Shoes off

Just buy some cheap hotel style slippers for visitors to wear! Better than risking dirty carpets.

My Japanese daughter in law when visiting always removes her shoes as fo my grandchildren. I have friends who visit and do the same but others don’t. Personally I think it’s hygienic and shoes should be removed with chair provided.

This is a really good point

Yes, shoes off is spreading. Formerly in Denmark we took a pair of slippers or "indoor shoes" - clean dry shoes with us when visiting in the winter, when women in skirts also has ski-pants to take off.

A chais is certainly handy - even when young jiggling around on one foot taking ski-pants off is not particularly easy.

I'm Scottish and have never ever heard of removing shoes being called a custom

I'm with Lemonsip on this one, my huge bunions are not for public display! When I've been asked to take off shoes or realised it's expected then I'm really embarrassed by my feet and try to hide them, Never ask visitors to remove shoes in my home.

We never did shoes off when I was living with my parents and I didn't do it during my first marriage but my children gained the habit from somewhere. My son has ginormous feet and when my late husband spotted a selection of son's footwear lined up down the hall, he said, "I see the Fleet's in", which I thought was very funny.

New husband is a shoes off sort of chap so that's what we do. If only the cat could learn to wipe his feet - half the garden seems to have wound up in the kitchen despite the promised dirt removal abilities of the door mat...

Late 50s/early 60 we had to change into plimsoles at my sec mod school . I can’t remember if it was only if it rained or every day. Toooooo looooooog agooooo

I have some new deck shoes which I am wearing as slippers as they look fine upstairs or downstairs and are relatively easy to slip on and off. I agree that slippers look a bit "bedroomy".
I went to a rather straightlaced girls boarding school in the '60s and we had to wear indoor and outdoor shoes. I can't remember whether this applied in dry summer weather too.

i bought an Ikea wooden stool that doubles as a couple of steps. nn i keep it in the hall and it's very useful.

nightowl

Whiff I think you’re right, I think there is a class element to this. I have found (in my limited experience!) that the truly upper classes don’t care about shoes, muddy riding boots, wet dogs and even the odd pony coming into their homes. My working class family were fiercely proud of what they had, however old and shabby, and their homes were spotless (sadly I do not live up to their standards).

But the truly upper class have cleaners to keep their floors spotless!

I'm happy to remove my shoes if necessary, but did get pretty irritated by one friend who insisted on this every time we visited, even if we were dressed in our best for dinner and it was perfectly dry and clean outside. She didn't even like us to change our shoes when we got there, it had to be stockinged feet. Apparently she tried it with an electrician and was told in no uncertain terms that she had to wear his heavy boots in case of electrocution!
If people want to remove their shoes in our house that is great (we do) but I wouldn't ask them to do it uness it was wet outside or they were wearing grubby walking shoes or trainers.

It is only acceptable to expect guests and visitors to remove their shoes if you have told them beforehand this will be the case and they are given a chance to bring alternative footwear. Otherwise it is a big no no.

Absolutely foxie 🐶

silverlining48

Don’t know many people with pets, they might not be as fussed.

My dog is part of the family and tbh I make as many allowances for him as I did with my children and our home is made suitable for his messiness. I actually have a kitchen and snug floor chosen to disguise dog hairs. The snug is a pretty much anything goes room, comfy chairs are covered with throws that get washed frequently and I used to let DD clean her tack (for ponies) whilst watching TV with us and I did mine too. The sitting room, however, is quite smart and dogs are only allowed by invitation (and they know it) they follow the house rules ie no feet on the furniture but a lap by invitation is OK. yes I think people with dogs are not very fussy, ours would do a pre- wash on the dishwasher If I let him (what happens when I'm not around is anyone's guess!) but to date no one has died as a result! IMO a happy canine companion is more of an asset to any household than a clean floor.

Don’t know many people with pets, they might not be as fussed.

Shoes are evidently another do it as you prefer thing, but what do you do about pet feet? Do you grab your cats as they sneak in and wipe their paws? And what about dogs? I do shower our dog if she has got muddy while we’re out, but she runs in and out of the garden unchecked.

We have a porch and family always remove shoes and leave in the porch

When grandchildren were toddlers they automatically left their shoes in porch.
We have slippers here for them.

Close friends usually remove shoes and if coming for longish visit bring their own indoor wear.
As we do visiting them.
Goodness knows what outdoor shoes step in

I can remember back to my younger days it was the same in my parents and grandparents homes.

I would not insist that someone coming into my home should remove their outdoor footwear (unless stilettos, but who wears them nowadays? )

Even trades people put the blue plastic foot coverings over their shoes.

I’ve never been asked to remove shoes most houses seem to have a dog these days they make far more mess than any casual visitor would

Absolutely!!

Even though I hoover every day, if I asked visitors to remove their shoes they’d be going home with white dog hairs stuck to their socks! 🤣

Celieanne86

Perhaps we could take an example from our own Royal Family as every photo we see of them in one of their residences shows them wearing shoes and this included our late Queen Elizabeth right to her last official duty. I could not possibly imagine Queen Camilla greeting foreign visitors wearing comfy Velcro slippers or Heaven forbid the Princess of Wales tottering about in decorated pink mules although I’m sure at times they probably wish they could.

The Windsors have flunkies to clean the floors and we pay for new floors when they wear out

I’ve never been asked to remove shoes most houses seem to have a dog these days they make far more mess than any casual visitor would.

Perhaps we could take an example from our own Royal Family as every photo we see of them in one of their residences shows them wearing shoes and this included our late Queen Elizabeth right to her last official duty. I could not possibly imagine Queen Camilla greeting foreign visitors wearing comfy Velcro slippers or Heaven forbid the Princess of Wales tottering about in decorated pink mules although I’m sure at times they probably wish they could.

Doubt that anyone would ask, I don’t, but most people just take off their shoes.
Expect extra elderly or disabled folk would be excused but for the majority it’s expected.
Why not ask your family and friends and see what they say. I can’t think last time I was in a house with outdoor shoes on.

Grandma70s

Nobody has ever asked me to take my shoes off. I would be very startled, and think them rather bad-mannered if they did ask me.

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I don't think any of us ould be startled now!

Nobody has ever asked me to take my shoes off. I would be very startled, and think them rather bad-mannered if they did ask me.

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I don't wear shoes indoors, just out of comfort. I would not ask visitors to remove shoes but I have practical flooring, to me light coloured carpets are not practical and I don't like the look of them.