Shoes inside?

[grislyatoms]

Thoughts? Ma used to enact that rule. In N.M, we don't get much rain. So the normal street detritus does not get washed away. So, when folks come in, it's on their shoes. I don't like that. What do y'all have to say? Rude? OTT? I won't change, I'm just wondering how folks view it.

[Hawkmoon]

When I was growing up, only Japanese removed their shoes upon entering a house. My brother has now gone over to the dark side and he and his wife un-shoe in the basement when they come in from the garage. here in the real world, we don't make a point of removing shows -- we take them off when we're not likely to go out again that day and slippers are more comfortable.

[grislyatoms]

Well, the Japanese also considered daily bathing a good thing when most of Europe did not...and maybe still don't.
This is not an indictment of folks who choose otherwise. It's how I like things to be. I hear everything from "What a great idea" to " Seriously? We'll just go on back home.,

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

Well, the Japanese also considered daily bathing a good thing when most of Europe did not

The European non-bathing thing is mostly a myth. 

I generally like shoes of some kind indoors to keep from smashing my toes on furniture and door frames. I wouldn't be having a fit if somebody asked me to take them off before coming in, though.

[Perd Hapley]

Thoughts? Ma used to enact that rule. In N.M, we don't get much rain. So the normal street detritus does not get washed away. So, when folks come in, it's on their shoes. I don't like that. What do y'all have to say? Rude? OTT? I won't change, I'm just wondering how folks view it.

If you require this, I trust you also provide a place next to the door for people to sit down and shoe/unshoe.

It's more practical for people who don't wear serious foot-gear. I wear nothing but 8"-10" logger boots, so it wouldn't work for my house.

It may also be less practical, if you entertain a lot of different people that aren't expecting your rule.

[RoadKingLarry]

I understand where you're coming from but in hot weather I'd be leaving a trail of Desenex powdered foot prints. I dose my boots and feet as a preventive measure during sweat season.
Do you offer the little paper booties to guests?

[230RN]

I can't stand leather boxes on my feet anyhow, so I take off my shoes as soon as I come in.  I don't require that of other folks, though.  But my daughter-in-law requires it and there's always five or six pairs of shoes on the landing right by their front door. 'Sokay with me.

When I was working, there were three or four folks (including me) in the office who habitually took their shoes off at work and had slippers or sandals for wandering around the office (including me.)

Sample, entitled "Getting A Head Start On Casual Friday:"



(Well, it was a Thursday, but it was just before the Christmas Holiday.)


One lady I worked with got a little upset with me for taking a pic of her with no shoes.  I thought it was an amusing sight --she was elegantly dressed that day, long black skirt, nice blouse, hair done nicely, understated but nice jewelry (I don't know why on that particlar day) --and she was standing chatting with someone in her bare feet.  I thought it was a cute "barefoot Contessa" shot, and when the flash went off, she started in on me.  She was concerned that the picture would be all over the net on foot-fetish sites or something.

She was (and still is) a little weird.  We got it cleared up and I destroyed the pic at her request, so it finally worked itself out.

I could swear that I picked up a dose of athlete's foot at work, though, wandering around for short distances (to go to the printer or fax machine or whatever) every once in a while in just my socks.  The company had a large gymnasium for the employees and I suspect the fungus eventually got tracked around the whole building or was distributed by the cleaning staff with their vacuum cleaners.

(I found out that underarm deodorant sprayed on the area affected by athlete's foot soothes the itching and burning and knocks it out eventually.  Even better than the commercial athlete's foot products.  Don't know why, can't make a "medical" recommendation on it, but it seemed to work for me.)

Terry, 230RN

[roo_ster]

If you require this, I trust you also provide a place next to the door for people to sit down and shoe/unshoe.

It's more practical for people who don't wear serious foot-gear. I wear nothing but 8"-10" logger boots, so it wouldn't work for my house.

It may also be less practical, if you entertain a lot of different people that aren't expecting your rule.

What fistful wrote.

I might be inclined to impose such a rule, but I'd pretty much have to have a mud room or room for a chair/bench and spare shoes at every entrance.

[seeker_two]

Your house....your rules....


....but I agree with ZOB....I like wearing some sort of shoe to maintain traction and keep my toes protected....you could provide your guests who want the same thing a shoe that they can wear indoors, but that you can clean easily....

http://www.crocs.com/home/homepage,default,pg.html

[Stand_watie]

Forcible de-shoeing is common west michigan practice and the Dutch are blamed for the tradition by anti-dutch west michiganders even though the African American and Jewish west michiganders seemed just as keen about keeping the snow, mud, and sand off of their carpets as the Dutch to me.

[MrsSmith]

I wear shoes solely to protect my feet. As there's nothing in my house that could hurt my feet (I'm not in the habit of stubbing my toe on the coffee table that has been in the same location since I moved in), I kick off my shoes soon after entering the house. Not usually by the front door - I do try to make it to my closet though if I were to walk through the house right now there are probably three pairs of shoes in random places.
I don't require guests to remove their shoes - I want my guests to be comfortable and if that means leaving their shoes on or taking them off, that's their decision. If that means I have to sweep up some after company leaves, so be it, but I can't say I've ever had that happen.

I don't know how you guys can wear big heavy leather boots in the summer. Kills me to have to wear them in the winter when it's cold. Summer - flip flops or sandals or no shoes at all.

[Tallpine]

Depends on the season.  Obviously, the rubber muck boots come off at the door during mud season.  And the insulated snow boots aren't comfortable to wear in the house all day.

Otherwise, I normally wear cowboy boots inside and out, and ladypine wears tennis shoes or moccasins.  I might have to go outside at any time to check on something without time to put boots on.  Plus we have two doors that we use equally so the boots would always be at the wrong door.

The floor is made to walk on.

[Jamisjockey]

Since I wear flip flops now almost all year, it's easy to toss them off when I get home 

[HankB]

I normally "de-shoe" in the utility room when I come in through the garage. We also have "indoor shoes" that we use exclusively indoors - keeps things like carpets cleaner.

We're not fanatics about it - we don't forcibly "de-shoe" guests.

[K Frame]

in the winter I tend to unshoe at the front door and go straight to comfy, warm slippers.

[Perd Hapley]

I wear shoes solely to protect my feet. As there's nothing in my house that could hurt my feet...

Sure there is. I try to remember to wear shoes when doing the dishes, in case I drop a knife.

I don't know how you guys can wear big heavy leather boots in the summer. Kills me to have to wear them in the winter when it's cold. Summer - flip flops or sandals or no shoes at all.

I know, it seems crazy, but I don’t usually notice it. I don’t know how people can stand to wear sandals and open toes out of the house. Maybe it's because, when I was a kid, my big toes were usually all swollen and tender from infected, ingrown nails. Unless, of course, they were sore from one of the many surgeries I had.

Also, when I've tried going out in sandals, the dust and dirt on my feet really bothered me. Different strokes, I reckon.

[Balog]

Sandals always make me nervous, just because I can't run or do much active when wearing them.

[Nick1911]

I'll unshoe if covered in snow or mud.  Short of that, they stay on.

I wear 9" leather boots - taking them off and putting them on all the time is inconvenient.

My parents always had a "no shoes in the house" rule, which does result in their house staying cleaner.

For me
1) I have very little carpet in the house
2) I have two dogs that track dirt in and shed hair anyway
3) I spend a decent amount of time in the garage workshop.  Not wearing shoes there is hazardous.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

I found out that underarm deodorant sprayed on the area affected by athlete's foot soothes the itching and burning and knocks it out eventually.  Even better than the commercial athlete's foot products.  Don't know why, can't make a "medical" recommendation on it, but it seemed to work for me.

I'm guessing athlete's foot can't exist without a damp environment. Once you hose down your feet with deodorant, no more sweat, so it can't stick around.

I use spray-on deodorant on the feet, too. It prevents soggy socks halfway through the day. Supposed to help prevent blisters, too.

[Jamisjockey]

Keep extra long laces on your tall boots.  If you're in a hurry, pull them tight, wrap the two tag ends around the boot top, tuck them into the top set of laces and pull tight.  Not as secure as tieing them, but will last a little while before it works loose.

[P5 Guy]

No visitors so that is no problem. When I live alone I prefer to be by myself. I take off my shoes or sandals upon entering my house. And yes I wear Birkenstocks most of the year here in Florida.
 

[MrsSmith]

Does that make P5 Guy a ... hippie?

:)

I prefer to be as unencumbered as possible, which includes not having on shoes that restrict airflow/movement/flexibility. I'm much more agile in bare feet than I am in any shoe. Indoors or on a boat anyway. I have dropped things on my feet while working in the kitchen but infrequently - certainly not enough to make me wear shoes 100% of the time to avoid hurting myself 1% of the time. That just seems like overkill. 

I also have mostly wood/tile floors and I have two dogs who continuously bring in bits of the yard, so I have to sweep frequently anyway.

[Tallpine]

I just can't get used to the idea of men in sandals.

Maybe it's a 1960s Merle Haggard kind of thing ... 


Besides if you go outside around here, everything either stings, bites, or pokes. 

When I used to go camping up in the mountains, I would spend a lot of time barefoot or in moccasins.  Less nasty stuff up there in the high country.  I know where there's a huge meadow that's like walking on the softest carpet 

[Declaration Day]

I don't have a "no shoes" rule in my house.  I have white carpeting, so guests often leave their shoes at the door without asking.  Hey, whatever makes them comfortable.  I have a steam cleaner.

I don't own sandals.  I think they look silly on men, but primarily I am clumsy and will kick something and break a toe within seconds if I don't have regular shoes on.  I'm barefoot while in bed,  in the shower or while swimming, that's about it.

I also use foot powder every day.  Does away with sweat and odor 100%, and makes wearing shoes / boots in the heat quite comfortable.  Feels good too, like walking in really fine sand.  If I know I am going into a house with a no shoes rule, I go much lighter on the powder, but never without it.

[AZRedhawk44]

My house is "whatever's comfy."

I usually don't put shoes on unless I am stepping outside.  When I come back inside, I typically take my shoes off because shoes are little portable heat-boxes.

In the winter, I might wear shoes inside a bit more often.

If it's rainy outside I'll probably make it a point to take my shoes off when coming in.