taking shoes off

disposable overshoes

Good for workmen, but perhaps not for dinner guests.

I think 'spuds' means holes in socks.

In my family it is good manners to only wear outdoor shoes outside and indoor shoes or slippers indoors.

i keep some folding slippers in my bag so I can change into them if I find myself invited in

Spuds

As "Spuds" seem to appear at spurious times during the day, I prefer to keep my shoes on.

When I'm at home in the evening and not expecting to have to go out again, I change into slippers! Wife does tend to have a go at me but I just can't be bothered to keep changing shoes all day.

I live in Canada and it has always been the custom here to remove ones shoes, in fact I find it peculiar NOT to remove them.Just think of what ones shoes have walked in!!!This is a custom like many north american customs which should be adopted in the UK.

I would never ask anyone to take their shoes off at my home except I might offer slippers to a stiletto wearer who could spike my wooden flooring, but appreciate if they do, and always offer to do so when visiting others - I keep a pair of knitted slippers in my handbag when visiting. I don't wear outdoor shoes inside myself - I lie on our floor to watch television and to exercise, my grandbabies crawl about on my carpets, and I don't particularly want them in contact with whatever I've been walking in out on the street. And yes we have oatmeal coloured carpets. We have however put mats down from front door to kitchen diner which has hard wood floors we can easily clean and disinfect.

One workman who came here popped on a pair of the blue plastic overshoes used at swimming pools.
Perhaps these are a good solution, if a selection could be kept handy?
It would save visitors the bother of removing their shoes, and be easy to take off again if they wanted to go in the back garden.
Having thought of this, I shall now see if I can find them on sale....

Quite the opposite actually, I belong to a coffee group, we have the meetings in each other's houses because of the number of us it only comes round once a year, some ask us to take shoes off & others just look at our feet lol I on the other hand say keep your shoes on if you want to & every one of them has said they feel more comfortable here than anywhere else lol

As other people have remarked, visitors removing shoes can be cultural - my Japanese daughter in law has a rack of hotel type slippers for family and guests. I hate it shuffling around in these slippers whilst dressed up in my best outfit but respect her wishes: her house , her rules.
However I guess in snow-bound countries one would automatically want to take off heavy boots on entering a centrally heated home. Similarly, I would expect anyone arriving in mud-caked footwear to take them off without being asked. Normally i would not dream of asking guests to remove shoes as we have tiled and wooden floors with mats, and wooden stairs so they are cold to walk on and one is prone to slip in stocking feet. I have gardening shoes I kick off in the utility room but that is all.
Here in France fitted carpets are not the norm and my French friends consider them unhygienic - hard flooring can be cleaned and disinfected more regularly than cleaning carpets. i always had pale carpets when in the UK but never expected visitors to remove shoes.

My friend has some lovely knitted slippers by her door. She has a beige carpet. I have a light coloured carpet also but, as I do not have many callers do not have the slippers.

I would be horrified if I was invited to a Dinner Party & asked to remove my shoes, I am Type 2 Diabetic so am not "allowed" to walk around barefoot (something I always used to do). If you want me to remove outdoor shoes tell be beforehand so I can bring suitable footwear.

DGS always takes his shoes off, Parents don't

My DF was a Painter & Decorator over 50 years ago, he always carried "indoor shoes" when working in a house & I find workmen now will always take shoes off at the door.

I hate the thought of removing my shoes as my feet are so ugly with huge bunions, I find it really embarrassing but do so when asked. I would never ask anyone else to do so - isn't that what carpet shampoo is for?

I change my outdoor shoes for indoor ones, sometimes slippers, but would never ask guests as I feel the host should always make their guests feel comfortable and if they don't offer, or do so automatically, I don't ask. DH, however, can't take his shoes off easily as he is disabled, so he never does. I do remind him, if I remember, to wipe his feet on the door mat. In the end, however, people are more important than clean carpets.

What people do themselves and with family is one thing. Unless they are very close friends asking dinner guests, who have made an effort to dress for the occasion, to take their shoes off (unless those shoes are stilletoes and will damage the floor) is just plain rude, and taking slippers when you are invited to dinner, unless you are going to see family or very close friends, I find just plain weird.

How funny that what some people see as good manners, others see as rude or peculiar.

I suppose it's one way of sorting out which new acquaintances will make the final cut, which ever side of the fence you are on this one.

We are in-home slipper wearers, they are like shoes almost, but don't go outdoors.

That said, I was totally embarrassed one time when I left home to walk to the shops and looked down to see I still had my beige slippers on! Dashed back home to change, but actually... I don't think anyone would have noticed.

My daughter lived in Japan for many years and the whole nation take their shoes off as a matter of course. I think it's a great idea though not so sure about my son and family. They visited last week ( they only come about once a year) and I have new carpet and sofas etc so asked them all to take shoes off, it's not just the dirt but all the catches on shoes etc as being young kids they don't exactly sit on their bottoms very much :-)

What on earth is the point of furnishing a home in a way that invites disaster? Light-coloured carpets, white furnishings - all very pretty in a catalogue, but quite impractical. Feet WILL carry dirt, tea WILL be spilled - why set things up so that it's a catastrophe?

Also, people usually arrive in a car, and our drive is brick paved ( no mud involved)

We take shoes off in the hall as soon as we come home (all the DC and DGC do this too) but would never ask visitors to do this, and as others say, if people have dressed up a bit ( for a social do) their shoes are part of an outfit.
Most of our visitors these days are family and friends, who always take shoes off or at least ask. It's 'bad form' ( old boy) to ask visitors to remove shoes.

I don't expect people to take off their shoes when they come to my home. If they get dressed up for dinner they do not want to wear a pair of slippers with their expensive party dress do they? What I do expect though is that they wipe their feet on the door mat which is there for their use. That goes for anyone who enters my home. If I was going out to someone else' home I would wipe my feet. I would not dream of taking pets though.

I am a barefoot person in the house (& garden in the summer)too but I don't ask people to take off their shoes- we have wooden floors in hall & dining room anyway. However both my DILs insist shoes are taken off in hall so the GC do it automatically. I reciprocate in their houses- I have no objection as I prefer not to have shoes on. Unless it gets very cold & I wear socks or Birks in house then.
I can't think of any time I have been asked to remove my shoes when dining with friends.
My DIL bought me a pair of lovely UGG type slippers last year so I suspect my bare feet make her feel cold.I wear them when she is coming round- feels very odd.

I had a boss who made us remove our shoes whenever we went round their house they were kept in the porch in a big basket all different sizes when you left they were put in the washing machine for next time.
But what about deliverys and work men? Under health and safety they are not required to remove there shoes but some have been asked to and in my husband case he has declined

Well when i was young i was taught that it was 'common' to wear slippers in public and it still goes against the grain. I think tgey ate fr going from bedroom to bathroom in your nightwear. My slippers are not fit to be seen in public and in any case are no cleaner as i sometimes go outside in them eg to the bin! My DH gets cross if i leave shoes by the door as it looks a mess so I would have to go upstairs to put shoes on everytime I left the house otherwise! How ibteresting that peopke have such different views ie 'its bad manners to not take off your shoes' v 'bad manners to ask someone to take off shoes'!

I would rather have mud on my carpet,than somebody`s sweaty feet. Not hygenic.