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I'd be offended if someone took their shoes off; it's forward and presumptuous, leave your clothing on, including your trousers. Nor would I ask guests to remove their clothing other than coats, hats and overshoes. The outdoors layer comes off, the indoors layer stays on.
People that expect others to take their shoes off are peasants utterly lacking sophistication and savoir faire being overly protective of their possesions. Like anxious people who aren't sure they deserve a desk at work and so get one of the pathetic nameplates for it, you know, like used car salesmen.
How is taking off shoes presumptuous? I may know my shoes are muddy and I stepped in dog poop, and that your child plays on your carpet, but hey.... who am I to presume you don't want ecoli where your child puts his/her toys, right before putting them into his/her mouth.
Taking off shoes is not the same as taking off pants.
What the heck are overshoes? The outdoor layer comes off? Shoes aren't an outdoor layer?
We are peasants? Who says peasants? What do you even mean by peasant? Are you a feudal lord? Cuz then it would make sense...
Oh, BTW, I do deserve my own desk and office, and do have a pathetic nametag. It was a gift... and I'm proud of it.
It is not about being protective of the carpet, it is about the germs that your shoes drag in...then I get up in the middle of the night barefoot, and walk on my floor. It is not to save carpet, but to be sanitary.
People spit on the sidewalk, birds and other animals poop on the sidewalks, who knows what bacteria is on the bottom of our shoes. At the gas station we walk through petroleum sludge, when it rains the water on the cement gathers every bacteria in comes in contact with, and it all ends up on the bottom of our shoes.
If I were to culture what is on the bottom of my shoes, that petri dish would be horrifiying. That all ends up on my carpet, and then my bare feet.... of in the case of kids, their hands and their toys.
And no, I am not paranoid... I wear my shoes in my house. I am just stating what some people think about... it doesn't make them low class trash.
Whatever makes them happy and comfortable. And they can smoke cigars and cigarettes too. I like to make my friends feel "at home" when they come to my place. If you spill something, I am not freaking out. It can be cleaned. Smells can be cleared out, and shoe tracks can be wiped up. Mind you, I have no small children in my home where any of the above might potentially harm them.
What the heck are overshoes? The outdoor layer comes off? Shoes aren't an outdoor layer?
We are peasants? Who says peasants? What do you even mean by peasant? Are you a feudal lord? Cuz then it would make sense...
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feudal lord, too funny Irish: Gosh, its just a difference in habits, peasants is a little harsh, don't ya think? Hope you don't post on the politics threads, hate to see what names you throw out there.
This thread cracks me up. I don't know where everyone lives, but my friends are far less intresting and I'd find amusement from both someone coming to my house with their own slippers, and also from someone coming over with overshoes, overcoats, and hats.....reminds me of Mary Poppins and makes me want to take out the tea set!
As far as the microscopic germs, do you allow your guests to use your toilet, or do you ask them to go before they come? LOL. Talk about germs. I am more grossed out with guests using my cute "guest" towels (even though I provide the disposable ones), some people barely rub soap on.
Okay I'll be the first to admit it, my house is a shoes off house. Why? Because I HATE HATE HATE HATE to clean the floors, my least favorite chore. The floors stay cleaner much much longer when people are not tracking the outside dirt in on thier shoes.
But of course I'm sensible about it, if it's just a friend or two stopping by for a casual dinner I have them take their shoes off, but if I've invited 10 people over or asked people to get dressed up I let them wear their shoes, actually I encourage it, why would you want to be the only barefoot/socks person if everyone else is wearing shoes and getting the floor all dirty?
I would NEVER ask my grandmother to remove her shoes, if does it on her own, that's awesome but if she by passes the shoes in the foyer it's fine, she's my grandma she can do that. But everyone else? I have no problems asking them (or insisiting if it comes to it) to take thier shoes off I'm not in the habit of inviting any Joe Schmo of the street into my house, if you are in my house it's because you are a family member or a trusted friend and I am comfortable enough with you to communicate my house rules to you and expect you respect me enough to folllow them.
I don't think we have ever had a problem with asking people to take off their shoes. We feel that wearing shoes in the house is unsanitary and disrespectful. I really don't want the germs tracked all over my floor for several reasons. 1. its just nasty, 2. I have allergies to every pollen and tree our there, so I rather keep those outside, and 3. I have cats and do not vaccinate since they do not go out side (they have bad reactions to vaccinates and almost lost one once) so I dont want anything that could harm them on my floors, and 4th. we have several small children in our extended family and want them to be safe crawling around the floor.
We have a sign on the door that ask guest to remove their shoes, and a basket to put them in, never had anyone give it a second thought.
We are a shoes off family. Mainly for dirt, germs, and comfort (yum cozy slippers!), but I would never ever ask a guest to remove his or her shoes.
Most close friends remove shoes when they see that I do so, plus the pile of shoes by the back door.
"Front Door" guests or when we have a party....those folks are never asked to go shoeless. I think of sweeping and mopping the floors as part of the post-party clean-up.
We have all 80+ year old wood floors, and I figure whatever they lived through before I inherited them....they can handle.
We are shoes on. I usually take them off after work, but for the most part they are on unless they were wet.
I have to say very few houses I have ever been to have had a shoes off rule.
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Irish: Gosh, its just a difference in habits, peasants is a little harsh, don't ya think? Hope you don't post on the politics threads, hate to see what names you throw out there. 
