Taking shoes off before you come inside your house

We have no carpet downstairs in our house just parquet floors and rugs. Except tiles in kitchen and bathroom and front porch. We spend a lot of time outdoors and will wander in and out in wellies unless very muddy.
Easy enough to brush the floor or hoover. I hate being asked to remove my shoes as if I might offend someone.
Clearly this is a cultural issue in some countries which I respect.
Otherwise what is the problem?

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I have always taken my shoes off when entering my house, my sister is the same. At one point I used to have 3 dogs and I used to wash their paws after a walk. It keeps your carpets clean as you don't know what you're walking in when you are outside.

We always take our shoes off at the door - and do so in other people's houses. Most of our friends/family do this too. In recent years I've found that work/trade-persons who come to the home, do this as well. In the days when went to family/friends' homes, (before the pandemic!) we always took our slippers; this was appreciated.

We have always done this although we take them off in the hallway, not outside, all our family and friends do this and we automatically do it when we visit them, although if someone didn’t I wouldn’t ask them to

Yes, I was brought up to take shoes off as we went inside. Carpets are too expensive to replace and difficult to clean. I have a mix of laminate and carpet - not worried about the vinyl laminate as that is quickly cleaned.
My friend at work laughed when I went to her house and took mine off - although I think she appreciated it as it's a lot "posher" than my house. I do it wherever I go - unless clearly told it doesn't matter.
I don't get many visitors but I do ask them nicely if they don't mind but they are of the same mindset as me, I think it's a courtesy. Also workmen, who I'm told often have shoe covers in the van but don't both unless you ask.
Two stories though -
I ask one young lad delivering something upstairs and he did but had to try not to laugh as I think his socks were dirtier and had "spuds" in them.

On the UK/Oz link in first message. Not sure if you are saying son in law who asks is Aussie? I think it is different in OZ. They often have mainly wooden floors but I still take mine off when I visit my cousin and wear slippers. When they came to stay with me they did the same but a friend of theirs who had travelled with them (but stayed elsewhere as I didn't have room) asked to go to the toilet. He had slip ons and I politely asked him to slip them off. He hummed and arr'd then went to the bottom of my garden to have a wee! I was not impressed and I've seen him a couple of times since and have not let him forget it - told him it was on the front page of our local paper that he wee'd in my garden. I was cross though as I've been to their house in Oz once. It is immaculate as he wife spends all day cleaning and I daren't touch anything. I felt his attitude when he came to my little house was that it didn't matter.

My brother and wife also ask for this which really annoys my mother, but if you’ve paid good money for flooring why not! As you know that’s what they want then take your slippers when you visit. It’s not something that needs stressing over. Relax and enjoy your visits.

We always remove shoes and wear slippers indoors and visitors do the same. My music room is on the other side of the hall from the rest of the house so I do not expect pupils to take off their shoes as it is a place of work, although they are expected to wipe their feet. I wear indoor shoes while teaching

I have never asked anyone to remove their shoes but most of my family do and leave them near the front door. I always take mine off in the house but thats just because I hate wearing shoes, in fact the only time I wear them is if I am going to town or something like that.

Even as a child (now 53) I've always taken my shoes off and put slippers on in the hallway and still do now.
When visiting friends and family I either walk around in bare feet/socks etc or take slippers with me, at other people's homes I always ask.
Tradespeople aren't requested to remove shoes but I have had a few that have.

I take my shoes off in the hallway as I find it easier to walk without them. ?

We always take our shoes of in my house. It’s second nature to us.
I dislike people who are inconsiderate and walk all over my carpets with wet and muddy shoes. It’s disrespectful to do that I think.

When we go to friends houses, we take slippers with us and they do the same.

We always have done here, even when we had one of those plastic runners covering the carpet in the hallway. I do the same in other peoples houses as well. My children and all my grandchildren take their shoes off here, unless they're just popping in quickly.

NO! Never have done. Floors are intended for walking on, you just have to clean them when they get too dirty. Doormats by entrance doors help reduce the muck that is brought in.

I also object to being asked to remove my shoes when visiting other people's houses. I have enough trouble getting into my shoes to then have to keep taking them off and on again just because someone worries about their precious floors! If they're worried about pale carpets getting dirty then they shouldn't have chosen them in the first place. It's rude and overly fussy.

We take ours off, but would never ask visitors, if they offer l normally if you want to feel free, but no not that fussy.

We live on a farm, and never wear outdoor shoes in the house, but I was brought up to wear indoor shoes, and all our children do the same. Pavements aren’t clean. I studied in Oslo and in Sweden, and it is always customary there to remove outdoor shoes. Even changing shoes our floors seem to need a lot of washing!

I've always removed shoes on entering my home (or that of others). I have cream carpets throughout and no pets, and really don't want outdoor mess inside my home.

If they're worried about pale carpets getting dirty then they shouldn't have chosen them in the first place

I think people have the right to choose what carpets and flooring they want in their own home.

Might as well say to you that you should buy slip on shoes or not visit people at all.

Can’t remember the last time someone didn’t take off their outdoor shoes! I’ve never asked, it seems to be the norm.
Personally, I wouldn’t dream of going into someone’s house wearing outdoor shoes. I’d hate to leave mud or dried leaves or wet patches. Even worse, damage flooring with heels.

We do remove shoes and wear slippers in our DCs houses, and in our own, especially as we've just moved to a house with new cream carpet in lounge and bedroom. But it's not always been like that. I never insisted on it when our children were young, neither did my parents when I was growing up. I do actually think it's a good idea but I wouldn't ask a guest to do it. If a muddy-footed guest arrived I'd show them into our large dining kitchen and host them there. When I was a teenager I had walked to my friend's house, which was all of 5 minutes on dry pavements. Her mum opened the front door and told me to go round the back, by which time she'd spread clean brown paper out on the kitchen floor. I didn't think to remove shoes, and wasn't asked to. So I stood there and talked to my friend. I still think it was totally OTT

Always take our shoes off when coming in the house, our own or others, family does the same, have noticed trades men now do it too, thankfully. Outdoor shoes carry all sorts of things, not easy to be forever washing floors. Would never ask people though, they just seem to do it.

I haven't read through all the posts on here, is 8 pages a record?

But no, I don't take my shoes off in the hall nor do I expect visitors to do so. We have doormats for MrB and I and any visitors to wipe shoes/boots on. The exception would be when I've been gardening then my shoes are taken off but that's at the kitchen door

I'm not precious about flooring/carpets, and isn't that why we have mops and hoovers anyway? A new neighbour invited me in and I was asked to remove my shoes which I found surprising, I've never been asked this anywhere else, but then she had cream carpet throughout the house. I won't be buying cream carpets any time soon.

I always exchange outdoor shoes for slippers and offer to do so in others houses. My husband just won’t. I don’t mind so much that he wears his shoes on the ground floor but I hate it in the bedrooms. Just think what he might have walked in. Would never insist on guests doing the same but appreciate it when they do.

I think its a Scandinavian thing and understandable with all that snow. Nothing more unwelcoming than being made to spend the evening in my tights on cold, hard floors, at least have a few pairs of slippers available.

If you know someone prefers you to remove your outdoor shoes, why wouldn't you?

If you know that this is preferred, you can easily go prepared and take slippers or even suitable (ones that won't damage wooden floors if that's what they have) but clean 'posh shoes if you prefer, and if it's someone you visit very frequently, you can even leave some suitable footwear at their house!.