Visitors, shoes on or off?

We don't ask, family remove shoes. We do same.

I never ask anyone to take their shoes off. If I am asked to take mine off I do expect there to be a chair at the door - often there isn’t and I nearly fall over putting shoes on and off. I have to laugh at my DiL who insists we take our shoes off but allows her cats to walk all over the kitchen surfaces.

Anniebach

No, surely it could make a visitor feel uncomfortable

I will probably be flamed for this but I’m going to say it anyway.

As someone with only one leg, I completely agree with you. Visitors should be welcome.

My foot is made to a certain arch height, to match the heel on my shoe. Taking my shoes off would make me walk on tiptoe all evening, and I would feel unbalanced and uncomfortable.

I am very careful to ensure that my shoes are clean, wiping them with a damp cloth before entering.

Those who don’t allow indoor shoes, would they also expect a wheelchair user to leave their wheelchair outside?

Yes, carpet is costly but a home should be welcoming. Rugs can be covered or moved, runners can be placed. Things can be cleaned, hurt feelings last a long time. Good doormats, indoors and outdoors work wonders.

I have in the past had broken toes, so I don’t go barefoot. If I am going to my ACs’ homes, or somewhere I know shoes are not allowed, I take slippers with me. My feet quickly get cold and painful without shoes or slippers.
I belong to a group which meets in each other’s homes, and nobody asks others to take their shoes off. Several of us would find it very difficult to do so unless a chair was provided, and maybe a shoehorn!

eazybee

I wouldn't dream of asking people to remove their shoes, particularly work people who are busy doing a job
If carpets are so precious, cover them with another floor covering.

We recently had a plasterer working in the upstairs rooms, I didn’t say anything to him about removing his shoes, only asked if he needed the loo to use Guest loo downstairs (new tiles in the bathroom). Later that evening, I noticed plaster stuck to our bathroom floor & flush plate 😩 goes to show most workmen I find, have no regard to my property.

Though no plaster on the soap or sink 🙄

dragonfly46

I never ask anyone to take their shoes off. If I am asked to take mine off I do expect there to be a chair at the door - often there isn’t and I nearly fall over putting shoes on and off. I have to laugh at my DiL who insists we take our shoes off but allows her cats to walk all over the kitchen surfaces.

😂

NotSpaghetti

We take shoes off unasked - so do our friends it seems.
Not workmen or carers.
I notice one carer has a pair of "indoor" shoes she brings in in a bag.
Mostly they don't.

That’s very considerate of her.
I visit an older friend with Alzheimer’s, I think she wouldn’t notice what I was wearing, tbh but I always take my ballet slippers in my bag.

I think it is an imposition on guests to ask them to remove shoes, therefore rude. I value my newish light-coloured carpets and don't even walk on them in slippers, even so...

It’s certainly not rude! If I visit a friend I take my shoes off, all my friends are mostly the same. I have wooden floors downstairs so really if they don’t mention it, I won’t. Upstairs is a different kettle of fish, all brand new, cream carpets, so yes, if they ask for tour of the upstairs,I ask politely if they wouldn’t mind taking off their shoes & tell them why- never had anyone insulted up to date.

I find many people take their shoes off automatically if they visit. If they ask me if I want the, to take their shoes off I say no I don’t mind.
Workmen I would prefer took them off because of mud etc.
I think anyone with muddy shoes would take them off going into someone’s house.
I have light coloured carpets but wouldn’t ask any of my invited guests anyone to take off their shoes.

I have light coloured carpets but wouldn’t ask any of my invited guests anyone to take off their shoes.

And that's the crux Doodle, you obviously value your guests over your carpets as do I. Come in and if your shoes are really dirty and you don't think to offer to remove them I'm not going to embarrass you by requesting such action I'd rather clean up any debris later. My home is a home, the kitchen and bathroom are clean and hygienic, the rest occasionally chaotic, often untidy, but I hope warm and welcoming and you'll not be on edge about spilling a crumb (from my fabulous homecooked scones, biscuits, cakes etc) on the immaculate floor.

When my daughter and son-in-law got a dog, they had a tap fitted just outside the side door to the garage. It’s heated so that in cold weather the dog’s feet are not subjected to freezing water. It’s also handy for when they come back from muddy walks as they can rinse their boots off as well as the dog’s muddy feet.

Rosie51
Thats it, we don’t expect it either. The strange thing is, if any of my guests do have really dirty shoes, unusual when most of them arrive by car, they’d scrub them thoroughly on the various mats, or offer to take them off. If they didn’t I wouldn’t ask. Worst offender? Dog’s wet feet when she’s been in the long grass or run across the wet lawn.

I don’t like wearing shoes so am usually barefoot or in socks in the winter. I have never asked my guests to remove their shoes, people are more important than floors.
I get it that in very cold countries, guests with wet muddy footwear are asked to remove them, but they are offered “house shoes”.

It seems to be a fairly new thing as I don’t remember ever being asked to remove shoes back in the day.

I don’t have carpets, just tiled floors which are easy to steam mop so I couldn’t care less if people keep their shoes on.

DD3 is obsessed about her floors despite having a dog who trots in and out without wiping his paws!
She has a box of shoe covers by the door and a shoe cupboard with slippers - I have my own pair but I find it very irritating when getting the boys ready having to sit on the steps putting on their shoes then remembering to change mine. (I've gone out in my slippers a few times!)

On a recent visit to the UK. I asked ‘Is it a shoes off or on house?’ on entering. Only two homes were shoes off and I understood as they had light carpets, but I hate being barefoot and feel undressed without my shoes on!

Most visitors offer to take their shoes off. I always say not to bother unless it looks like they’ve been trudging through a muddy field. To be expected to remove one’s shoes at a dinner party is just plain rude.

I ve never been asked to remove my shoes and I ve never asked anyone to remove their shoes
Obviously my working class background 🤣

I was once asked by an estate agent to take my shoes off when viewing a flat for my brother. I said either I view it with my shoes on or we leave 😬

BlueBelle quite the opposite. Posh people don't have to worry about their floors.

I wouldn't ask anyone but workmen to remove shoes, as there us no way I would enter anyone's house with shoes I had been walking in and my friends certainly wouldn't.
When we entertained socially for drinks or supper people came dressed up then, so obviously wouldn't feel right them being barefoot. That problem doesn't arise now, as I step into my house, my house shoes are there and I slip into them, I don't like slippers, curled up on the sofa it's thick socks,

This is a new thing to me. I had never come across it till recently, when a new young neighbour took his shoes off when he visited us. I think it very odd. We wear shoes for comfort , protection and warmth. Floors, carpeted or not, are for walking on.

Our shoes off started by accident, spending a lot of time outside at the stables, bike tracks, football etc there was always a collection of shoes/boots in the lobby.

It became second nature to remove outdoor shoes before going into the main part of the house, visitors seeing the shoe collection started taking theirs off also.

I have never insisted that outdoor footwear be removed, it is just common practice within our friends and family.

Must be a generational change I think because my contemporaries (75+) and I wouldn’t dream of asking people to take their shoes off - not an easy task for some of us. Company is much more important to me than carpets.

We have hard flooring downstairs except for the living room where the carpet isn’t light in colour so it isn’t necessary for visitors to take their shoes off and we have never asked. We have light carpets upstairs and since we have a downstairs cloakroom nobody apart from us really goes upstairs as the grandchildren are older now and don’t stay over. We have always done our own decorating and maintenance so workers in the house are rare, the boiler is upstairs in the airing cupboard and the plumber always takes his shoes off when he comes to service it, we have never asked him to.