taking shoes off

Some friends of ours have a basket in their hallway full of slippers for guests. It's a good idea and I haven't known anyone to complain.

I agree with yullie too!

I agree with you yulle. Let common sense and courtesy rule! I think it is impolite to expect guests to pad about barefooted.. it is not a custom in this country. It might be in places with dusty streets. they will be warm places so barefoot is not an issue!In snowy areas I guess homes are well heated but UK is a temperate climate, some houses are warm and some not!
I expect visitors to my house to wipe their feet on the mat especially if it is wet outside but not to remove shoes! The DGC automatically do take theirs off but I have slipper sox for them if it is chilly.

That is just the height of houseproudity! Would not expect it in my house and if asked to do it at anyone elses house it would be my last visit. Only exception would be if I had muddy shoes, that's just being thoughtful.

Like keeping the plastic cover on your sofa!

My goodness, what a lot of discussions about something which should be common sense. If your guests during a country weekend have been tramping through the woods and fields, then of course they should remove their shoes. . But if you have invited people to dinner and they arrive nicely dressed then it would be rude and silly to ask them to take of their shoes. That to me seems to be a really naff old fashioned thing to do.

As I said earlier, in Sweden its the norm, but I must admit, I was a District Nurse, and especially in the Winter, it was a nuisance on and off the shoes all day visiting patients, in some places we had those blue plastic over shoe things, which were good if the places we were visiting were a bit "dodgy" cat/dog hairs and other things!
Then as another gran said, tripping over a mound of shoes when coming through the front door is a hazard to say the least. One point to remember, if having those very "attractive" blue plastic creations, dont forget to take them off when leaving!

My family in Canada all take their shoes off as soon as they enter their house. Germs from outside, don't you know? However the dog must just float above those dirty pavements and garden dirt since he's not asked to remove his paws, or cover them with indoor shoes

I'm happy for people to do just as they please shoewise. I want my guests, whether for a cuppa and a chat, or full blown dinner, to be comfortable.

If it is very wet or shoes are muddy I would expect visitors to offer. Grandchildren always automatically take their shoes off. If I was visiting I would offer to take mine off generally but not for a dinner party where I would consider shoes an integral part of my outfit.

Wouldn't dream of asking anyone to take their shoes off, although some people do it automatically. I always think their houses must be a bit sterile if they are so fussy. I was asked to do this once and my feet were frozen. I wish I'd had the courage to ask if I could borrow a pair of slippers.

When I saw the heading, I wondered what on earth it could be about. Guests who don't clean the bath, make passionate noises late at night, get very drunk? No - not taking shoes off. Surely it is polite to see what your hosts do and act accordingly. You could always provide airline-type mules for those who fee uncomfortable with their bunions showing.

I never go barefoot indoors and feel quite uncomfortable without something on my feet. I would hate to be asked to remove my shoes at someone else's house. It would feel like being asked to undress and wear pyjamas instead of normal clothes. Obviously if someone has particularly muddy or dirty shoes it would be polite to remove them but living in London this is unlikely.

Becoming too neurotic about things like dirt and germs can lead to very sad situations.

I don't think it's anything to do with germs, I do think leaving your shoes on indoors is like leaving your coat on when you visit - gives "I don't want to be here long" vibes.

I don't wear shoes indoors in my own home, I am absolutely not neurotic about germs, shoes an outdoors thing to me, I love kicking off my shoes when I get in.

Taking your shoes off is friendly and familiar

I never ask but I'd say about 90% of guests do this automatically, if they don't I don't mind - I still have children at home so any hope of a pristine carpet is long gone LOL, and we always take off our shoes when visiting.

I think it is the done thing

I hate being asked to take my shoes off (unless shoes dirty obviously)- I mean I'm only going to put my feet on the floor not the table, worktop, chair etc...

I am always in a quandary with this shoe removing thing. If we go out dressed up in the evening I think slippers really looks daft so I usually try to take a pair that I slip into when we get there. But I'd be offended if our host asked us to remove our shoes. It's just not a good start to the evening!
I wouldn't dream of entering someone's house with muddy or dirty shoes anyway and I'd hope everyone would be the same without being asked.

In the old days we all walked in with shoes on so long as they weren't muddy. Cleanliness wasn't so precious then and we're still here! They say people are too clean and its led to all sorts of allergies as we've reduced our immunity to bugs.

As I said I'm still here and it was one bath a week and we only changed our socks and pants every day! There speaks a '56 child.

No it's rude to traipse your dirty outdoor shoes over carpets which cannot be washed daily. If it is a hard floor then no problem.

Becoming too neurotic about things like dirt and germs can lead to very sad situations. It's very hard though, if you are naturally a bit OCD.

Trouble is, we have a polished wood staircase, and I can just imagine workmen going a--- over tip.

We live in a farm down a long drive but I would never insist on shoe removal although most people do take outdoor shoes off as we have a cream carpet in the front room. Our daughter has a strict 'No shoes'policy as do our closest friends. Doesn't worry me a bit

Yes, spuds are holes in socks.

as well as potatoes!

The men who delivered some furniture wore those blue overshoes - I was very pleased because we had a new carpet and it was a wet day.

We have been offered them in some NT houses.

I haven't heard it in years Anya. Just rang a bell.

As a family we take off our shoes in the house, on carpeted floors, for hygiene purposes. For guests, I think the best thing to do is to provide disposable slippers, such as those you get in hotels. Close friends and family obviously won't mind padding round in stockinged feet, but it's not very polite to ask guests you don't know well to do so.

Thanks Candlefran never heard that before.

I keep a very cheap pair of slippers that fold into handbag size with me and 'pop' those on when I am visiting. They are washable too.I got them from Sainsbury's
My son and his family always remove their shoes - I think it is a means of showing respect. Yet when other people visit, I always say, "You don't need to remove your shoes, we've got dogs who poddle in after walks." Never thought about this anomaly before.