The Removal of Shoes

Keeping your shoes on inside is very American.

It’s a hint, OP.

You’re not supposed to spit, piss, shit, or vomit on the floor; that’s the host’s job.

I hate wearing shoes so anybody who lets me take mine off is ok with me.

I’m not a fan and it’s not my choice, but I don’t see how you can criticize people for not wanting dirt tracked into their homes. Especially if you live in a place like NYC where there is dog (hopefully) shit and urine everywhere.

It’s like vegetarianism. Not my choice, but even though I don’t give concerns about the environment and animal cruelty enough weight to make me give up animal products I respect the priorities of people who do.

Now, if you are having a party or an elderly guest then I think it’s probably rude to do the shoes off thing. Just clean afterwards. Your home isn’t a sterile environment. You can be flexible on rare occasions.

"You know what I can’t stand. People who ask you to remove your shoes upon entering their home. It’s so low brow."

"You know what I can't stand? People who won't remove their shoes when asked upon entering my home. It's so low brow."

I used to visit my cousins home and they had a No Shoes policy. But they had two dogs who would go in and out through the doggy portal in the door and tracks their paws all over the house, including a lot of obvious shit stains on the carpet.

Do you live a miserable life of 1000 daily gripes, OP?

In my country, it's unthinkable to not remove your shoes and put the cosy slippers on. Obviously there are exceptions for officials and salespeople and handymen and the like. It's not just because of the dirt, but mainly because you want the people who are close to you to be fully relaxed when visiting your place, and you can' be fully relaxed when your feet aren't breathing.

I recall being shocked to the core when I saw people wearing shoes inside on an American TV show (or maybe a movie) for the first time. So this is very much a cultural thing.

It depends. Obviously if you live in a wet or snowy environment, you don't want to track that all over your floors. I understand that. And I know that the bottom of shoes are clearly coming in contact with so much dirt and other items.

But it's the lack of consistency for me. People have their dogs go out all the time and don't do anything to clean their pets' feet when they come back inside.

People's ASSES are on so many unsterile and dirty areas in the public - but nobody says, remove your pants please.

And it's just weird to invite people over to a party or dinner and walk around in their socks or bare feet.

Outside of the obvious wet/snowy environments, this habit seems to be a carryover from the horse transportation days where there was so much shit everywhere you walked.

I'll respect whatever people want because it's their home, but it in certain scenarios it just seems weird and over the top.

I cried because I had no shoes and then I met a man who didn't allow shoes in his home...so I moved in.

OP - fuck off. This is a stupid post. Just wanted you to know.

The only person I knew who insisted on no shoes in their house was a hoarder with dog shit and piss all over the place. Myself I walk barefoot outside and inside so the floor gets dirty regardless. It’s a dry dirt that’s easily vacuumed. I wouldn’t want people getting their foot sweat and fungus on my floors, and the smell.

You're welcome to move here, where this is not a problem.

Ill remove my shoes if you dont mind the smell of my feet.

I remove my shoes in my apartment. I like a clean floor.

What R1 said. Nothing low brow about it. OP is an idiot American who probably doesn't have a passport and only has white friends.

I visited my best friend who lives in the Midwest (I’m in New England). After three days she really got mad about my not removing my shoes and it even strained our relationship for a while. It happens here but it’s not common.

You’re nasty, OP. Shoes are filthy— I leave them outside when I’m done going to public places. I leave them outside to cure for two days sometimes. Gotta love southern living.

Some people need to leave their shoes on. There are smelly, nasty and uncared for feet in this world.

OP people who don't offer to remove their shoes upon entry are trash.

[quote] There are smelly, nasty and uncared for feet in this world.

R19 Those better not show up at my house.

R21 What if he drives German and has a lake house?

Know what I can't stand? People who keep their shoes on when they tromp through my house, tracking whatever outside dirt they stepped in all over my carpets.

And I _really_ cannot stand people who complain about asking their shoes to be removed. What rude, obnoxious, classless people. Take your fucking shoes off and take that stick out of your ass while you're at it.

R4 Oh well don’t have guests over if you can’t afford to maintain cleanliness and spotless presentation. Simply don’t do it. My cousin is doing this now. It’s so pretentious and like I said low brow.

R11. Hi there.

People always aks me "shoes off?" when they enter my home. And I will say "yes please".

You are strange, OP.

The number one thing on your shoes? Fecal matter.

I bought a box of hospital "booties" that slip right over your shoes if you want to wear them in my place.

[quote] You know what I can’t stand. People who ask you to remove your shoes upon entering their home.

So, you were raised to be absolute trash. Thanks for letting us know.

OP/R24 Nothing personal, but you sound a bit... trashy.

OP is

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Low brow, OP? You're comment shows how culturally unaware you are.

OP is both an idiot and an asshole.

I live on Maui. It is tradition here--and on the neighbor islands--to remove your "slippahs" before entering anyone's house.

Part of it's courtesy, and part of it's practicality...there's sand and other street/beach crud you wouldn't want anyone (yourself included) to track into your clean house.

R32 Ya mammy.

R16 is an idiot American who just got his first passport two weeks ago, and, one time, a black guy gave him an up-nod as they passed one another in gas station parking lot, so now he thinks he has a black friend. He loves Costco's frozen pho and calls chicken tikka masala "chicken maRsala."

In NYC at least, it is the norm. I pretty much do it as instinct at this point. The one exception is if it’s a fancy apartment party where shoes are part of a lot of people’s look. In that case, most people temporarily overlook their shoes off rule.

Wearing shoes in the house is dirty.

Cosmo is an indoor cat. When I took him to the vet last month, they discovered a parasite in his feces. The vet guessed that it was probably tracked into my home by my shoes. We have dogs, cats, geese, squirrels, and swans where I live. I’ve started taking my shoes off at the door. I’d leave them outside my door but the HOA doesn’t allow that.

[quote] But it's the lack of consistency for me. People have their dogs go out all the time and don't do anything to clean their pets' feet when they come back inside.

I kept baby wipes at the front door and wiped their paws after walking them.

[quote]People's ASSES are on so many unsterile and dirty areas in the public - but nobody says, remove your pants please.

That's why my furniture is covered when guests are over. If it's no cover, standing room only. It's also nasty to lay on the bed in your street clothes.

[quote]And it's just weird to invite people over to a party or dinner and walk around in their socks or bare feet.

I offer complementary footies in a basket at the door.

None of this is my fault, r9. My mother turned me into this. She did this to me.

Like I said if you have a function at your home LEARN to afford a cleaning service or clean the motherfucking shit yoself. I’ve decided. I’m done playing this game. I will not be taking off my shoes which are a huge part of my ensemble.

Yes cunts my boundaries have been stated.

In my whole 62 years of living I have never been asked to remove my shoes, except when I became friends with some South Asians last year.

If he’s got size 15 feets, he can do whatever he wants.

If a hot guy came in with size 15 feet, I'd insist he take off his shoes and socks so I could service his feets.

OP is a filth trash American

[quote]if you have a function at your home

r40 That's the thing. I wouldn't have a function at my home in the first place. The only people who come over are immediate family, and they have the same no-shoes policy at their places.

I don't like people all up in my house and in my business. That's what banquet halls are for. Fuck that.

I change into around the house shoes when I come home. I don’t like going barefoot so I have sandals that I’ve never worn outside for this purpose. I do not ask people to take off their shoes when they come to my house, but I have no family and few friends, so most of my visitors are service people. The repairman types usually put plastic covers over their shoes/boots before they come in. I have a house cleaner who comes once a week so I think my floors and rugs are pretty clean.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

[quote]The repairman types usually put plastic covers over their shoes/boots before they come in.

Yep. I have the below in my coat closet as well for quick visits when taking off shoes is too time-consuming. I am prepared for it all.

You need fabric disinfectant spray before you sit on my couch? I got that shit too. I don't play.

R40 You sound gross

R40 is beyond idiotic. Maybe it should get vibrio and amputations. Then we’ll see!!!

A "function" sounds like something that takes place at a church or a VFW hall.

It is pure filth not to remove your shoes upon entering a home. Especially if you live in a city. I live in NY and I even change out of my clothes when I get home because I’ve been sitting on the dirty subway and buses and I don’t want to sit on my furniture in that attire (some might call this a bit extra and you would be right).

I even keep a bench by my door for people to sit down to remove/put on their shoes, so OP you really have nothing to complain about.

My dearest hope and wish is that R40 finds themselves no longer invited to anyone's house every again.

What if you have a hole in your sock? That would be so embarrassing.

r53 If you don't have at least one hole in your sock, how would you put it on?

Almost all Asians take off their shoes at the entrance of their house, so I guess they are all low-brow.

shoes

Anyone who asks guests to remove their shoes should supply slippers. Do so otherwise is very poor manners.

You stupid cunts. I hope the next ‘no shoes home or party’ you attend someone steal you shoes and replace them with knockoffs.

R57 100% agree Tony. I still would much prefer not having to remove them at all though.

OP, you've embarrassed yourself, backed into a corner with no one sane at your side. You'll never forget this humiliating lesson.

R60

Shit the fuck up cunt. There’s too much noise coming out.

It could be a cultural thing - in Japan for example everyone is expected to take their shoes off. So I wouldn't judge.

Op, no one wants to hear from your tired, trashy, hillbilly ass.

Oh my god... "replaces them with knock-offs". WTF.

Well this is America not Japan. Americans also litter; the Japanese do not.

R40 your “ensemble” of what, bitch? Tjmaxx and H&M?

[quote]You stupid cunts. I hope the next ‘no shoes home or party’ you attend someone steal you shoes and replace them with knockoffs.

R58 Jokes on them - they're already knockoffs

Like most everyone else on here, I prefer if people take their shoes off when they come on, most people do it automatically, its pretty much expected here, I never bother actually saying anything

There's internal consistency in both methods. In the shoes inside the house system, people's feet (including the owner's) never touch the bare floor because they are wearing shoes except when they take them off to go to bed, so there is no bare skin exposure to outside dirt. In the shoes -off system, there is obvious collection of dirt and germs in the changing area where the guests and owner remove their shoes, but after that, and in all the other rooms of the house, slippers are worn - except that with repeated guests, someone is eventually going to get slippers that have been worn by others. The shoes-off method makes sense where the outside is often wet or muddy (as Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia in winter), and also in places where people sleep very close to the ground (Japan, tatami mats).

The OP would probably commit seppuku in Japan.

[quote]People's ASSES are on so many unsterile and dirty areas in the public - but nobody says, remove your pants please.

With some guys, that doesn't seem like such a bad thing to ask.

I don't love asking people to remove shoes in my home -- HOWEVER -- just completely rebuilt my home and I don't want stuff tracked in all over the place from shoes. I have items you can put over the shoes if you want. Most people don't care. It really does keep your house cleaner. It's awesome and I've never done it before until now.

I lived in Asia for several yeas and got used to it, plus I saw how there was less wear and tear on carpets, etc.