Outdoor shoes - on or off?

I would not usually ask for people to remove their shoes, but if their shoes were muddy and for what ever reason they did not think to remove them (my son has friends with learning disability who need support) I would gently request removal. I think most people would automatically remove muddy shoes or boots anyway. We have mostly hard floors downstairs, so it is not critical to remove shoes here.

I never ask anyone to remove their shoes. Nobody has asked me to remove mine either.

I'd. not like to entertain with people's socked feet in first of me.

Surely if hosting a dinner party, (very 70s) it would be just rude to expect people to be all dressed up yet expecting them to shuffle around in socks/stocking feet exposed.

I do hate feet so could be something to do with that.

I always do at other people’s houses even if they say it’s ok not to. All my family do the same at our house and others. I would only ask close friends and family to take them off if they didn’t remember but would hope everyone would. Once we had a visitor who said ‘oh you don’t mind if I leave my shoes on do you?’ Well yes I did mind, I thought it was rude but didn’t say anything. I think it’s quite unhygienic when you think what could get walked in and it helps keep carpets clean. I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want shoes left at the door.

Grandma70s

It’s very Hyacinth Bucket, indeed one of the things that’s laughed at on the programme.. I wouldn’t dream of asking people to remove their shoes, but if they chose to I wouldn’t object. I would ask whether the house owner would like me to remove mine if they were very wet or muddy. Provide a good doormat for wiping feet!

Agree with @Grandmas 70s. Very rude to expect people to remove shoes. I would only "suggest" this if someone came in with very muddy shoes! I never ask when I am in someone else's home unless same (if my own shoes are muddy). Very uncomfortable if asked to remove under other circs.

I have cream carpets throughout and a white tiled kitchen floor. We don't have pets. We don't wear shoes inside and 99% of my visitors remove shoes automatically. I like my light flooring and have no desire to go to flooring that hides dirt better or to wood floors. We have a lots of dinner parties and get togethers - so it doesn't put anybody off.
I remove shoes immediately I go to someone else's house.

Agree with Caz763
Outdoor shoes belong outside, indoor shoes belong inside.
Outdoor shoes off indoors regardless of carpet colour, floor surface etc.
If you're not prepared to take shoes off then get some covers to put over them in other people's houses. It's just courteous.

When I visit family I take my slippers and so does DH. I have cream carpets and a bright multi coloured rug in the hall. Most people do say shall we take our shoes off and I do say yes please. Most tradesmen who come to do jobs take them off automatically because they do it in their own homes.

Well I'd not ask them to remove their outdoor shoes - I'd grit my teeth and Hoover the carpet to death after they had gone.
In mitigation, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool coward.

My friends and family always remove their shoes, but should they forget I wouldn’t remind them. We have wood flooring & tiles, so easily cleaned. I also remove my shoes in other people’s homes. It’s courteous to do so, in my opinion.

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I think it is only polite to remove outside shoes when you enter someone’s home? My own family have to be reminded and don’t always do this, and I find it annoying tbh. Whether carpet or laminate flooring, it makes no difference. To me outside shoes, are just that.

No indoor shoes worn in my home. I have very light coloured carpets and no pets - so I definitely don't want outdoor dirt trodden through my home.
I think most people know to remove footwear at my home - I certainly always remove mine in other peoples - even bringing slippers if I'm staying for long.
Men are the most reticent - likely because they were lace ups? But their shoes are the worst as they have soles that trap muck more.

Witzend

When I was a child, school indoor shoes were def. a thing. At my state grammar school we had to have ‘Mary Jane’ type brown indoor shoes, which I wouldn’t have minded at all, except that mine were always hand me downs from my elder sister, not nice new ones like just about everybody else’s. ?

Me too. Mine were a dark brown in a colour that no longer uses the original name.

When visiting Harold Acton's former home in Florence, now owned by New York University we were required to wear overshoes inside the house. My DH went to the loo which was outdoors and had to replace his overshoes with fresh ones. All this seemed rather unnecessary since the floors were hard tiles and there were doormats.

I am waiting for someone to arrive shortly and offer to write your essay for you.

When I was a child, school indoor shoes were def. a thing. At my state grammar school we had to have ‘Mary Jane’ type brown indoor shoes, which I wouldn’t have minded at all, except that mine were always hand me downs from my elder sister, not nice new ones like just about everybody else’s. ?

kittylester

I wouldn't dream of asking people to take their shoes off. I do always ask in other people's homes.

Some years ago I visited Finland for work and very soon realised that it’s the norm there to take off your outdoor shoes when you visit a school. The school I visited had a box of plastic overshoes for people who forgot to bring indoor shoes with them. The staff told me that it was normal to remove outdoor shoes visiting people’s homes too. (Perhaps because of all that snow?). I thought about it afterwards and decided it was quite a civilised way of behaviour - leaving the outside dirt at the door! I usually change my shoes when I get home, but I don’t ask anyone visiting me to do so.

kittylester

I wouldn't dream of asking people to take their shoes off. I do always ask in other people's homes.

I am exactly the same.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

We don't and never will expect people to remove their shoes. I will if it expected in other people's homes. Having said that I am most uncomfortable walking without shoes! If I have bare feet I would be very embarrassed as my bunions are unsightly!! and I do need the support of shoes! We have friends who prefer guests to remove shoes so I have bought a pair of light weight slip on shoes specially for my visits to them .
Of course if shoes are covered in mud I would remove them! but do think it is an imposition to expect shoe removal . It causes some people to be very uncomfortable and I would not want my guests to feel that way.

Where I live it's the norm. People take off their shoes in others' houses, especially if you belong to groups and might have quite a number of people coming, and contractors either take theirs off or put on plastic booties. Nobody makes a fuss or thinks it odd.

My mum was ridiculously fussy, but she never asked people to remove their shoes. (We were poor)
Instead, she used to clean and polish the lino where people stood in the living room until it was like a skating rink.

Nannydenise

I always kick my shoes off ,I don't want germs and muck from the streets in my house, as for it being lower class is absurd,it's the rich with an army of servants who walked around the house in shoes all day, if abroad for example turkey and you enter a house with street shoes on its considered the height of bad manners

My parents weren’t rich, far from it, certainly no servants, not so much as a cleaning lady, but unless very wet or muddy we never did shoes-off and nor did any friends or relatives.

We always take off our shoes when coming indoors as do my visitors, Even the dog has its paws wiped.
I always remove my shoes when going into someones home.
Leave a few pairs of shoes in the entrance hall so never had to ask anyone to remove their shoes.
We also have a cream carpet in the lounge but tiles and laminate elsewhere.

I never ask people to take off their shoes but I really don't mind others asking that of me if I visit them. It's small-fish. Is it really something to be bothered by?

I always kick my shoes off ,I don't want germs and muck from the streets in my house, as for it being lower class is absurd,it's the rich with an army of servants who walked around the house in shoes all day, if abroad for example turkey and you enter a house with street shoes on its considered the height of bad manners