guests in your house wearing shoes?

Question

When you have company to your house do they need to take off their shoes or are they allowed to keep them on? I was wondering because in my house we can keep our shoes on unless they are dripping wet.

Answer 1

Alot of people like to keep them on, you can buy these plastic shoe covers that just slipe right over their shoe and they won't hurt your floors.

Answer 2

You don't. They are your guests. If this concerns you so, then you make other provisions for the care of your floor. You provide either slippers (like those disposable ones) or better yet, those disposable shoe COVERS for your guests. If they are REGULAR friends, buy them special slippers JUST for them when they visit. You may still ask if they could remove their shoes, but you will have an alternative if they choose not to. THAT is the polite thing to do! Have a polite day. Etiquette takes over where laws end.

Answer 3

It's the same at our house - unless your shoes are muddy or extremely dirty, you can wear them in the house.

I have been in homes where guests are requested to remove their shoes. I felt extremely uncomfortable.

If slippers or some kind of alternate foot covering is provided, that would be okay.

ADDED: In most cultures where it is traditional not to wear outdoor shoes in the home, they provide indoor slippers. If Americans would learn to do this (cloth slippers are very inexpensive and can be thrown in the washing machine after each use), the problem of guests being uncomfortable would not be such an issue. A one-time investment in half a dozen cloth slippers of various sizes would probably be less than $50. Isn't it worth that to make your guests feel comfortable?

Answer 4

In our house everyone needs to take off their shoes. I always walk around the house in my socks as does the rest of the family. When friends come over most know that I have a rule about wearing shoes in the house and take theirs off without any disscussion. For first time visitors they usually see the pile of shoes and me in my socks and ask if they should take their shoes off. If they do not pick up on either clue on their own I just say "Oh, could you take your shoes off, we do the japanese thing around here." When kids visit I usually tell them as they are entering the house. "Everybody take their shoes off before they go into the house."

Answer 5

When we lived in our first apartment, we made all of our friends take them off at the door. Now that we don't have a security deposit to be concerned with, I make no mention of it to my guests. Usually, their shoes are filthy, so it's just a matter of vacuuming an extra time after they leave. No biggie, and besides--I'm just glad to have someone stop by, I really don't like to put restrictions on them....

Answer 6

Your friends will be more comfortable wearing their shoes. On the other hand, if they are really your true friends they might not mind either. But then again, what if one of your friends happen to have holey socks and is ashamed.
Of course it is tradition in lots of countries that you take off your shoes in any house.

Just do want you feel is best girl!

Answer 7

Professional guests (like my insurance agent), and hired workers (utilities people for example) keep shoes on since they aren't staying. Family and friends take their shoes off so they aren't dragging street-dirt in all over my house.

Answer 8

In Europe they have to take them off. It's rude to walk into someone's house with the shoes on. In America it seems to be different.
I'd prefer people to take the shoes off and I always have washable slippers available for them.

Answer 9

I let people dress however they are comfortable dressing. Personally, when I visit friends, I never take my shoes off because they are not there to begin with. I almost never wear shoes.

Answer 10

If you have hardwood floors, shoes are fine. But I don't think you'd want dust or grit getting into the carpet fibres. I take my shoes off whenever I go visiting.