SHOES: on or off?

Thanks for your response. Good to know someone else thinks the same way. Sensible idea about keeping a few pairs by the door to give the hint. I actually tell people quite firmly that they need to remove their shoes before entering any of the rooms - have only really insisted on this since we got new carpetting last year.
I was also brought up like that and my parents have always even made workmen take off their shoes. They've always left a few pairs of slippers of differing sizes for people to put on if they don't want to walk about barefoot or with just socks on and in general I can't think of anyone who's ever had a problem with this.
I do hate it when I go to India though. You're expected to take off your shoes in people's homes and walk around barefoot BUT they generally don't have carpets so it's cold floors and as it's always so dusty (even though most people wash and clean their floors every day) your feet get VERY dirty and I hate putting on my shoes with such dirty feet after walking around barefoot on someone's dusty floor. When I'm on holiday out there, this might sound silly, but I tend to carry a pair of indoor slippers when visiting people so I can wear them - so far no one's ever minded LOL!

Thanks for your nice response. Glad you like the topic. It's been on my mind for a while now. As you're in India pal, how do you deal with going to people's home and walking around barefoot and putting on your shoes with your own feet being somewhat dirty now? Whenever I go to Cal, I find the floors always get very dusty within hours of being cleaned in the morning and I can't spend the whole day walking around and washing my feet every time I put my shoes back on? I'm very curious as to how do you deal with that?

I think, that much dust level is permissible for our health. Because those are in-home dusts. Some may be entering through our respiration also! But the main problem is the external dusts those carry many varieties of germs and virus. If these are well controlled, then wiping the floors with disinfectants regularly will reduce the germs level safely and no need to wash feet for home dusts. Thanks.

Thanks for coming back again with that response. That does make me feel somewhat better. As I've got older, I've become more into worrying about things like dust and germs and sometimes worry that I will end up being obsessed with these worries LOL!:)

Thanks for your response. You see in the UK it is not generally customary to remove shoes when entering people's homes. I am Indian and have been brought up this way and because we spent a lot of money on our carpets we don't want them ruined with people traipsing in perhaps mud and chewing gum and all sorts. My main problem is that I see on so many TV shows like soaps, British, American and Australian soaps as a specific example, people walk in from outside the house and straight away they sit with their feet up on the sofa with their shoes on. I think that's really disgusting AND even worse when they show people doing it when they climb on their bed to watch TV. Very weird!

Thanks for your response Derek. In general I wouldn't insist that people took off their shoes say in the living room if we hadn't bought such expensive carpet recently. Previously people used to traipse in mud which was bad enough but chewing gum really upsets me on shoes and then transferring onto carpets! My biggest issue is the wearing of shoes and putting feet up on beds or sofas, I just don't understand it. When I see shows like Eastenders or Coronation street or the Aussie soaps you see cast members coming in from shopping, throwing their bags down and hitching their feet up onto their sofas with their shoes on! I always cringe when I see that and the thing is I see it so often. I'm wondering if people like that really exist and if so, who are they? LOL!

I've not noticed it on that on the telly. Have to pay closer attention, but I'm usually doing my crossword when they are on.. LOL. Mud and chewing gum through your house? I couldn't put up with that! What are people like?

Only the other day I was watching some soap (don't recall which one) and an older married couple sank onto their bed for a cuddle both with their outside shoes on, I was immediately reminded of this discussion here and it made me chuckle that people are expected to believe that a mature couple would forget to remove their shoes! How weird! x

Well that will probably answer why younger people will leave their shoes on, if they are seeing in on TV.. I still haven't been looking out for it.. I forgot! LOL

Nice that you provide shoes/slippers for guests who visit, makes things much easier! I must say I'm surprised by how many people are saying they expect guests to remove their shoes when they visit their homes, it's good to know! Thanks for your response:)

Slippers are absolutely fine to wear around the house as long as you're not wearing them outside - I won't even take the rubbish outside with my slippers on - the way I see it, as soon as you've stepped outside your home the street dirt and grime get on your shoes so my slippers are strictly for indoors only. Maybe you should get your housemate to read this discussion LOL - might give him a few hints:)

my hubby and I ( lol I sound like the queen ) won't go out the house with slipperson, not even to close the gate if it is left open, I immagine all sorts sticking to the soles, xx

I wouldn't even step out on the front doorstep with my slippers on weehun - you never know if a cat or dog has been pee-ing on your doorstep LOL!

Thanks so much for your lovely response. When the doctor first told me about my diabetes and having to be extra careful with my feet and not to walk around barefoot, I was quite upset and told her that my husband had just the previous month spent so much money on getting new carpets fitted just so I could walk around barefoot. She relented and said as long as I vaccuumed VERY often and took great care not to step on anything sharp it should be ok. As we have a 2 bedroom flat, we don't really invite more than a few people over at a time, we'll be buying a house in the next year or so and then we'll make more provisions for having spare slippers by the door for guests to use.

Thanks for your offer of advice, I might take you up on it one of these days:)

Thanks for your response, yes people tend to forget sometimes that germs are easily spread by shoes and even hands when opening doors which is why it is sensible to remove shoes indoors:)

Ah I didn't know that it was common in Finland to remove shoes when you enter a house. It's interesting to find out about how people behave in other countries. If it is the norm to remove shoes in homes I can imagine it would be weird if someone refused to take theirs off! Maybe they have bad foot odour LOL! Thanks for your response:)

I actually find it quite interesting that in a place where carpeted floors are more common people don't take their shoes off and here, where no one has carpeted floors at home we do take them off.

Yes, that is rather odd that people would walk in with shoes where there's carpet and remove their shoes when there is no carpet! I think I'd be more likely to keep my shoes on if it's cold and there is no carpet! x

Thats ok to wear seperate slippers indoor........But that should not use outside and the toilets..........

Thanks for your reply Ellie hun. Yes I also wear my slippers in the corridor, kitchen and bathroom as we have wooden flooring in the corridor and marble effect tiles in the bathroom and kitchen. I wouldn't want to get my feet dirty on the tiles and then walk that dirt into the bedrooms or living room. Also as this is generally a cold country (we're famous for that here in the UK aren't we?) the floor is rather cold to walk on barefoot most of the year:)