Please remove shoes sign- Rude?

[Anonymous]

Asian here- Guests in our culture know to remove their shoes when visiting friends and family (especially in the winter). On occasion we have visitors who do not take them off when visiting; is it rude to ask them to take their shoes off or perhaps have a sign outside our door or unside our home? What do you do in your home?

[Anonymous]

I ask people to take off their shoes when they come in.

[Anonymous]

If I have short term guests and their shoes aren't caked with mud certainly I'll let them wear their shoes inside. I think it's rude to ask them to remove their shoes. Personally it's hard for me to walk comfortably without shoes or at least supportive slippers (plantar fasciitis and a bad knee) and some of your guest may feel the same.

[Anonymous]

I grew up without shoes in the house (in Alaska you’d track in dirty snow so shoes are left in the Arctic Entryway) and do the same now. I just breezily tell guests as they walk in the door, if they don’t ask, “We’re a shoes off house if you don’t mind!” If my guest isn’t wearing socks I offer a clean pair and/or some slippers if they like but I’m barefoot all the time inside. I make an exception for contractors, etc, even if they’re not doing any work during their visit just to make it simple.

[Anonymous]

You can but some people might view it as unkind. If your culture is to always wear shoes in public, i.e. outside your own home, it is very awkward and uncomfortable to take your shoes off in someone else's home.

As a good host, you want your guests to be comfortable and to feel welcome, so no I wouldn't put up such a sign.

[Anonymous]

Wash the floors when they leave

[Anonymous]

I am half European and half Asian. When i was a child, my European mother's family used to consider it the height of rudeness to remove shoes, but our close relatives got used to it. We never asked it of our older, more conservative family members.

I would hope that now it's a more accepted lifestyle. I married into an Asian family and we always politely request that guests remove their shoes, except for large indoor-outdoor parties where everyone stays in their shoes and we mop up afterward.

[Anonymous]

I give people options: remove shoes and use the provided spa slippers that they can take home with them, remove shoes and be barefoot/socks, or keep shoes on but wear shoe covers. Is this rude??

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s rude. I think it’s rude to wear your shoes in someone’s house unless ypu’ve checked if it’s ok or have seen the hosts wearing shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am half European and half Asian. When i was a child, my European mother's family used to consider it the height of rudeness to remove shoes, but our close relatives got used to it. We never asked it of our older, more conservative family members.

I would hope that now it's a more accepted lifestyle. I married into an Asian family and we always politely request that guests remove their shoes, except for large indoor-outdoor parties where everyone stays in their shoes and we mop up afterward.

What? The Europeans I know and visit regularly (both in the U.S. and in Europe) ALWAYS remove their shoes in the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it’s rude. I think it’s rude to wear your shoes in someone’s house unless ypu’ve checked if it’s ok or have seen the hosts wearing shoes.

+1

[Anonymous]

Please make sure you have a boot shoehorn left at your door! I own a pair soft leather ankle boots that require a shoehorn to get on. If I came over and you asked me to take off my shoes I’d have to go home in my socks if you didn’t have a shoehorn.

I wouldn’t be offended by the request, but I would never ask it if a guest in my house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it’s rude. I think it’s rude to wear your shoes in someone’s house unless ypu’ve checked if it’s ok or have seen the hosts wearing shoes.

+1

This is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I give people options: remove shoes and use the provided spa slippers that they can take home with them, remove shoes and be barefoot/socks, or keep shoes on but wear shoe covers. Is this rude??

I would not want people walking around barefoot in my house. What if they have athletes foot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can but some people might view it as unkind. If your culture is to always wear shoes in public, i.e. outside your own home, it is very awkward and uncomfortable to take your shoes off in someone else's home.

As a good host, you want your guests to be comfortable and to feel welcome, so no I wouldn't put up such a sign.

Why would you not feel welcome if you have to take your shoes off? OP, I'd just say "we're a no shoes in the house family." For those guests you aren't completely comfortable asking, add "we have some new socks over here if you don't want to go with bare feet." Just buy a couple packs of adult sized socks and have them available for those guests. They can take them when they leave or you can keep them yourself, but have unused ones for guests. Keep them in a cute basket by the door. Skip the sign, it's more awkward than casually just saying the rule and offering new socks.