Do you make guests take their shoes off in your home?

charmcitygirl · November 2010

I know a lot of people like to take their shoes off the minute they walk in the door. And some people like their guests to do the same. We're not like that in our house - sometimes we keep shoes on, other times we walk in socks, other times barefoot.

We went to a mom's group event today where it was clear that everyone was expected to take their shoes off. Given, it was a rainy day and everyone's shoes were wet. I took mine off and took Jacob's off - even though I had carried him from the car.

When I went to put our shoes back on, I saw that our white socks were black on the bottom from the floor. Yuck! I was so grossed out! If you're going to make me take my shoes off, at least clean your floor so that my socks don't get black. Otherwise I'm going to keep my shoes on, thank you very much!

So, what's the trend in your house? We don't encourage others to take their shoes off when they come in.

beebe929 · November 2010

Ewww. Yeah so much for pretending to be a neat freak crazy lady! I so was waiting for you to say your shoes were stolen like the S&TC episode!

emmyloustu · November 2010

We take our shoes off and pretty emphatically encourage others to do the same. Dh is a total germaphobe and with the floor being Eliza's realm, he is totally freaked by shoes in the house. Even before E, we were pretty strict about it.

But, ewwwwwwww, on the black socks! I hope she was embarrassed!

cjsbdl · November 2010

No, never.

We do try to take our own shoes off at the back door so that we don't track mud and dirt in, but it doesn't always happen. But I would never, ever ask a guest to remove their shoes. I just think the whole idea is so bizarre.

I know from other discussions on The Nest that this is sort of a regional thing and that in climates/areas where snow and ice are common it seems to be more typical. There was a post once where someone said it was even expected in her area at parties. LOL I can't imagine everyone walking around at a party with their shoes off!

laura&dan05 · November 2010

We don't ever wear shoes in our house. H even knows the drill and takes her shoes off as soon as we walk in the door and puts them in the shoe tray by the garage door.

I don't ask guests to take their shoes off and I put shoes on when we are having guests over (I wouldn't walk around barefoot while hosting a party). I always clean our floors really well before and after we have guests.

Dochas · November 2010

We take our shoes off. We have a gym in the basement and we both have sneakers that are only for indoors. Sounds crazy, but in my defense we have very sandy soil. So if we've been on any unpaved ground either in our yard or walking in the neighborhood our house is full of sand. I don't ask that people take their shoes off. But if it's bad weather, like rain or snow I think it would be really rude to NOT take your shoes off in someone's home. When the baby starts crawling I will likely ask people to remove their shoes. But I do always make sure the floor is clean because I would be incredibly embarrassed if your socks got dirty in my house!

LisaMarisa · November 2010

We would never ask guests to take off their shoes. We usually do once we get in and settled just for comfort. I am uncomfortable when people ask guests to take off their shoes, what if you have a hole in your socks?!!!

ladychicago · November 2010

that's kind of gross...

We don't wear shoes around the house, but we walk in with them on and then take them off in our bedroom or living room. I would rather guests be comfortable than feel obligated to do something. Unless it is rainy/snowy, I don't say anything. If their shoes look wet, though, we will keep our shoes by the door and guests will get the hint. I hardly ever have to ask...

Dochas · November 2010

I think it is regional. Where I lived before people let their dogs pee and crap all over the sidewalks. Even if they picked up after them (rare) your still strolling through the leftovers. You want that brought in your house? If I were having a party and expected a lot of people in the house then it wouldn't be a big deal. But like I said, when he starts crawling, the shoes are coming off. I think I'll pick up toasties or cheap socks just in case for visitors.

bmf8140 · November 2010

We don't, but I wish I would have from the start...

I had a Christmas party after living in our house for about 6 months and someone walked all over our entire main floor wearing high heels that had been chewed by a dog. The nail head on the heel was exposed and it left tiny little divets all over our floor.

emmyloustu · November 2010

cjsbdl:
I know from other discussions on The Nest that this is sort of a regional thing and that in climates/areas where snow and ice are common it seems to be more typical. There was a post once where someone said it was even expected in her area at parties. LOL I can't imagine everyone walking around at a party with their shoes off!

We live in the Northeast and I would say it is expected that your guests remove their shoes at the door. Everyone I know does this and expects this, yes even at parties, holidays etc...

Many of our family members carry slippers to holiday gatherings because we all know you will be removing your shoes.

charmcitygirl · November 2010

emmyloustu:
cjsbdl:
I know from other discussions on The Nest that this is sort of a regional thing and that in climates/areas where snow and ice are common it seems to be more typical. There was a post once where someone said it was even expected in her area at parties. LOL I can't imagine everyone walking around at a party with their shoes off!
We live in the Northeast and I would say it is expected that your guests remove their shoes at the door. Everyone I know does this and expects this, yes even at parties, holidays etc...
Many of our family members carry slippers to holiday gatherings because we all know you will be removing your shoes.

I'm in the midatlantic and that sounds CRAZY to me! I would NEVER think to bring slippers to a party. And I would feel weird walking around at a party without my shoes on. One time I went to this woman's house and she had those things you put over your shoes in a operating room for everyone to put on their feet. It felt weird, but I did it.

I pretty much just do whatever is expected at someone's house. If they want me to take my shoes off, I will. If they don't care, I'm going to keep them on.

GuitaristsGirl · November 2010

We take shoes off the second we walk in the door -- it's an effort to keep the floors clean. But, I'll be honest - even with the no shoes, mopping/ swiffering every other day and etc. - my hardwoods are still 50+ years old and I have finally realized that I will NEVER get them perfectly, deep-down clean. Therefore, yes, if you wear white socks in my house for any length of time, they will look a little dingy on the bottom. I don't like it!, but it definitely doesn't mean my house is dirty

To your question, no, I don't ask guests to, but close friends often do once they settle in, if it's a casual event, and after they've noticed that we don't have shoes on. My family always brings slippers when they come to visit since they know how I am! And, honestly, part of me is a little irked that my inlaws don't remove their shoes, since it's casual, we're family, etc., and we obviously prefer no shoes. Other guests or a party? No, and I'm sure I'd put shoes on myself But we also don't have the climate whether the weather is really an issue.

xtencornfield · November 2010

We don't wear shoes in our house but we do walk through our house with shoes on when we come in/go out. We never ask guests to take of their shoes but most do anyways and they definitely do if it's wet/muddy/snowy out...we don't ever have to ask, they just do it. That said, DH and I always take off our shoes when we're going into a house where we don't know "the rules" or we know that we should take them off.

LIAngel · November 2010

Well we hardly ever have company. But when it's my turn to host my monthly Bunko group (I host it once a year) then no people don't take their shoes off. I just silently hope that their feet aren't dirty.

If it's family, then yes they take off their shoes.

Oh and I don't expect Nicholas' EI teacher to take off her shoes.

kimberic · November 2010

I expect it but don't usually ask or I'll wait for them to ask. If they keep their shoes on, I'll just sit there in an annoyed silence hating that fact that they have their shoes on and wondering what kind of nastiness is now in my house. lol

My mom works in a factory and comes over twice a week to help out with the babies. She would leave her shoes on the whole time. I could never understand why she wouldn't want to take her shoes off after wearing them all day. She would bounce the bouncy seats and put her shoe on the baby blankets. Drove.me.nuts. I could never figure out a way to tell her to take her shoes off because she is very sensitive and gets her feeling hurt by stupid stuff like that. We finally had our carpets cleaned so I used that as my opportunity to tell her. She takes them off now and they smell like cat pee. I can't win.

OrangeSmoke · November 2010

kimberic:

I expect it but don't usually ask or I'll wait for them to ask. If they keep their shoes on, I'll just sit there in an annoyed silence hating that fact that they have their shoes on and wondering what kind of nastiness is now in my house. lol

I thought I was the only one who felt that way!!!

No shoes in my house - My ILs "forget" all the time.

Nicole. · November 2010

We take our shoes off (we were both raised in homes that did) the moment we get home but don't "force" people to.

schmoodle · November 2010

We used to make people take their shoes off, only because we had super soft cherry hardwood floors which scuffed very easily and high heels made noticeable indentations in the floor. I never ever wore my heels in the house. I hated being that person though, but it was the price for trying to maintain resale value in our condo. Now we are in a house with older and less fancy/vulnerable floors and I actually urge people to leave theirs on when they try to take them off because I'm making up for guilt from the prior condo! LOL.

crystalgirl · November 2010

We have a general shoes-off policy, but we don't make our guests do it. Usually they notice and do it without being asked. Our reason is for the purpose of keeping the floors clean, though.... I can't imagine asking people to take their shoes off with dirty floors. Yuck!!! Our floors stay remarkably clean this way, but we also don't have any pets.

PsychedForBaby · November 2010

We have a rug in our entry way from the front door. I think people assume since we have a rug that we are a shoes off house. If someone just takes them off, that's great. But if they ask and it's dry out, we don't make people take shoes off. I think rainy/wet days go without saying. If our shoes are clean and dry when we come home, they stay on.

When I go to people's houses for play dates or whatever, I've gotten into the habit of bringing slippers. For one, my feet are always cold and I hate walking around on someone else's dirty floor! Yuk! Besides, I don't know where they'll be playing. Most all houses have basements or cooler lower levels around here where we play a lot.

As for the kiddos, if you have carried them from the car, there is no need to take shoes off. Megan has been a shoe baby for a long time now and actually walks better than when she's just in socks. Also, then she won't slip and fall, especially if they have wood floors.

Someone actually asked me once what I used on my laundry because my socks were so white. Ummm...it's called slippers!

miesl · November 2010

emmyloustu:

We live in the Northeast and I would say it is expected that your guests remove their shoes at the door. Everyone I know does this and expects this, yes even at parties, holidays etc...

It's that way in MN too. A huge shoe pile in the entryway at parties - totally normal.

lovemymonkey · November 2010

We don't wear shoes in our house (cultural thing, we're Korean) but I don't make my guests take theirs off. I find though that most guests take their shoes off once they see we're not wearing any. Maybe people respond differently when it's a cultural thing versus just a preference.

skoorbnibor · November 2010

without reading the other responses, I am going to go out on a limb and say that I would never ask anyone to remove shoes in my house. That is why I have a carpet shampooer. Yeah, I think it is sort of rude. I prefer being shoeless but not everyone feels the same way and when I invite someone over to be a guest, I want to make them feel comfortable. And Allison, thank for not making us take our shoes off in your house!

and I will also say that even immediately after cleaning my old wooden floors (they are original to this house, so they are 50 years old) your socks will be dirty. I hate that! One reason I am so happy to be moving in 2 days is clean socks! I loved the character of the floor, hate the ick factor.

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