Why don’t Americans take shoes off inside the house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We never took our shoes off growing up in New England. We were not allowed to walk around in just socks (slippers were ok). My Dad felt strongly that feet needed protection from stubbed toes, things falling, ???. We are a mostly shoes off family but never ask guests to do it, don't worry about a quick return to the house for something etc.

Did you grow up in a textile mill?

[Anonymous]

For hundreds of years shoes were very, very expensive for Americans.

Poor people, particularly children in America did not wear shoes during spring, summer and fall and went barefoot inside and outside. They did not wear shoes inside the home (particularly the children) because the family could not afford them.

The poors went barefoot inside the house but understand their feet were dirty as they played outside and they only bathed once a week.

If you could afford shoes for your children then you were not one of the poors and your children and the adults wore the shoes that they could afford in the home.

Barefoot meant poverty. Wearing shoes in the home meant you had clawed your way out of poverty.

Americans that wore shoes in the home wiped their shoes on the doormat upon entry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have fallen arches or plantar fasciitis, then you need supportive shoes on. Walking barefoot on hardwoods exasperates the problem.

I have PF and I’m not sure this is universally true. Unsupportive shoes are definitely the worst trigger - but I find walking barefoot to be neutral. Even supportive shoes for long periods can result in a lot of pain but walking around my house with only socks on all day and sometimes I have pain and sometimes I don’t.

Many people over 40 need supportive shoes with arch supports and inserts. Slippers won't cut it.

[Anonymous]

Americans have a culture of wearing shoes because for hundreds of years not wearing shoes meant you could not afford shoes for your family and you were one of the poors.

[Anonymous]

Because we are Americans and this is what we do in America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Americans have a culture of wearing shoes because for hundreds of years not wearing shoes meant you could not afford shoes for your family and you were one of the poors.

I’ve never encountered this perspective. This may be something incredibly important to people who grew up less economically secure - but I don’t think it crosses the mind of anyone who hasn’t had poverty in their family tree for 3-4 generations.

My daughter runs around barefoot outside, never contemplated this made me one of the poors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because we are Americans and this is what we do in America.

Ha! Right. Imagine going to Japan and posting on Tokyo Urban Forum, “I’m American, and I am used to wearing shoes inside, I’ve noticed a lot of Japanese don’t do this? What is wrong with you? Don’t your feet get cold?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Americans have a culture of wearing shoes because for hundreds of years not wearing shoes meant you could not afford shoes for your family and you were one of the poors.

This. And what European cultures are shoes off people? I have visited family and friends in Britain, Germany, and France and none of these countries are shoes off cultures. I've also spent significant time/lived in Mexico, a few other Central American countries, and Argentina, and they were not a shoes off culture either.

[Anonymous]

Mom grew up in the Great Depression of the 1930's. Each year she got one pair of shoes. They were expensive as a total part of the family income. She tells that she would get in big, big trouble if she lost a shoe as a child or got a shoe dirty.

Shoes for children were even more precious during WWII has leather was used to make boots for our soldiers. Shoes for children and adults were rationed in the US during this time.

Mom has always worn shoes in her homes. It is what you did if you were not one of the poors.

[Anonymous]

Shoes track lead, so pediatricians recommend removing shoes if there’s a crawler in the house.

Our family is Swedish and Korean, and we’ve always been shoes off regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom grew up in the Great Depression of the 1930's. Each year she got one pair of shoes. They were expensive as a total part of the family income. She tells that she would get in big, big trouble if she lost a shoe as a child or got a shoe dirty.

Shoes for children were even more precious during WWII has leather was used to make boots for our soldiers. Shoes for children and adults were rationed in the US during this time.

Mom has always worn shoes in her homes. It is what you did if you were not one of the poors.

These American and affording shoes stories are warming my heart.
I think a lot of us forget how tough, poor, proud and hardworking our predecessors were. Immigrants should make an effort to understand that rather than take things at face value.

[Anonymous]

I am English-American and Dutch-American and only in Hawaii where we lived in my teens did I see people take their shoes off. As an adult the first time this happened I was in my 30s and my friened had installed new white carpet and asked her friends to take off their shoes. It was very awkward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shoes track lead, so pediatricians recommend removing shoes if there’s a crawler in the house.

Our family is Swedish and Korean, and we’ve always been shoes off regardless.

Pediatricians on instagram, perhaps. Otherwise this is make believe fantasy land “everything is dangerous” doom scrolling nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Flooring gets SO dirty and stained from shoes on! Never mind the germs. We were shoes on growing up and it was gross. Shoes off!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a person does have sweaty smelly feet, do you make them take their shoes off.

Some people are under arm sweaters, some are head sweaters and others sweat through their feet.

Ugh and it reeked. I had to rip carpets out after a house guest transferred their funk to my stair runners. As the funk lingered long after they left. Pee yew!

They were Brits by the way.

Maybe Asian people aren’t foot sweaters.

People have smelly feet BECAUSE they wear shoes and socks too much.