Shoes on or off?

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Skytteflickan88

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In your country, do people remove their shoes when they step indoors?

My niece came back from a language course in LA this week (we live in Sweden), and she brought up to her class mates (if I remember correctly, they were all from different countries) that we take our shoes off in Sweden when entering someone's home, including our own. This surprised her class.

Not everyone in Sweden does this, but from what I've noticed, it's rare that people keep their shoes on, expect in some families, or in rare cases (for example when we're just stepping briefly in to grab something before going out again, or we're too lazy). It's considered rude not to remove them when entering a strangers home(unless the stranger is keeping his/her shoes on), but we're a bit more open-minded about our own or our family's floors than with strangers.

I for one do not enjoy cleaning floors, so I'm pro this "rule".

How do they do in your country? Does the weather, kinds of floors, shoes, etc etc factor in?

And how many people felt "Meh" and maybe a bit reluctant to check out the thread after noticing the Riley icon next to the title? ;D
 
I live in the US (Arizona) and I always feel like taking my shoes off when I go to somebody's house, but I've always felt unsure whether or not to do so. When I was younger, it was ok to take them off at a family gathering, but not so much anymore now that I'm older. None of my cousins do it, so I would feel awkward being barefoot if I was alone. However, in my own home, they're off, even when I have to go outside quickly to get/do something.
 
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Skytteflickan88
I agree about feeling awkward in case I'm the only one without shoes at someone else home, spcially if I have no socks on, so I always have to see if the others go shoeless as well before I take them off.
I live in the US (Minnesota) and it seems the polite thing to do is to take your shoes off, or just ask if you should take them off. But when I was growing up we always kept our shoes on in the house.
 
Personally? If someone asked me to take my shoes off before entering their house I would politely tell them that if they really think their floor is worth more then my dignity then I would prefer not to spend time at their house.

I've never been told to remove my shoes before entering a house in Australia. I think the only time that someone asked me to it was an old asian lady (grandma of a friend) so I made my excuses and left. I don't feel comfortable walking around a strange house without my shoes on. I think it's incredibly offensive to ask. Can't people just get a doormat? They're about 2 dollars from Bunnings.
 
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ScoobyGroupie
It really is kinda awkward to be shoe-less in some person's house.
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InsaneMystic
awww at the "floor vs. dignity" point. I very much concur!
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Big Damn Hero
That's fair enough, but I for one would tell you where to go. I don't think it's such an unreasonable ask.
I live in Canada, which is mostly shoes-on, though I've been shoes-off my whole life. I lived in Turkey for 10 years, which is as passionately shoes-off as Japan is, so you certainly got used to taking shoes off. I just feel more comfortable without shoes on anyway.
 
Here in Minnesota with all the snow during the winter it kinda of is preferable to take shoes off so everything inside doesn't get muddy and wet lol. You get a doormat but then you get the people who ignore it and just walk right in. *sigh*
 
Germany is mostly shoes-on. I've known a very few shoes-off people/families, but they're a tiny minority. We're more of a doormat-country, lol.
 
He. This was one of the things I learned thanks to this board. Not all people take their shoes off. If you're used to something anything different seems very weird. And in case people didn't know we hang our jackets at the same place as we take off our shoes. Everything is easy to find and it gets much cleaner.

Another thing I noticed is the reason why so many people don't find their keys. It's confused me a lot. In most swedish homes that's easy. They have their special place as well.


caitaintdead said:
I think it's incredibly offensive to ask. Can't people just get a doormat? They're about 2 dollars from Bunnings.
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Why is it offensive? Something wrong with peoples feet? Most feet appriciate getting some air from time to time and I got a feeling it's good for the shoes as well. To me it's more offensive to walk around making a mess with shoes on. Maybe your shoes never get that messy/dirty in Oz but here they do (from timeto time) and if you're going to get them clean enough on a doormat you'll have to spend quite some time. Just imagine if a family comes at once or a lot of friends.

But I guess that if we had summer all year round it would be different. As long as it doesn't rain the shoes doesn't get nearly as messy as other times of the year. Then there's a difference depending on if you live in the big city with mostly asphalt to walk on or not.
 
I find it offensive because I feel like it's inappropriate and to 'common' to be asking of people. I don't want to be walking around in front of anyone other then my parents and fiance without shoes on, so why would I do it when I'm already outside of my comfort zone?
 
I guess we're going to have to disagree with the inappropriate thing. I can understand your dislike for it if it makes you uncomfortable but I don't get the connection to inappropriate. Can you explain the "to common" thing because I don't think I get that. I really doubt you mean it as it sounds to me right now. And here you usually don't have to ask people. You know it. You don't want to have dirty floor at home hence you don't go around making other people's floor more dirty if you can help it. As I said. It all depends on what you're used to.
 
I'm happy to disagree on this with other people, it's just a multicultural difference I suppose.

And I mean common as in to familiar, not as in lower class common.
 
I'm Norwegian, and have grown up with taking my shoes off unless my host explicitly says that it's fine to keep them on. As Washburne says, this is a culture that follows naturally from our wet springs, short summers, wet autumns and cold winters. There's only four months a year that I don't spend most of my outdoor time in wellies, army boots with woolen rocks or seriously muddy trainers. Believe me, cait, my winter get up is unbearable to wear indoors.

---------- Post added at 11:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:01 AM ----------

Uh, woolen Socks. Typing on my mobile
 
Depends on what's going on in the house you are going too. If its a party and your just dancing then usually its shoes left on. However if i walk into someone else's house to watch a film, have a chat on the couch then i'd take my shoes off.

Its just cultures at the end of the day. Some people have it in theirs others don't.
 
I don't think I've ever been asked to take my shoes off here in Ireland, I'm not sure but I think it may be considered rude to take them off, its kinda a comfort thing, so by taking them off you may come across as overly comfotable.

Personally I like taking my shoes off, but would only do it at home and friends houses, but it would purely be a comfort thing, not a respect thing.(having said that I have walked around college and work with no shoes, lol)
 
Very interesting answers.

caitaintdead said:
Personally? If someone asked me to take my shoes off before entering their house I would politely tell them that if they really think their floor is worth more then my dignity then I would prefer not to spend time at their house.

I've never been told to remove my shoes before entering a house in Australia. I think the only time that someone asked me to it was an old asian lady (grandma of a friend) so I made my excuses and left. I don't feel comfortable walking around a strange house without my shoes on. I think it's incredibly offensive to ask. Can't people just get a doormat? They're about 2 dollars from Bunnings.
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This is very interesting. I can understand how you feel. If people are used to wearing certain clothing, they won't like it if they're all off a sudden forced to take it off. I sure wouldn't like it if someone said "Take you top off" if I enter a home, just because they think I might drag in filth.

May I ask if this is a common feeling in your country, that walking around without shoes in dignified? How about if the woner of the house had a very expensive rug, or your shoes were very dirty? Would you be more understanding in case someone asked you to take off your shoes then?

I feel giddy, like I'm researching some strange new exciting culture 😀

Black Eye Guy said:
I don't think I've ever been asked to take my shoes off here in Ireland, I'm not sure but I think it may be considered rude to take them off, its kinda a comfort thing, so by taking them off you may come across as overly comfotable.
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I can identify with that. It is very weird to walk around in a house without shoes, if everyone else are wearing shoes (same in a public space that's not the beach or a bathhouse). It's like I can feel people judging me for getting my foot sweat everywhere.

It's a similar feeling if I'm the only one with shoes on, I feel like I'm making the place dirty too, even if my shoes are clean.
 
I'm German and as IM pointed out, it's pretty uncommon but definitely not unheard of here to take your shoes off. Usually, if people don't like other people wearing shoes in their home, they just ask you to take your shoes off and I've never seen people complain about that, or, if you want to do the polite thing, you ask if you should take them off.

I noticed it's definitely dependant on where you live though. I live in the country and it's a lot more common to take your shoes off when entering people's homes than in the city, just for the simple reason that your shoes get much dirtier here.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with taking off your shoes and I'm much more comfortable if I can walk around without shoes for a while, too. To conclude, I'm shoes off.
 
I don't really get the dirty thing either - maybe once again it's a climate thing, but if I'm wearing thongs or sandals in summer then my feet are going to be dusty if I've been outside, or covered in beach sand if I've been to the beach.
Put it this way though, I've come straight from a soccer game like the one I played this morning (rainy and muddy) and for some bizarre reason have not got changed out of my filthy football boots. I've gone round someones house in my muddy football boots and they have brand new white carpet I wouldn't think it was okay to trample mud through the house - I don't think it would be much nicer to wander through in my muddy socks, and I don't think going barefoot after 2 hours of sport is a very nice smelling idea 😉

I find this kind of cultural thing quite the fascinating. I had no idea that European cultures were so pedantic about this particular thing!
 
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