Changing to a shoe-free home

[Anonymous]

We've been talking about it for years and I think we're finally ready to take the plunge - no more shoes in the house. This is a totally foreign idea to me. Questions: what are you rules? How do you handle visitors? Where do you keep your shoes? How do you keep them organized?

[Anonymous]

I put a shoe cubby by the front (and/or garage) door - that works well for the family. If we have a large amount of kids coming all at once (bday party, etc) I just have them place their shoes in a plastic clothes basket - that way no one trips over them. I never ask adult guests to remove their shoes although many do.

I've found that my kids automatically take their shoes off at friends' homes which is usually appreciated .

[Anonymous]

I dislike this rule primarily because I have plantar fascitis and must wear shoes. I just decline and explain why but I always feel uncomfortable

[Anonymous]

We have slippers for us and a couple sets for parents and inlaws. Other guests are welcome to keep their shoes on bit some take them off. Ewe have a shoe cubby inth

[Anonymous]

We just keep one pair of shoes near the garage door (mainly for if we need to walk dogs or go outside). The rest get carried up daily to each person's closets. It's never been an issue.

Guests take off their shoes in the foyer. I never ask them to and just assume that most want to take their shoes off to be more comfortable. If they don't take them off, I don't say anything.

[Anonymous]

We just take our shoes off in the entry and put our shoes in a big wicker basket that our daughter calls the "shoe box." We don't ask visitors to take off shoes, though my older daughter tries to tell people who come over that we don't wear shoes in the house and we tell the visitors to not worry about it (and we keep telling our oldest daughter not to tell this to visitors, but she's three so it's a work in progress). We do it to avoid tracking dirt all over the place - we already have enough of a mess!

[Anonymous]

we say, "do you mind taking off your shoes? thanks." it's never been an issue.

[Anonymous]

we are a shoe-free home but we don't apply it to guests most of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:we are a shoe-free home but we don't apply it to guests most of the time.

+1

[Anonymous]

It's pretty easy to tell if a house is shoe-free from the smell the minute they open the door.

At least in Asia they know enough to store the shoes outside.

[Anonymous]

The concept of wearing shoes in the house is foreign to me. Shoes come off in the mudroom. Shoes kept in the garage. I always let guests know beforehand so they can bring socks, etc. I hate when I go to someone's house and they tell me to take off my shoes then and there if I'm not wearing socks. So I tell everyone beforehand.

For repairmen we have plastic shoe covers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty easy to tell if a house is shoe-free from the smell the minute they open the door.

At least in Asia they know enough to store the shoes outside.

Actually, shoes for people from shoe-free homes smell a lot better than those who wear shoes all day.

We ask kid guests to remove their shoes. Adult guests can do whatever they please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty easy to tell if a house is shoe-free from the smell the minute they open the door.

At least in Asia they know enough to store the shoes outside.

We store ours by the garage, so the entrance by the front door doesn't smell. Just don't come in the back way!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dislike this rule primarily because I have plantar fascitis and must wear shoes. I just decline and explain why but I always feel uncomfortable

Please don't feel uncomfortable. We're a shoe-free home, but my mother wears her shoes due to some foot/walking issues. When my child was an infant, my mother would sometimes bring a pair of indoor only shoes to wear, but otherwise she just wears her regular shoes. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

We're not shoe-free; I have to admit that the big basket of shoes by the door kind of skeeves me out. I like a PP's idea of only keeping one pair by the door and everything else goes in bedrooms. Here I am sure we would end up with the big pile though.

Friends just bought huge new gorgeous house with wide front porch. They pile all their shoes on the porch and it looks terrible. I don't know the solution; I don't think it's those dedicated shoe cubbies either. I just hate seeing piles of shoes, and I don't love adding my shoes to a big stinky pile. Of course I do if that's what a homeowner wants, but just wanted to add another perspective.