Outdoor shoes - on or off?

Only the grandchildren take their shoes off, I’m not really sure why, it’s never occurred to me to ask other people to remove theirs.
Tradesman have if coming through the front door onto carpet, I expect they do at every house.

I have no problem with asking people to remove their shoes it is my house and set rules accordingly If you don’t like it don’t come in !
I also would never dream of wearing shoes in another person’s home

My AC & GC remove their shoes when visiting but I don’t expect other visitors to do the same. If they offer fair enough but I’d never insist. I have a pale grey carpet & today I’ve been in and out of the garden in trainers as I just can’t be bothered to remove them each time. I always think it’s a bit rude asking people to take their shoes off, especially if they are older & struggle to get their shoes on and off.

Here in Wales I always take my outdoor shoes off right by the front door. We did the same at home as a child.
When we lived in the Caribbean as children, we went bare foot except for school.

Off. I can provide washable slippers if required.

Always get visitors to take shoes off

I would always offer to take my shoes off in someone else's home, I don't wear shoes in my own house and am grateful if visitors offer to remove theirs. Most of my friends do it automatically, but I wouldn't want to embarass someone if it wasn't their practice

If I’m going to someone’s house I usually have my slipper socks with a sole to them of flip flops in the summer to change into. I hate having cold feet. Carpets need to be kept clean and germ free so to me are not practical with children. We have hard flooring and I alternate bleach or steam mop every day. I have two football mad girls though who want to run in and out into the garden after a match or training. Despite how many times I say feet- they don’t stop at the front door and take off their trainers. Fortunately they have boot bags for the muddy boots.
Just waiting for number three to get into football too.
Mud is fun but I prefer to be able to sanitise as best as I can.

Guests are offered slippers but if they prefer their outdoor footwear then that’s fine too.

I've never asked anyone to remove their shoes and never would. I would assume, if anyone had muddy shoes, they would offer to remove them, otherwise, no issues.

We have laminate throughout our home so not an issue for me!

People do ask and I always say "no, unless you want to, there is no need"

I always ask in others homes too

I’d draw the line at ‘communal’ slippers, too, Teacheranne, and I really dislike having to wear just socks - in winter my feet are all too liable to get cold.
Luckily hardly anyone I know does ‘shoes off’.

GrannySomerset

Spare a thought for those who find putting shoes on and off difficult. We stopped visiting one houseproud friend because DH was so embarrassed that shoe removal had become such an effort for him.

That had crossed my mind as I have to sit down to put my shoes on because I struggle to balance due to arthritis in both knees. If there was not an obvious place to sit down, like a chair in the hall or near the stairs, I would have to ask for help.

Personally, I have not had a carpet in my hall for over 30 years, the first I did when I moved here 10 years ago was to fit Amtico flooring in hall, kitchen and bathroom. I also have a good quality mat outside my door under the porch canopy with another one just inside the door so plenty of opportunity to wipe shoes. I prefer people to keep their shoes on rather than have to smell their sweaty socks or the shoes!!

No way would I wear slippers provided by a host if they were “communal” ones worn by all visitors, if I am expected to take off my shoes, I go around in my socks and hope my feet don’t smell!

I live in a bungalow with my bedroom off the hall near the front door and tend to walk into my bedroom with my outdoor shoes on unless they are muddy, I sometimes think I shouldn’t but I can’t be bothered struggling to take them off at the front door.

I am about to change my bedroom carpet from a disgusting tan brown cheap one put down by the property developer I bought from but cannot decide on colour as I am conscious of dirt on my shoes - this nasty carpet does a good job of hiding dirt and coffee spills from my early morning cup! The new decor is pretty much white with plantation shutters at the window and pale grey bedding so I guess grey might be best but I’d prefer a pop of colour in the room.

Some members of my family have previously asked us to take off our shoes when we go in to protect the carpets so we know to do this every time we visit.

We have wood flooring in the hall and laminate in the lounge but there is carpet everywhere else and most people to visit take off their shoes as a matter of course so we don't need to ask them to do so anyway!

Wooden floors here. Don’t mind taking mine off in my friends very spotless home.

As a family we always take our shoes off at the door and put on indoor footwear depending on the season. With all this awful habit of people spitting in the street the thought of having that walked all over my house makes me feel quite sick ?
I hate it when visitors don't offer to take their shoes off but I don't like to ask them to do it either!

MrsKen I wouldn’t have hesitated asking the salesman to remove his obviously dirty shoes. I bet he didn’t get the contract! Your DD should have asked the firm for compensation.

Its your house its your carpet so you can ask them and maybe leave a mat for them to put their shoes on. Most people don't mind and some even ask you if you want them to.

I still consider myself fit, but I have noticed that recently I have started to stumble occasionally, and even fall over. I have therefore entirely given up wearing slippers around the house, and wear reasonably supportive shoes instead. I would not dream of asking an older visitor to remove their shoes in case they need the support to keep their balance, and to be honest my floors can be dusty, so I don't expect younger ones to remove theirs either.

We never wear outdoor shoes in our house. No-one (apart from estate agents) has asked us to take off shoes when visiting and we never ask. I suppose we are all less muddy-footed when travelling by car.

I would consider it rude to ask someone to take their shoes off when entering their home - if that is necessary then they should provide something else to wear or tell visitors in advance to bring indoor shoes, I always wear them at home and do not like to be un-shoed because of a foot condition as a result of a severe sciatica event. I notice that few people use door mats that are designed to remove dirt - they might have soft pile ones with dogs or cats, Welcome or Go Away or other designs but not spikey, rough useful ones that would do the cleaning trick.

It's our home and we have every right to ask people to remove their shoes! Other cultures take this for granted so why are we so British about looking after our own property? I think it's an age thing too as all my younger friends take their shoes off without asking. I have a sign up to protect our living room carpet 'no outdoor shoes beyond here' and when guests ask 'what can I bring?' I reply 'your slippers!' They always do!

I think taking off shoes at least at the front door is relatively modern in UK. The age of everything looking as if no one lives in the place, the plain light coloured world of carpeteting seems to have driven this or perhaps it was another custom adopted from the USA. Only time I can remember having to take my shoes off when a child was when I had been down the woods in wellies. My Dad, a miner never even took his shoes off at tthe door (not pit boots) but there must have been muck all round the site that he brought home. Never ask anyone to take their shoes off though quite a few do automatically.

I don’t like outdoor shoes in the house because I think it’s unhygienic but wouldn’t ask guests to take theirs off, (but many do) unless they are wearing stiletto’s, as we have wood floors, with rugs.

My DD had just had cream carpet fitted in her living room. A salesman came to visit to talk about windows and he walked straight in with very muddy shoes. He didn’t even pause to wipe them on their heavy duty door mat. Of course he was very apologetic about the huge footprints on the carpet, but the damage was done. Took DD weeks to get the carpet new looking again. And he didn’t get the contract for the windows

I am always surprised at the selfish behaviour of escape to the country house viewers and presenters, they always leave their outdoor shoes or winter boots on, often walking on pale carpets and bedroom carpets