I just ask nicely for them to remove there shoes and my reason is I have a 1 year old playing on the floor

really I dont care if your offended... I do keep a few pair of socks by the door (new cheap ones) for guests to use

I was raised in a no-shoes home, and carried the habit into my own family. However, I'm not very strict about it, if i'm having people over for dinner, I do not expect them to take off their shoes, since they'll only be in dining / living rooms since I clean these rooms after guests leave anyway, however, my close friends who come often to our house, they know that we are shoe-less at home and take them off. he he he. I agree with you stinky feet person, if someone has stinky feet, we'd all be better off if they kept their shoes on. I too had stinky shoes, and my worst nightmare was having to take them off somewhere in public.

I find it bizarre when people ask me to remove my shoes (which are part of my outfit, usually). It is one thing to walk around shoe-less (and possibly sock-less) in front of family and close friends, but when it is at someone's house for a dinner party or someone who is not a close friend . . . I think it is weird. Not "offensive" but a little on the obsessive side.

That being said, if someone makes a point to ask, i'm not going to be rude and I'll take off my shoes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've had COX Cable out a few times and the guys always asked if they should remove their shoes! The company that installed our new air conditioner also took his shoes off-maybe because he realized we weren't wearing shoes. I like the idea of having surgical slippers for contractors!

I'm telling you-your house stays very clean when you don't wear shoes in the house. It's a beautiful thing...........

wow... those must be extraordinary contractors. all the ones i've ever had actually appear to take special care to trudge around with rainsoaked boots and muddied shoes and leave as much water on the ground as possible. i like the surgical slippers idea too. where does one get those?

The last cable guy that came to our house had his own booties to cover his boots. I hadn't even thought of it until he put them on. It was smart though as he had to walk through the muddy back yard area and then back into the house.

what if you have stinky feet?

seriously. I'd rather have shoes than stank.

I would not be offended at all as that is normal for many people, American or not. I wouldn't want to track shoe grime into someone's pristine house.

One time I went to a Japanese restaurant in LA and they gave us all sandals to wear into the private party room. Everyone left their shoes outside the room and no one seemed to mind.

Anonymous wrote:We've had COX Cable out a few times and the guys always asked if they should remove their shoes! The company that installed our new air conditioner also took his shoes off-maybe because he realized we weren't wearing shoes. I like the idea of having surgical slippers for contractors!

I'm telling you-your house stays very clean when you don't wear shoes in the house. It's a beautiful thing...........

wow... those must be extraordinary contractors. all the ones i've ever had actually appear to take special care to trudge around with rainsoaked boots and muddied shoes and leave as much water on the ground as possible. i like the surgical slippers idea too. where does one get those?

Man, this thing just won't die.

Can we reach concensus here?
If you want to keep your floors clean for the crawling baby, fine. Then keep a basket of blue surgical booties by the door for people to grab a pair to slip OVER their shoes. It makes it clear you just are doing this to keep the floor clean, but then your guests don't have to worry about showing their gross feet or feel skeevy putting on someone else's slippers. Doesn't that seem like a reasonable compromise?

We are a no-shoe household (I am Asian, husband is not). For the most part, people take off shoes when they enter--they see our rows of shoes and just do it. But if someone does not, I don't make a big deal of it. I figure a little dirt in the house won't kill us. Plus it gets me to actually sweep and vacuum.

What's really funny is that our children immediately remove their shoes whenever we go to someone else's home, whether it is a no-shoe house or not!

I haven't read all the posts. But, what about leaving some house slippers by the door for people who don't like taking off their shoes?

I don't love taking off my shoes and walking around barefoot or in my socks in someone else's house. But, I'd be okay with it if they offered me a pair of comfy slippers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I'm offended if I am wearing sandals or shoes with no socks and then I have to walk around someone's house barefoot. Esp. if my pedicure is getting old. Very embarrassing.

I think your "drill" should be more about your guests than about you.

Are you the same "type" of person who gets offended if I ask you to wash your hands before holding my newborn?

Yeah, isn't Purell enough? But then, I never ask to hold newborns.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I'm offended if I am wearing sandals or shoes with no socks and then I have to walk around someone's house barefoot. Esp. if my pedicure is getting old. Very embarrassing.

I think your "drill" should be more about your guests than about you.

Are you the same "type" of person who gets offended if I ask you to wash your hands before holding my newborn?

I didn't read all the posts but we don't use shoes in the house (normally). We both lived overseas so maybe we picked up the habit.

I don't make a big deal out of it eitehr way - if people ask I tell them to do whatever they are comfortable with - unless it is a really messy day weather wise.

It does make a big difference in our rugs!

It seems that Americans are the dirty odd man out. Most countries seem to have a no shoes in the house custom.

We've had COX Cable out a few times and the guys always asked if they should remove their shoes! The company that installed our new air conditioner also took his shoes off-maybe because he realized we weren't wearing shoes. I like the idea of having surgical slippers for contractors!

I'm telling you-your house stays very clean when you don't wear shoes in the house. It's a beautiful thing...........