Why do people from some cultures take their shoes off when they enter a house and others don't?

Question

My socks get really dirty in some homes. Should I wear slippers or go barefoot?

I really don't want to offend anyone. That is why I'm asking for advice here.

Answer 1

All these cultural differences date back to when we lived in the real world, and we had to work hard to survive at all.

There are very few of these things that cannot be answered by applying common sense to the living conditions at the time when the practise started.

Taking of shoes off when entering a house started long ago, and probably existed in most cultures.

Why? - because you don't want to bring mud and possible disease into your home.

When it was first adopted (long ago) there were no roads and no pavements, can you imagine the state of your shoes after trudging around outside without roads and pavements (not to mention no buses or taxis).

At that time there were no vacuum cleaners, no running water, no carpet washing machines - getting rid of muck was HARD WORK.

Also disease was plentiful, and antibiotics non-existent, so if you had anything unmentionable on your shoes, you would be likely to become ill (and also likely to die) if you spread it around inside your home.

Remember the earth is a hostile planet, and long ago we thought very hard about how to merely stay alive. Things like not risking bringing disease into your house was important, but also it was important that you did not create extra cleaning work because you spent all your efforts on simply staying alive.

In some cultures the practise has died out, simply because bringing muck on your shoes into your house is unlikely to end up as a cause of your death - modern medicine; and modern gadgets make the lives of people in the rich world so easy, that they can afford to spend the day cleaning the house.

Although a few rich countries keep up this tradition, I certainly believe that given time, this practise will disappear from all countries in the rich world.

Answer 2

In Japan they use(d?) rice mats on the floor (tatami mats) which would be more easily damaged than most of our carpets. Also they tend to sit on the floor more often, so they like to keep it cleaner.

Out in the country, your feet tend to get more dirty, mud & sand can usually be wiped off pretty easily but all kinds of manure from the farm tends to be more sticky.

Others don't like to take off their shoes because if you've been wearing closed shoes all day long, chances are your feet have become pretty smelly (the typical foot smell comes from bacteria breaking down sweat inside shoes, not from the sweat itself, so barefoot/sandaled people in warm countries will have less of a problem with foot odor than people wearing closed shoes in colder climates). Nylons can cause a nasty stink too!

Answer 3

Respect for some one else's home should not be influenced by various cultures. No one has the right to drag dirt into a home with their shoes. Having said that, when visiting, I always ask at the door if I should take my shoes off. I explain that as I always do at home, I am happy to here.

Answer 4

i don't think of that's a cultural subject, it is in basic terms for the sake of cleanness. in the adventure that your house is carpet and sparkling, you would be p*ss if somebody walking outdoors come on your place with their grimy shoes on. anyhow, uncertain if it a cultural subject; whether, i'm chinese language and my mom makes me take my shoes off every time I enter the abode. that's now a habit. in case you do not, it is disrespectful. The onwer of the abode will think of you're un-considerate not worrying approximately retaining the abode sparkling.

Answer 5

I suspect that this is a custom that has very practical roots in trying to preserve the cleanliness of the home. When I moved from the States to Canada, I wondered why it was customary for Canadians to remove their shoes inside the house. When winter came and everyone's footwear was covered with snow and/or mud, the custom made a lot of sense.

Answer 6

In Japan it is customary to remove ones shoes when entering someones house. The reason seems to have something to do with avoiding taking dirt and grime into the house. Japanese houses are usually extremely well kept and clean.

People entering a mosque are also obliged not only to remove their shoes but to wash their feet as well. This way they go before God clean.

Here in London people enter my house in their town shoes but they must wipe them on the mat first.

Answer 7

It's just a matter of etiquette. Each culture has different rules for what is polite and what isn't. I was born and raised here in America, but was still taught that it's polite to remove your shoes so you don't get someone's carpet or floors dirty. I think in Asian cultures it started because they used to eat on the floor, or at least sit at very low tables, and didn't want to get their food or themselves dirty.

Answer 8

I think it's probably more the way you were brought up. I do it automatically in my own house because it's more comfortable and I feel like I'm about to go out if I've got them on. It's quieter and also stops mud being tramped through the house.

I do it in other people's houses because I might not know which they prefer and also don't want to tramp dirt in their house either!

I wouldn't expect anyone to take their shoes off in my house but if they do then I feel that they are comfortable which I like my guests to be!

Answer 9

In cold countries, the norm is to wear shoes in other's houses. People don't want to have cold feet. In tropical countries, some people don't even own shoes, and because of the warm climate, who needs shoes to keep warm in the house?

Answer 10

I take my shoes off in my own house, for no particular reason, other than that we've always done it. I have generally clean shoes, so that's not really the issue. I sometimes do it in other people's houses purely out of habit.