Do you take your shoes off? (San Antonio, The Woodlands: sale, receptions, houses)

[Sampaguita]

My immediate family has always taken shoes off upon entering the house & then gone right into house slippers. Visiting others in/around NYC, that wasn't a very common practice at all - as guests, no one removed their shoes - unless there was bad weather & it made sense not to drag water, mud, etc...into someone else's house. It just wasn't common practice amongst our family circle. Our Canadian relatives definitely do.

Many members of my family say the same thing as Houston 321 - don't want someone's stinky socks and/or feet walking on the carpets/floors.

My parents still aren't used to taking their shoes off when entering someone's house - that's just weird to them - so they mother brings a little tote with "visiting" slippers that they can slip into.

As a rule at our house, I don't really care as we have tile but we don't wear shoes in the children's room which is carpeted. Our guests take their shoes off without being asked as it seems to be the thing to do here. When visiting other people's houses, I kind of look around or ask first unless I already know what their preferences are.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by Txgal33

98% of the time we do not wear our shoes in the house. My father in laws will though and it drives me nuts! My husband also does not take his shoes right off after getting home since it usually is dinnertime. When whipping the floor down his area is the one that is actually dirty.
You walk thru all kinds of crap why would you want to bring it in your home??!! I usually wear flip flops and my kids crocs so it is an easy habit for us.

You whip your floors? kinky.

20yrsinBranson

[blkgiraffe]

I only see the purpose of taking your shoes off when you live in a house with mostly carpet; my house was mostly hardwood floors except my parents room (which shoes weren't allowed in).

[hsw]

Doubt it's an American thing vs not-American; it's just basic hygiene, prob learned by age 5 or 6...or never
Wouldn't want to track outside dirt/germs into my house

But wouldn't ever buy a used house (unless as a teardown)...or used car or used clothing or dine at a dirty restaurant (bathroom cleanliness is often a hint re: kitchen's hygiene/safety)

Often observed that the common placement of toilet immediately adjacent to sinks and shower in bathrooms of even $10MM+, massive new houses reveals much about lack of hygiene of architects, builders, decorators...and buyers of any such house

My guess is 99+% of people (of every socio-economic gp in any major country) have all kinds of nasty hygiene issues one doesn't want to learn about in gory detail, let alone share in their generously transmitted germs/odors...stuff like pets, changing diapers, laziness or aversion to washing hands carefully after contact w/body fluids (handshakes are such an annoying business custom)

[Houston321]

Can you say....OCD

[maggie2101]

Hubby, son, and I take our shoes off when we get home just for comfort. I prefer barefoot or socks, son is the same way, and hubby wears slippers or flip flops. We don't take them off at the front door...we go to the family room to kick off our shoes.

[EasilyAmused]

This was sosmething I had never seen before until I lived in The Woodlands. It disturbed me more than a little to see people walk in my door and proceed to take their shoes off...I was like WTF???

I naturally just kick off my shoes when I enter my own home, never someone else's. And since I've moved back into Memorial/Tanglewood, the visitors keep their shoes on that goodness!!!

My homes have always been hardwoods downstairs throughout. I guess if I had carpets down I might be more picky. Still, I prefer to replace carpets every few years for allergies vs Natzi carpet rules

[houston-nomad]

We don't wear shoes in our house, but I wouldn't ask guests to remove them. I just think it's weird. They usually notice that we take ours off, and ask, and we tell them to do whatever they're comfortable with. If you don't know someone really, really, well, it's weird to walk around their house in socks. Feels too informal.

[Rose31]

Originally Posted by CaroleF

My students, who are all international, wonder why Americans don't take off their shoes when they enter a home, because most of them do. I said it is because we don't want to get our feet dirty. They said they take theirs off because they don't want to get their house dirty--so cleanliness is the same reason for all of us, just cleanliness of different things.

So that set me thinking, is that really why we don't take our shoes off and do more people than I realize take their shoes off? And if you do take them off, would you take them off when viewing a home for sale?

We don't wear shoes in my home unless they're slippers. I have hardwood floors too! I don't think it's an American vs. international practice. Both my American and international friends don't wear shoes in their homes.

[Alphalogica]

I take my shoes off, and most people I know of all ethnic backgrounds do the same.