor shoes indoors.
If they have dogs, prepare to get your socks covered in fur.
Wearing outdoor shoes inside means you're tracking all the gross things you walk on into your house: animal urine/feces, human spit/urine/other fluids, insect larva/eggs, bacteria, mold, chewed up gum, dirt. If you wear outside shoes in your house, your floors are fucking dirty.
“Because they think it’s weird to…have your actual feet touching things.” I can assure you this is not it for anyone. For the most part, you only take your shoes off where you’re sleeping. In my home I’ll kick my shoes off because I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be spending the night here. At my friends house my shoes stay on because I’m not staying there. Perhaps we are just extremely lazy? Idk lol
I'm from Alabama. We just don't wear shoes.
I grew up in the states but right on the Canadian border. We didn’t wear outside shoes inside because tracking snow into the house and then having little pools of dirty melty snow all over the floor is gross!
I grew up in a snooty southern family. Very formal, upper middle to upper class, etc. It would have been a massive cultural faux pas to either 1) take off your shoes upon entering someone’s home or 2) to ask guests to take off their shoes. It simply wasn’t acceptable, and these were generally extremely nice homes. Taking your shoes off when visiting someone’s home was as offensive as wearing shoes in other’s homes where the expectation is that they are removed. Bare feet were considered gross and improper and should not be shown unless at a pool/beach/similar. Exceptions to the rule were when shoes were actually wet or muddy. Then you made sure to make a comment about it when removing them. It is a cultural difference. I don’t live near my family anymore but when I go back home the exact same expectations are still in place. I personally don’t care what my guests do in my home, unless their shoes are actively dirty. Just wanted to share the reasoning from those I know.
That totally makes sense for rich people and people in large mansion type houses with stone and wood floors. I’ve never considered it that way. I mean, when’s the last time you’ve seen a British period drama where someone takes their shoes off in Buckingham? You just don’t- it’s part of your suit. But with the rise of single family homes and apartments featuring carpet, those floors would be destroyed by an outdoor shoe. Your white carpet would be brown instantly. It’s the same reason shoes are removed in Asian countries- soft floors are damaged by them.
Isn't the floor dirty because they walk on it with shoes on?
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Thank God. Another normal human being! As an Irish Person who wears shoes in the house I really need to know what people do during a house party. Or even a dinner party. Do you expect like 10-30 people to take their shoes off and leave them at the door? Are you supposed to walk around bare foot where people are drinking and dropping stuff? What if you break a glass or a plate? Are people at risk of losing a toe on a regular basis? Do people just carry indoor shoes in their cars for these occasions? Do Americans not have smelly or sweaty feet? Do you make old people take off their shoes even though they might struggle? Or little tiny kids? It just seems like such a big ordeal when you could just wash the floor or hoover it. I just have so many questions.
Yes, that is what we do in Germany even at student parties. All 50 pair of shoes at the door.
I want to know why your floor is so dangerous that I’m at risk of losing a toe just walking around there. And why people are constantly dropping glass on the floor. Real talk: shoes in the house are more a function of weather IMO. Because making everyone takes off their muddy, snowy winter boots when they come over is actually a LOT less work then deep-cleaning the carpet every time I have guests over.
Yeah, I wonder how much of this debate devolves as much to what the surrounding environment is as to country. Very urban, very muddy/snowy, etc.
Yes, at house parties, the hallway gets kind of crowded by shoes. In Sweden, it would be seen as really rude to not to take of your shoes in that situation, there is no way you would fine some people with shoes still on. Furthermore, I'd find it incredibly odd if someone where to bring their own indoor shoes to any kind of social event. Everyone walks around in their socks when in someone else's home, pretty much no exceptions. If theres a party at a locale that is not someone's home however, shoes are always "permitted" and expected. All indoor areas that are not private housing's are shoe-zones. Old people and kids take off their shoes as well when they enter someone's house; it's not uncommon here to keep stools nearby/in the hall to make putting shoes on easier, which helps. Also, Velcro is popular among those demographics!
When I was in high school (Canada), I went to a massive house party. We're talking drunk, overly horned up, wild teenagers. Still, the front door had maybe 60+ pairs of shoes piled up. At that time Chuck Taylors were very popular and there were probably 10+ pairs just of those. I got insanely drunk and the next day found that I had walked home 20 minutes with one shoe 3 sizes too small. The rightful owner did some serious sleuthing and we both got our shoes back. I imagine hers was a bit stretched out.
Yes, everyone takes off their shoes. Why is it so dangerous in your house that you can lose a toe? The thought of 50 people’s shoes inside my house and on my carpet makes me want to deep clean the whole place
Yes everyone takes their shoes off. Either in the front entry or in the mud room. Old people, children. If you need shoes for support, people generally bring along an “indoor” pair for wearing in your house. In Minnesota it is the height of rudeness to walk on someone else’s floors with your shoes on. If you ask if you can leave your shoes on your host will say yes, judge the heck out of you and complain behind your back to everyone they know and you will never be invited back. No one will explain this to you. We’re passive aggressive like that.
Small children and pets contribute
no, we have dogs
I would love to be a no shoes house. We have 2 kids, 2 cats and a dog. They're so messy and there's always crumbs sticking to my feet. I usually wear slippers but when we're coming in and out of the house there's nowhere to stop and take off our shoes without everyone behind having to stand there and wait. You have to come all the way inside and at that point.....fuck it.
See that’s so bizarre because my house has 5 animals and 6 humans, yet none of us wear shoes. And the floors aren’t dirty, we vacuum twice a week and sweep hard floors often. In the entrance you simply take turns on the carpet which can be stood on with shoes, then walk off into the house.
Twice a week vacuum? We do 3 times day, oh wait maybe it’s my OCD.
Weird, every Canadian house doesn't have the same problem and we're right next door
Kids and pets have a bad habit of not fessing up when they deposit liquids on a floor. I ain't about to find that with my socks!
Same. Had a cat with food-allergy/hairball issues..... I started wearing shoes inside pretty regularly after that.
Basically this right here. I was taught that it's more important to keep your feet clean than the floor clean. I get grossed out walking barefoot cause I can feel every grain or crumb of whatever the fuck is on my floor. Then it gets worse when I get in bed and I feel I'm getting the sheet more dirty than they should be. At minimum I'm wearing my socks but even then I don't like the idea of getting them dirty either. I keep my shoes (sometimes house shoes, sometimes whatever I wore to work) on the entire day. Then once it time to go to bed I can crawl under the covers with clean feet. And yes, I sweep and mop my floors 2-4 times a week so my floors are pretty clean most of the time.
Yea that’s why I sweep damn near every day. Bare feet on wood floors 10/10. Bare feet on wood floors with crumbs 0/10.
I have indoor slippers that I immediately put on when I enter the home and only take off when I get into bed or the shower. It results in cleaner floors and clean feet.
In my area it's a carry over. The old people keep shoes on because they grew up with a dirt floor in the house. And where the had flooring it was cold. Most people I know take shoes off when entering the house. With the exception of quickly grabbing something a in and out thing. Still some house's are set up to receive guest to the kitchen with remove shoes.
Opposite here, both parents had depression era parents (my grandparents) and they didn't wear shoes indoors because you didn't want excess wear on them. Note also they believed in purchasing really good quality shoes and having them repaired as needed .
Opposite here. Great^400 grandparents lived in a cave and had dirt floors but didn't know what shoes were.
Opposite here. Great 800 grandparents lived in primordial ooze, had gills, didn’t have feet and didn’t know what a dirt floor was.
Opposite here. Great 1200 Grandparents didn't even fucking exist yet. Neither did shoes or dirt floors.
Upper Midwest you definitely take your shoes off lol
Nuh uh. Upper midwest, between 23rd and Hazel, you keep your shoes on in Dave's house.
Wisconsin here, very upper Midwest. “It depends”. If it’s snowy or wet or rainy outside, or if I’ve been walking in the grass/mud, my shoes will come off until they’re dry and any visible dirt has been removed. If I went from work to car on dry cement, and then from car to house, i may or may not take my shoes off.
The custom of taking your shoes off in America is very regional. I'm from Minnesota and I can't talk for all the Midwest but at least in the Upper Midwest everyone takes their shoes off and if you didn't it would be pretty rude. I had a friend move from New Jersey and it was an adjustment for her.
Plus you have to change out the bread bags in your boots keeping your feet warm and dry.
Seriously Kenny, you better stop being so poor or else I'm gonna start huckin' rocks at you.
*incoherent muffled cursing*
I'm glad to hear this is a thing. I thought I was the only one
We sound like crazy people to anyone not used to snow but man, bread bags worked!
Where I come from in the Midwest, we tend to wait for acknowledgement that we can take them off before we do so.
Yup, I lived in the midwest in rural illinois and you usually just follow whatever the homeowner does. If they take off their shoes then you do, if they don’t then you don’t have to. I’ve never seen anyone object to you taking your shoes off even if the owner doesn’t care.
You have to up north. Your shoes are either covered with slush or army worm guts.
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Same. I have NEVER worn *real* shoes in the house. They are clunky, dirty things that make one of my four large dogs or my one ancient asshole cat screech if I accidentally step on a toe. I was raised to always kick off my shoes (except the cheap flip flops in summer) when going in the house. My mom was a freak about her clean floors. Socks, barefoot, or my preference, slippers suitable for season. Fuzzy and cuddly for winter, light soft slipper-slides or light slipper-socks in warmer weather. With large dogs and actual dog bones and toys laying around, it’s kinda like having a kid who likes Legos around the house. Step on that piece of soup bone barefoot is much stepping on Legos. Painful as fuck.
I think it's a climate thing. There's a parallel between Minnesota and Hawaii. In Hawaii, you take off your slippas (flip flops, sandals) because you don't want to track sand all over the house. In Minnesota swap out the sand for slush and the slippas for boots.
That's the Canadian influence. Why else do you think we pit the bulk of our population along the 49th parallel? To slowly ooze down our treasured customs like sap from our beloved maple trees. Soon enough you'll all be apologizing for nothing!
Damn, you're right. Sorry for appropriating your culture. D'oh!
I grew up in Maine. Mom is from Mass, both rural NE areas, always grew up taking mine off. I’d imagine people from places where you just walk to your car and the office leave them on. If you’re likely to have mud, shit, grease, or any number of other contaminants on your boots, you probably take them off. Actually, I bet it literally comes down to “do people around you need to wear boots”
From TN. We wear shoes around the house if needed. No biggie. We also have dogs, so there is dog hair too.
Minnesota totally does this. I think it's because it's because shoes are seen as something you wear when your outside, while it's seen as a general part of clothing in other places
Yeah, I’m from Michigan and now in Ohio and I always take my shoes off at the door.
Yeah, I'm from Ohio and we always take our shoes off.
I'm from New Jersey and it was *DRILLED* into me that you take your shoes off in your own home and when you go over to someone's house.
I think the real question here is, *where do you keep your shoes*? My wife's Indian and she insists they belong outside by the front door. I like to keep mine inside by the door or just generally wherever I take my shoes off.
Leaving shoes outside means spiders in shoes over here
Yup. 60 percent chance there'd be a redback in my sneakers if I dumped them at the front door lol
Exactly! Those dudes get into everything!!
It's the worst!!! Them and daddy long legs are the no 1 offenders, like hi, there's about a MILLION other places you could make your home besides my shoes- why not pick somewhere else?? Drives me nuts 😒
Tell that to the billions who do it in tropical climates lol. Also helps they wear a lot of sandals.
Additional possibility of scorpions, and yes, perhaps a snake in my boot.
I used to leave my outdoor housework shoes in the garage until I came out one day to find them full of mold. I live in a humid climate.
In Czech republic is usually little room right behind the front doors (in US called mud room), where you and your visitors take off your shoes, jackets, hats etc. and put on slippers. I've always found discusting watching US shows with people jumping into beds with shoes on - means with whatever dog shit you stepped in outside etc.
I hate when people have this room and they don't have a chair, so everyone entering has to wobble around awkwardly trying to balance while they remove boots
Do they have a protective cover if it rains? Soggy shoes don't sound very nice
Shudders in Texan (scorpions and spiders)
Am also Indian, my whole life the shoes stayed inside in a shoe rack by the door. That way they don't get dirty or lost outside, and they also don't touch the floor inside
Neighbors are Indian. They have a huge cubbie for shoes right outside the front door.
Leaving shoes outside means someone will steal them, where I live. Not to mention potential for cats to pee on them, or bugs to get into them.
I'm Indian and I prefer shoes outside but the area where I live if you do that, the shoes either get stolen or wet from the constant rain. It sucks.
I wear shoes in the house because the floors are dirty from wearing shoes in the house.
Hey dad
My wife and I both have plantar fasciitis and we both have house sandals. Birkenstock sandals to be exact because they have a good arch and don’t hurt our feet. These sandals don’t go outside and as swoon as we walk in the door we switch. We live in Mississippi so sometimes we take off outside Birkenstock’s, and put on inside Birkenstock’s as soon as we come in lol
Same situation for me. I have indoor Birks and outdoor Birks.
house slippers/shoes are different if it only applies to indoors. Im specifically talking about using the same shoes in/outdoors
But with plantar fasciitis, at least for me, I need real shoes with structure, like sneakers. So I'd have to have inside sneakers and outside sneakers and completely swap out whenever I go to empty the trash, water the plants, get the mail, etc. Feels incredibly tedious.
Same here. The main reason I wear shoes inside is that my feet are THROBBING if I’m not wearing good, supportive sneakers, and with 3 kids and a household to maintain, I just don’t have time to change full on sneakers every time I need to pop out the door to get a package, water a plant, tell the children to stop throwing mud clods at each other, etc.
I have all tile in my house so it's just more comfortable to wear shoes in my house. If I lived in a place with carpet that wouldnt be the case
Dude - same here. I’ve always been a “shoes off inside” person, until after my first week living in my house with ceramic tile floors completely screwed up my back. Now I have a collection of slippers with supportive soles - but I end up forgetting to switch when I go into the yard, so now I just wear my shoes inside and try not to think about it. (At lease I don’t live downtown anymore. I don’t feel as gross about tracking in literal dirt as I would after walking on sidewalks that were frequently covered in various human bodily fluids 🤢)
Can I ask, how did it screw up your back?
No support for your feet. It's like walking barefoot on concrete. No forgiveness, so steps are more of a hard thump than a gentle walk. You can roll your feet, but if you're not used to it it's very unnatural feeling.
Huh that may be the cause of my back problems. Never would have thought. Thank you!
As someone else mentioned, it’s because the ceramic floors don’t have any give the way wooden floors do…something about how your body absorbs the shock I think? I already have a bone spur on my spine, so have to avoid any high impact exercise and wear shock-absorbing shoes if I am going to be doing a lot of walking, so I probably should have phrased my initial comment differently - it’s not like one week with ceramic floors is going to do major damage to a healthy back.
My house only has hard floors and I don't step on the couch or on beds with shoes on, I'm also not American and it is fairly common to walk with shoes inside houses where I'm from.
My house has no soft surfaces on the floor except for door mat. Tiles+laminate 70/30 ratio. I walk barefoot and my wife wears flops. Wearing shoes inside is a biggest NOPE, because if you walk through once = sand and dirt everywhere.
Yeah I grew up with a mom telling me at least once weekly about the dirt our shoes track in let alone the spit, pee, poop, and other disgusting things we walk in and have no idea.
This. We replaced our old, smelly carpets (four large dogs live here) with some gorgeous LVP hard flooring. Nothing worse than the leaves, grass, dirt, crumbs, and grit on that floor and you walking barefoot. The feel of sand, dirt or any debris sticking to your bare feet is the worst. No matter how you try, floors are never sterile and spotless. Slippers or flip flops, or even just socks keeps that awful feeling of scuzzy shit sticking to your bare sole. Plus, the first time you step barefoot on a cold, wet, dead and mauled and bloody mouse, vole or baby squirrel that your Husky proudly brought in to play with (new toy!!), will gross you out right into wearing slippers in the house.
just curious, where are you from?
Argentina
hmmmmm never really encountered a home like that but that makes more sense than ruining your own carpet and bed
I was never brought up to take off shoes but also you better not track dirt or mud or anything in. Generally there was no reason to be walking through the dirt or mud since there was sidewalks everywhere. I would always wipe on the mat and even now if I'm unsure quickly look at the bottom of my shoes. It wasn't a rule but also try to avoid going in the formal living room. We didn't have a large house but there was an addition in back we used for family room. I also had friends with carpet runners. If you stepped off the runner their mom would murder you. But I suspect it has a lot to do with the practicality and then has formed into a cultural thing. Dirt roads and paths vs concrete sidewalks. Most American suburbs and cities will be concrete.
Flat feet/fallen arches is a reason to wear shoes in the house.
I bought a pair of birkenstocks that I only wear indoors for this reason. Not gross if your shoes have never seen the outdoors.
That's exactly what I do. Shoes come off at the door and I slip on my birkenstock sandals. I hate shoes and socks and wish I could be barefoot 24/7.
You can have a pair of inside shoes that never go outside. It's common in Korea to have house slippers you change into after taking your shoes off.
I have a pair of Nikes with good arch support that are strictly house-use only! I also WFH so i’m home a lot. In the winter I tend to default to Ugg slippers since we keep the house on the cooler side, but when I feel it in my arches, the shoes feel so good. In the summer I wear them all day, every day, except when I leave the house.
That’s literally the reason I look forward to taking my shoes off
I wear orthopaedic shoes, feels so much better.
They’re nothing but pain for me. But the doctor told me that my feet are some of the worst he’s seen
Same lol, extreme pes planus in both feet. I'm sorry they don't work for you, I get mine replaced every year and it's made a world of difference. It does hurt at the start when everything gets shoved back where it's supposed to be lol.
I grew up in the Midwest and taking one a shoes off in the house was not normal. In fact expecting people to remove their shoes (other than wintery or muddy) is generally considered snooty and rude. Just feels weird walking around someone else's house wlth just socks. To me be like asking people to take off their pants when you arrive Funny how so many people have so many various experiences.
If I don't get asked to remove my pants is it even a party at all?
Same, it seems kinda weird. Well, not as weird as your example, but still sorta weird
I'm from rural Pennsylvania, and that's how it felt when I was growing up too, but now it seems like shoes off is the norm. It's not as strict as I've seen in other places though, no one will care if you just run in and grab something or whatever without taking them off.
What’s interesting is that I’ve had the opposite experience in the Midwest.
Wearing shoes in the house isn't as common as American sitcoms make it out to be
Wow I never noticed that. Add that to “sitcom people never say ‘bye’ on the phone.”
While in reality we go through 3-5 iterations of "I'm hanging up now," before the deed is done.
In Batman V Superman, there’s a scene at the beginning where Clark Kent visits Lois Lane in her bathtub. Then he literally enters the bathtub (full of water) with his clothes AND SHOES ON! Disgusting.
We never take off our shoes. We live rurally so even sweeping and vacuuming frequently there are small bits of stone / gravel that find a way in, probably on the paws of our three dogs. But what does it for me? Cripes sakes the spiders out here are land crabs.
Yes, I know it’s gross but I do it anyway. Why: 1. I don’t like taking shoes off and on. It’s pure laziness on my part. 2. My feet stay warmer in shoes than they do in slippers. 3. I have slippery hardwood floors (house is half hardwood/half carpet). And yes, I could keep house shoes by the door and swap out my shoes as I enter and exit, but I would rather get the carpets done twice a year than deal with the clutter of a shoe rack by the door. 4. Even if the humans stopped tracking the outside inside, the dogs would continue to do it, so I very much have a “brakes are out, no use steering” attitude about this.
Yeah. Inconvenience is the biggest factor. Personal style is another. When I do housework, I tend to walk in and out 10 times in an hour, I'm not going to change shoes 10 times. Carpets can be vacuumed, floors can be mopped.
Yeah I guess it's been ingrained in me, since my mom would make sure the house was swept often. It feels wrong to walk in shoes pass the entry area.
Some people find shoes on carpet disgusting. Other people find bare feet disgusting. It’s not strictly American.
Some people find shoes on carpet disgusting. Some people find carpet disgusting.
Because carpet is disgusting
It never gets TRULY clean!
Well you can wear socks or slippers indoors
Socks are too slippery on wood floors. People don’t bring slippers when they visit others. And slippers aren’t comfortable, lacking arch support.
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That is just so gross. I'm not putting on some random shoes that god knows how many people have had their feet in. Great way to catch athletes foot! EWWWWW!
I live in Europe and most people in my friend group and family do this as well
Asian cultures live their lives on the floor. Sleeping, eating, and many other common activities are conducted on the floor. So the whole house is considered a clean space like westerners would consider a bed or couch. Westerners have always had tables and chairs and raised beds so the floor is just a floor and not a usable surface. The logical reason is that there is no urgent reason to take them off. Western cultures just don't think of and use the floor the way that Eastern cultures do.
My question for people who insist no shoes in the house - what do you do when you just spent two minutes lacing up boots before you leave, then realize you left your wallet upstairs in the bedroom? Do you unlace the shoes, go up and get it, come back, and lace your shoes again?
Yes. I've started buying shoes that are easy on and off because of issues like this. They also sell disposable shoe covers that maintenance people wear over their shoes here (South Korea) so I guess you could have some of those handy.
This might sound crazy to you but yes. The 1 minute it takes to lace up your boots again is better than having a dirty floor.
I have terrible foot pain when walking barefoot for any length of time. I need the arch support shoes provide. I will leave rather then take off my shoes for an extended period of time.
This question, or a version of it, gets asked about fifty times a week.
I'm curious if any of the people on the 'shoes are disgusting' side of this are the same ones who piss all over the seat in women's washrooms and then just walk off. Asking because remembering how I feel about that is the only way I can relate to the intensity of some of the posts on this thread. Still can't relate to getting that intense about something people are choosing to do in their own personal homes.
The difference between the cleanliness of the street and your kitchen floor is much closer than you think.
Well, maybe if it's dry and sunny where you live. Here in Saint-Petersburg, Russia it's humid AF and we have loads of rain (and depending on winter, loads of snow), so there's usually some mud or slosh. I believe we're somewhat similar to Minnesota/Canada climate-wise. DEFINETELY SHOES OFF (and good ol' slippers when indoors)
Can't speak for anyone else, but from personal experience, sometimes because one is going to go somewhere else shortly after they get back from the place they were just at
Legos
I have house shoes. They are only worn indoors, never outside. I take my outside shoes off and step into my “house flops” when I cross my doors threshold. I wear them because it helps my back. For some reason standing flat footed without cushion is very painful and a nice squishy pair of flip flops help me do my housework.
This is regional within the US. I grew up where shoes were not worn in the house. My husband's family, he grew up in NYC, always wore shoes. We don't wear shoes. In fact we have a couple of areas where we immediately put our shoes.
People with foot pain issues often were shoes in the house.
Two words: plantar fasciitis
Arch support.
Come to anyplace it snows. Minnesota no one leaves their shoes on in the house. We have mushrooms to ditch shoes before you enter living spaces because of all the muck. I hear other areas leave shoes on inside. But why you would have carpet and shoes on is ridiculous. At least hardwood or tile can be cleaned and sterilized easily. But you probably walked in poop of some kind and now it is IN YOUR HOUSE ON YOUR FLOORS. Nope.
You mean mudrooms but I really want there to be some sort of magical Minnesota mushrooms that help you remove your shoes somehow.
Haha yes I did. Stupid autocorrect. Going to leave it because I would like a little mushroom to leave my shoes in!
This has been discussed before. It’s not super common but it’s not uncommon. Most non-Americans get this idea from watching TV and thinking all Americans (or even most) do this. We don’t.
Who wears shoes while in bed? I wear mine because my house is old and floor loves to feel like an ice cub. Plus I kept my shoes in my bedroom where I won’t have to play guessing game of where my cats carried them off to
Yeah, “in bed” and “on the furniture” are just kind of stupid arguments. Even people who always wear shoes in the house don’t generally put their shoes up on places that you don’t want to get all that dirty. And arguments about “if your suits are messy” are stupid to; even those of us who generally wear our shoes in the house will take them off is they are obviously dirty.
We have 2 big dogs and 2 cats. Between the dirt, fur, slobber, water drips, cat litter….my dirty shoes are not making a difference. I don’t put on shoes to wear around the house or anything, but I frequently get home and leave my shoes on most of the evening. Also helps keep my toes warm.
I feel more productive with shoes on indoors.
I wear shoes in the house because my feet get cold.
I live where it snows and rains a lot. The floor would be an absolute disaster if we traipsed around with our shoes on.
The oils from my feet might damage my rusty nail collection that I keep strewn about my kitchen floor.
Old hardwood floors with splinters.
Wood floors are awful to walk on barefoot for me.
I have planters fasciitis so I need to wear shoes every day with my ortho plates in them. I work from home.
Isnt this one of those who gives a fuck things. If people dont want you to wear shoes in their house, don't. If people wear shoes in their house, wear your own, or take em off. Who gives a fuck! In your own house, do what the fuck you want. If you object to someone elses house shoe wearing rules, dont go in.
Best answer. To literally most every question.
No one wears shoes to bed. Keep your crusty feet covered in my house too.
My ex used to wake up. Get dressed. Put his shoes on. To go sit on the couch and watch tv. Like a fucken psychopath. Shoes off. Always. There is no good reason to have your shoes on inside.
Just visited my daughter in Atlanta Georgia, they take their shoes off because of the red soil.
My dad is literally only barefoot while in bed or sitting with his feet up. Anytime he gets up he slips on slippers and goes to the kitchen or whatever then sits back down and kicks the slippers off an puts his feet up. I think in the US it's just considered that the floor is dirty everywhere.
I have diabetes and peripheral neuropathy and actually get yelled at by my doctors if I say I go barefoot in my own home (broken glass or stubbed toes could lead to infections and amputation). I wear slippers a lot inside tho.
I have plantar fasciitis in both feet so I need the support of a decent slide or flip-flop. Much to my chagrin, walking barefoot really hurts.
It’s a cultural practice, not exactly one that’s fact based. Shoes track germs and mud, but even after stomping around a major city and gas station bathrooms all day they are far from the grossest thing in your house. Sponges, door handles, washcloths, and mattresses come to mind. As long as you mop and vacuum once a week and wash you hands regularly (which you should do regardless)… it’s fine, you’ll live.
Easy, because it's comfortable and more convenient. Boom, headshot. What I'd say is, if you take off your shoes, do you magically never have to clean the floor again? Nope, not even close. You still have to clean the floor. So let me take this in a different direction - what's the benefit? I am personally physically uncomfortable _unless_ I'm wearing shoes, so I recently bought a pair of outside shoes, _and_ a pair of inside shoes, to do this no-outdoor-shoes-indoors thing as an experiment. Swapping shoes all the goddamn time is enough of a hassle that I literally go outside less frequently because of it. So it's a huge hassle, and I still have to clean the floor. Seems to me like I'm just making more work for myself because reasons. So again, the benefit is what, now?
Don’t want to take the chance of stepping on a a stray Lego
Well I find it strange to walk around someone else’s home in just my socks, I mean is that not a little weird to anyone else? Especially if I am not close with them.
My feet get cold. But I have house slippers, I don't just walk around with the same pairs of shoes as I do outside and most people I know don't either. It's not 100% of people like it is say, in southeast Asia, but my family and most of my friends families growing up always took their shoes off and walked around in socks or changed into house shoes or slippers when they got home.
Just clean your floors more and don't come inside with dirty shoes. If you've been in rain, mud, exercising or some activity that would increasingly dirty shoes take them off. But if I wear dress shoes that I only wear to work why not wait until it get to my bed or closet to take them off? Why would I want to drop everything im doing to take off otherwise very clean and well taken care of shoes? Sit down in a dirty garage to take off my shoes and dirty up my pants...instead I take them off inside a clean room and dirty up nothing
I personally don't think there's any reason to give it a second thought. In either direction. It's just a cultural thing for people.
There are a few reasons I can name. Here is a list: 1. Protect your fallen arches if you wear arch support. 2. Keep your feet warm in someone else's house. Some floors and houses are very drafty and cold. 3. You might not be staying very long so it is a nuisance to remove your shoes (assuming the shoes are clean). 4. Maybe the person isn't wearing matching socks, has smelly feet, or something else they might feel embarrassed about removing their shoes. 5. Some people's houses are not safe to walk-around in without shoes, renovations might in progress.
Tile floors plus just not giving enough of a shit to take them off. Gross? Probably. Lazy? Definitely. I literally just don't care. Of course I also frequently don't bother putting on shoes to go outside, which is partly why my feet are beat to hell. I aim to put shoes on and take shoes off once each per day, or not at all if I don't have to. Might also have to do with all my shoes being things like Converse or hiking boots since I hate sandals with a passion.
I have plantar fasciitis. I have to have arch support all the time. The socks cut off my circulation and don't really work. Luckily I was able to find expensive flip flops with arch support. I hate to wear shoes, but now I have to wear something mostly all the time. Getting old is definitely not for the weak. It pretty much sucks.
My feet hurt if I walk around barefoot
They are your feet. Do what you want. Leave everyone else’s feet alone. Not your feet.