# Do you wear shoes inside?



## mamazee (Jan 5, 2003)

Do you wear shoes? Always or never or somewhere in between?

Do you have rules about shoes for your kids?

Do your kids ever play outside barefoot?

I just picked up shoes and sandals that had been dropped around my house. I guess the best thing about having a no-shoes rule if I had one is that the shoes would all be near the entry.


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## KSLaura (Jan 22, 2007)

We all take off shoes right inside the front door and store them all in a basket there. I will occasionally where shoes in the house if i run back in to grab something on my way out. DH is half Japanese, so this is partly a cultural thing in our family. We always wear shoes outside because we have dogs and don't clean up after them as often as we should.


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:
Originally Posted by *mamazee* 

Do you wear shoes? Always or never or somewhere in between? We usually wear shoes outside but never in the house. Even prior to having children, my husband and I never wore shoes in the house.

Do you have rules about shoes for your kids? Yes, their shoes are kept on a rack in the garage next to the door. They can also keep one pair in the laundry room - which is right inside the door.


> Do your kids ever play outside barefoot? Yes, and if their feet are dirty they wash them off or put on socks when they come into the house. When they were little and in and out barefoot (and in and out of the sand box) I kept buckets of soapy water on the deck so they could wash their feet before coming in.
> 
> I just picked up shoes and sandals that had been dropped around my house. I guess the best thing about having a no-shoes rule if I had one is that the shoes would all be near the entry.


eta: I do not ask guests to remove their shoes. But most people we know take their shoes off at their houses so it is rare that someone keeps their shoes on. My husband would like to ask guests to remove their shoes, but I think it is rude to ask...he thinks they are rude to wear their shoes inside. Sometimes people ask if they need to take off their shoes...I some times hesitate to answer because I am surprised they ask but I say 'no' because I figure if they are asking, they do not want to take them off. (Once a friend told me he hated taking his shoes off at people's houses because his feet always stink,,,I remember that and figure maybe they have stinky feet!)


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## One_Girl (Feb 8, 2008)

We don't wear shoes in the house usually, sometimes if we forgot something we will run and grab it with our shoes on. I grew up not wearing shoes inside and that is how my child grew up but there isn't really a spoken rule. Growing up without having to wear shoes has made both me and dd happy to not have shoes on.

We keep shoes outside at my mom's house because she has a covered porch and we keep them inside by the door at our home because we don't. There was no rule making about this though either, my mother was unhappy with shoe smells in the house wanted to try having the shoes outside and we always have just kept shoes in one area so nothing needed to be said when we moved to our own place.

We do go barefoot sometimes when we are outside. I don't have a rule about this either but I do sometimes suggest shoes to my dd if it looks unsafe for bare feet and she typically heeds my suggestion.

I do sometimes have to pick up shoes and put them on the rack, but I typically have my dd come and put the shoes on the rack herself. I saw a suggestion along these lines on a post a while back and I find that it typically only takes a couple of times doing this for her to get back in the habit of cleaning up after herself without a reminder.


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## AllisonR (May 5, 2006)

I think it is cultural. I was raised in Georgia, and we ALWAYS had shoes on in the house. In fact, my dad would shout at us if we didn't, claiming we were tracking mud around. Made no sense imo, seemed to me shoes tracked more mud. Anyway, I had one indian friend who had no shoes in the house, everyone else did. I moved to NYC where some did, some didn't. I now live in Denmark, and no one here wears shoes in the house; they are left at the door. Also in our house.

I don't have rules about it. If someone comes over and leaves their shoes on I let them be. I also let my kids run around both inside and outside barefoot. My DD loves being barefoot outside. The only thing I do not like is sock on but no shoes outside, just ruins the socks too fast.


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## KSLaura (Jan 22, 2007)

I think it is cultural. I was raised in Georgia, and we ALWAYS had shoes on in the house. This is interesting... Growing up in the midwest, everyone seemed to wear shoes inside. When my parents come to visit, they leave their shoes on until they go to bed. Everyone else removes them at the door.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

We don't have a hard and fast rule about it, but in general we wear shoes outside, and no shoes inside. We have a shoe basket near the door where we all kick our shoes off as we walk in, but if we're carrying stuff or something it's no big deal to us to walk through the house with our shoes on and then take them off.

I usually ask the kids to put on shoes when they go in the yard to play, but not always. Not during water play, and sometimes I go out barefoot to garden. And if we have people over for a barbecue and there'll be a lot of in-and-out, everyone just leaves their shoes on. I don't ask guests to do anything with their shoes one way or the other -- I just want them to be comfortable.


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## ollyoxenfree (Jun 11, 2009)

Quote:
Originally Posted by *mamazee* 

Do you wear shoes? Always or never or somewhere in between?
In the house, we don't wear shoes except if someone is on the way out or has been outside and needs a quick trip back inside for some reason eg. to grab a forgotten item or use the bathroom. Even in those circumstances, I usually take my shoes off and prefer if everyone else did too.

Do you have rules about shoes for your kids? I don't think of them as rules. It's our custom to remove our shoes at the door. It's a habit, lifestyle, whatever you want to call it.
I should mention that I've always believed that children, especially when learning to walk, should be barefoot as much as possible in order to strengthen the feet and ankles and develop balance and proprioception and important sensory feedback mechanisms and promote a healthy ambulatory kinetic chain. My kids didn't own hard-soled shoes until they were walking. I think we bought the first pair for preschool. That's aside from the fact that it's much more comfortable to be barefoot. 


> Do your kids ever play outside barefoot? Yes.


Having said all that, I have a fondness/weakness for pretty shoes, so I could never live a barefoot lifestyle.


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## happilymomma2 (Aug 14, 2013)

After bringing baby home for the first time we considered the amount if "stuff" brought in on shoes and began taking them off at the door. When baby started crawling, we asked everyone to take their shoes off upon entering. My thought on it was, if you wouldn't lick the bottom of your shoe then you shouldn't wear it in a home with a mobile baby. She crawls on the floor and then sticks her hands in her mouth (not to mention whatever she finds in the floor that may have come off a shoe). Yuck! Outside dirt doesn't bother me as much as the chemicals that may have been picked up in a parking lot, a sprayed lawn, industrial building, a shopping center or the nasties that may be on shoes from a public bathroom.

That being said, we run around outside barefoot all the time and slip on socks when we come in or wash feet. I like the soapy water at the door idea!

For those of you who are no shoes in the house, how do you request guests remove their shoes when they come in? I still feel awkward asking. We have a basket of shoes at the door so i get really jazzed when i see people get the hint and take their shoes off without being asked.


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## ollyoxenfree (Jun 11, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *happilymomma2*
> 
> For those of you who are no shoes in the house, how do you request guests remove their shoes when they come in? I still feel awkward asking. We have a basket of shoes at the door so i get really jazzed when i see people get the hint and take their shoes off without being asked.


I don't ask. 99% take them off because it is customary. The 1% who don't often have good reasons eg. they wear supportive orthopaedic shoes. But I don't have babies crawling on my floor. I also have a dog who tracks in mud and dust and sheds A LOT, so my floors aren't exactly dinner-plate clean to begin with.

If you feel strongly but are uncomfortable asking, you could place a small sign at the door requesting shoes to be removed, near a basket of various-sized slippers for people to borrow if they prefer to have some kind of foot covering on even when they are inside.


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## Banana731 (Aug 4, 2006)

We don't wear shoes in the house. And if you want to come in my house, you have to remove yours. I have booties for workers, and when I lived in Japan I had slippers for people to wear, but I think americans would be weirded out by wearing communal slippers so I don't have them now.

I want to order some disposable slippers, like the thin kind you get in some hotels. I should get on that.

I let my kids go barefoot around the house outside sometimes, we don't have pets or use pesticides. But I usually make them wash their feet before coming in.

I have a shoe cabinet by the door, and a tray as well. I even converted the closet by the door into a seating area, so you can sit to remove or put your shoes on.


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## JamieCatheryn (Dec 31, 2005)

Take them off or clean them if they're filthy, otherwise shoes inside, barefoot outside, doesn't matter to me. No shoes on the couches and beds. We've had a few guests ask if they should remove shoes, I say if you like you can but there's no rules.


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## ian'smommaya (Jun 7, 2004)

We generally don't. Here people just take them off for the most part. I think it's because of the winters snow, sludge, mess that is made. I am in Minnesota, so it may also be a culture thing. D.S. and I go barefoot frequently, especially when we are running late, lol. I don't ask people to take off their shoes or boots, most people just do. But like Ollyoxenfree we have dogs that shed so the floors are perfect anyway.


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## HappyHappyMommy (Mar 9, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamazee*
> 
> Do you wear shoes? Always or never or somewhere in between?


We never wear "outdoor" shoes inside. Shoes wore outdoors come off right inside the door. Inside we wear slippers or socks or go barefoot. Because the basement can be cold, we have one set of sturdier-than-slipper shoes at the top of the basement stairs that we wear only in the basement.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamazee*
> 
> Do your kids ever play outside barefoot?


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dbsam*
> 
> Yes, and if their feet are dirty they wash them off or put on socks when they come into the house. When they were little and in and out barefoot (and in and out of the sand box) I kept buckets of soapy water on the deck so they could wash their feet before coming in.


We do this as well!

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *happilymomma2*
> For those of you who are no shoes in the house, how do you request guests remove their shoes when they come in? I still feel awkward asking. We have a basket of shoes at the door so i get really jazzed when i see people get the hint and take their shoes off without being asked.


We have a sign on the door saying that we're a shoe-free house and asking anyone who enters to please remove their shoes. Everyone who has come in during the last 10 years has taken off their shoes! Inside, we do have a basket with clean, fluffy socks in case people would like socks to wear (either because they weren't wearing socks or because they'd like an extra pair); in the winter, lots of guests appreciate this! After a guest leaves, we throw the socks in the laundry and then they are ready and waiting for another guest.

We







love







being shoe-free inside and are thrilled that it seems that more and more houses of those we know are becoming shoe-free inside!


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## happilymomma2 (Aug 14, 2013)

I really like the sign ideas! Way to go Mamas! We have a pooch too that runs outside on occasion but we arent so much worried about 'dirt' as the other stuff that gets tracked around on shoes. We don't put chemicals on our lawn either. I do love the sign idea and the basket of fluffy socks!


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## Banana731 (Aug 4, 2006)

I really like the socks idea too. You know, I'm kind of a nut. I'd probably make my dog wear booties outside...


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Banana731*
> 
> You know, I'm kind of a nut. I'd probably make my dog wear booties outside...


Our dogs are trained to stand on a rug when they come back inside so we can wipe their feet. My husband and I always wiped their feet prior to having children, but we have become lax since the kids were born.

When one of our dogs became blind with old age, I wish I c/h put him in little rain boots...he would get caught in the landscaping and get really dirty feet.


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## peaceful_mama (May 27, 2005)

No shoes inside. Shoes outside.


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## tracyamber (May 26, 2011)

No shoes inside......after living in Costa we transformed. It's pretty rainy here in Oregon. We do have indoor shoes which sometimes DH walks outside and realizes he has the wrong shoes on *sigh*


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## swd12422 (Nov 9, 2007)

I would LOVE to have a shoe-free house, but DH won't agree to it. However, I don't think I would ever require my guests to remove their shoes. And while most of the time I don't think I'd have a problem respecting someone else's shoe-free home, I really feel it's a comfort thing. If I'm not comfortable for whatever reason, I don't want to feel like I'm breaking a rule, and I certainly wouldn't want my guests to feel uncomfortable in my home.


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

Quote:


> I would LOVE to have a shoe-free house, but DH won't agree to it. However, I don't think I would ever require my guests to remove their shoes. And while most of the time I don't think I'd have a problem respecting someone else's shoe-free home, I really feel it's a comfort thing. If I'm not comfortable for whatever reason, I don't want to feel like I'm breaking a rule, and I certainly wouldn't want my guests to feel uncomfortable in my home.


This pretty much. I don't like to wear shoes in my own space including outside. Going into someone else's house and being forced to take my shoes off makes me exceedingly uncomfortable.

In our home we have a shoe shelf right by the front door. The kids aren't consistent in wearing or not wearing shoes inside. Dh would prefer that they did. I don't really care too much as long as they aren't tracking mud through it.


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

we are a barefoot family.

we dont wear shoes inside/or slippers or booties out of preference. on hot days, tile floors and hardwood floors feel so much nicer on bare feet. on carpet i prefer house slippers. dd always preferred barefoot still.

outdoors - wear shoes only when we have to. most of our lives we both prefer flip flops. and wear mostly flip flops even in rain and low temperatures. our feel sweat in shoes and still remain cold so what's the point of shoes.

i wear shoes in the snow. when we go winter camping dd STILL wears flip flops to go outside teh tent, but wears hiking boots when we go further.

my biggest concern when dd started school was how was she going to keep her shoes on. she did fine. but the first 5 years of her life she ONLY wore shoes when she absolutely had to. otherwise she was barefoot walking everywhere.

ALSO we are a flip flop family. coz we have wide feet with narrow heels. and when you dont have a bunch of money and cant afford good shoes (those rare shoes that actually fits) flip flops will have to do.

wonder if we are so wide with splayed toes because we both went so much barefoot when children.

if we have slip ons we take them off whenever we are sitting down.


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## skreader (Nov 19, 2008)

No shoes inside, but usually slippers.

We have a shoe case and a shoe shelf at the entrance to our flat.

Rules about shoes? No putting shoes on an eating surface.

Going outside barefoot - going to the apartment's swimming pool - OK - but elsewhere, they have to wear shoes. We live in a big city and it's not very safe or hygienic to go around barefoot.


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## tracyamber (May 26, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *swd12422*
> 
> I would LOVE to have a shoe-free house, but DH won't agree to it. However, I don't think I would ever require my guests to remove their shoes. And while most of the time I don't think I'd have a problem respecting someone else's shoe-free home, I really feel it's a comfort thing. If I'm not comfortable for whatever reason, I don't want to feel like I'm breaking a rule, and I certainly wouldn't want my guests to feel uncomfortable in my home.


I kinda think of it as respecting house culture. If there is no smoking in the house then guests have to step outside to do it. If there are no shoes worn in the house then I would expect that too. I have never felt uncomfortable taking my shoes off. Also, if someone comes over and they did not know we have a no shoe policy, I have a basket of cool fuzzy socks and such and it makes it kinda fun anyway.

How are you by the way? How is your son doing with the potty training? I hope I am not hijacking this thread I just wanted to say hi.


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## dinahx (Sep 17, 2005)

Being shoe free inside is a lead exposure reduction strategy . . .


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## slammerkin (Nov 11, 2012)

We have no consistent policy. I often slip in and out of shoes several times throughout the day. I don't really like being barefoot on wood/tile, but enjoy it on carpet, and we have a mixture in the house. I do take them off at the door if I'm coming in from the rain or something like that. DH is most often barefoot or in socks, but I don't think that's out of any real policy. He also strips off his pants the majority of time when he comes in and hangs out in boxers, so I think he's just a less-is-more comfort kinda guy.

I don't think I've actually ever been asked to remove my shoes in someone else's home, but the thought of it bothers me. My sister's house is generally shoe-free, but they never asked other people to take off theirs. I feel like you should be somewhat aware of the general house policy and try to follow it if you're comfortable with it, but if I've kept my shoes on, it's probably for a good reason (stinky feet, ingrown toenail, etc). I'd feel a little weird about borrowing socks, even if they were freely offered.


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## KSLaura (Jan 22, 2007)

What about hotel rooms? Shoes off or on? I tend to think that hotels aren't particularly clean, so I prefer to leave them on at hotels even though we don't wear shoes inside our house. I was recently admonished by a relative in Japan who pulled me back out of my own hotel room and insisted that I remove my shoes first. I know its a cultural thing in Japan, but I didn't realize it extended to hotels...


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## Vivien57 (Feb 20, 2010)

In Canada (maybe because of winter) I think shoe free inside is just normal for everyone.


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## msbusybee (Mar 11, 2013)

DH is Japanese. I'm Vietnamese. (Both of us were born and raised in CA.) We have a strict no-shoes policy in the house because we're both allergic to many things and cannot bring any of that into the house. On top of that, it's a housekeeping rule for us: less to clean up. The policy is only reminded to guests or DH's family (they're American-born Japanese) as they tend to wear shoes in their homes. We are not shy about telling our guests. Also, we're on the extreme side of practicing and even wipe our dog's feet after she comes back from going to the bathroom outside.

On the flip-side, we ask any homes we visit if they would like to have our shoes removed. We practice what the host(s) prefer.


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## JollyGG (Oct 1, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Springshowers*
> 
> In Canada (maybe because of winter) I think shoe free inside is just normal for everyone.


I'm in a rather snowy climate as well and most homes here are shoes off.


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## KSlager (Jun 1, 2005)

ALWAYS!

I'm a devoted "Fly baby" and the Fly Lady finally opened my eyes to how important it is.

After my whole life of not wearing GOOD shoes, my feet are miserable unless I'm wearing my Merrell shoes! With my shoes on, I am ready for anything at anytime. Too, I can go all day long with a good pair of shoes. Once the shoes are off, I'm shot for the day. Shoes = miraculous energy. All.Day.Long.


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## Chaika (Jan 30, 2011)

Before I met my husband I used to wear shoes indoor sometimes. But he grew up in the former USSR and is really grossed out by the idea of shoes inside. Now that we live together no one wears shoes inside. I have to say I love it, because the floors don't get dirty as quickly. Also because I always know where my shoes are! When I lived alone I'd kick them off in all kinds of random places in my apartment. Now we have a shoe rack near the door. I never ask guests to take off their shoes, though. Some do and some don't.

My son plays outside barefoot sometimes and it amazes me that it doesn't bother him. Our grass is thick and not at all soft.


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## happilymomma2 (Aug 14, 2013)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *KSLaura*
> 
> What about hotel rooms? Shoes off or on? I tend to think that hotels aren't particularly clean, so I prefer to leave them on at hotels even though we don't wear shoes inside our house. I was recently admonished by a relative in Japan who pulled me back out of my own hotel room and insisted that I remove my shoes first. I know its a cultural thing in Japan, but I didn't realize it extended to hotels...


Ewwwwww! Definitely shoes in hotel rooms! Flip flops in the shower too! You don't know what is on those floors. We also throw th comforter back and don't sit, lay on or cover up with that. Lol.

I definitely look around when entering the home of someone else and make a shoe decision based on that. Are they wearing shoes? Is there a place for shoes? If I'm not sure I ask and do whatever is appropriate.
Im curious about other hotel views! My reaction when i read that actually made me laugh! Good spin!


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## rburnett (Nov 21, 2010)

We wear house shoes (sandals or slippers) or go barefoot indoors. Living in FL I have a hard time keeping my kids in shoes when we're outdoors  My only rule is shoes in stores, restaurants and other places where it's considered necessary. We keep the a set of shoes for the kids in the car since they so rarely wear them.


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## happilymomma2 (Aug 14, 2013)

What's a fly baby?


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## Vivien57 (Feb 20, 2010)

It is someone who follows www.flylady.net


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## Pepperdove (Apr 13, 2007)

I hate being without something on my feet, so I usually am in flipflops or slippers inside and whatever suits the weather outside. I try to get the children to wear shoes outside but it's a bit of an uphill battle.

I don't ask guests to remove shoes, since I like to have mine on. When I was a child my socks were always gross (no laundry in house + hoarder family = yuck) so I was always super terrified that I might get asked to take off my shoes. If I did, I would whip off the socks too and stuff them deep inside the shoes and kinda hide the whole setup in the corner.

Nowadays I judge whether or not to remove my shoes at someone's home by looking at my host. If they are wearing shoes, mine stay on. If they aren't, off mine come. (they smell much better now, lol)


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## haurelia (Mar 12, 2009)

We take off shoes at the door and leave on a rack/on a mat. As others have said, we sometimes run inside with shoes on if we need to grab something quickly, although in wet seasons or on wet days, we take them off even for a quick run-in. I have a basket of slippers at the front door for guests. Our friends have shoes-off houses, mostly, so they take theirs off at the door (and we always take my shoes off at the door at other people's homes). Family is a different story...our parents usually leave their shoes on, which really bugs me, especially in (our looooong) wintertime, when they are dripping snowmelt and road salt/sand all over the place. Though our floors are not spotless (1 dog, 2 cats, preschooler, etc), I just think that dust and crumbs are different than a mucky/chemical-y mess.

We have a dog and I insist on shoes out in the yard unless it's just playing in the wading pool (and I've picked up the poo). Also, our home is 120 years old, so our yard is always purging up something weird/sharp (broken glass, bits of metal, a screw, whatever). We also got chickens this year, so we each have a pair of old beater shoes that are worn into the chicken yard. If anyone visiting wants to go in the chicken yard, I ask them to remove their shoes when they go back inside; that's not really negotiable for me (although, logically, the dog could just as easily walk in her own poo and track those yucks inside).


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## mamarhu (Sep 12, 2004)

I have no opinion on shoes in the house exactly - I just hate shoes in general. I take them off at any opportunity - while driving, at a meeting for work (hopefully, no one is looking under the table!), most anytime. My kids take off shoes in the house, but not right at the door. I would never ask a guest to remove their shoes - this is not a cleanliness thing at all for me.

As for outdoors - same thing: whenever I can, I am barefoot. I wear Birkenstock sandals year 'round (easy to slip off), and knit my own socks for winter wear. DD, 18, considers this a fashion felony.

On a dare in 1969, I went for an entire year barefoot. I went to the opera, hiking in Death Valley, and rode on several airplanes, not to mention restaurants.

Living in tropical countries, I went barefoot year 'round, even when the locals advised against it. Bad plan. I picked up a fungus that took 15 years to go away. Lesson learned: listen to local wisdom.


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## ollyoxenfree (Jun 11, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *KSLaura*
> 
> What about hotel rooms? Shoes off or on? I tend to think that hotels aren't particularly clean, so I prefer to leave them on at hotels even though we don't wear shoes inside our house. I was recently admonished by a relative in Japan who pulled me back out of my own hotel room and insisted that I remove my shoes first. I know its a cultural thing in Japan, but I didn't realize it extended to hotels...


Depends a little on the hotel/motel. I usually take them off, but most of the hotels are fairly well maintained and I see housekeeping vacuuming so I don't think the floors are too nasty. I have stayed in some dodgy places when on long road trips though and you're right, I've tended to keep my shoes on.


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## ollyoxenfree (Jun 11, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *KSlager*
> 
> ALWAYS!
> 
> ...


Funny. I don't follow Flylady anymore but I tried her site many years ago. The whole shoes things was something I never got, even though I appreciated quite a few of her other tips and still use some of them. But the shoes thing, I disagreed with completely. FWIW, I think a lot of people are dependent on shoes after a lifetime of wearing them. Feet and ankle muscles are weakened, sensory feedback is poorly developed and they have to rely on shoes totally.


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## rachelsmama (Jun 20, 2005)

We're a shoes-off household. I ask guests to remove their shoes (most notice the pile by the door and do it without being asked), but I make exceptions for some older relatives who have a hard time getting in and out of shoes, and have orthotics. To be fair, though, the same physical issues that make it hard to get in and out of shoes also make it difficult for them to get around enough to get their shoes dirty. I also make exceptions for repair-people; they tend to be constantly popping out to the truck to get something, and their work sometimes makes safety boots necessary, so I just plan to clean the floor once they've left.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ollyoxenfree*
> 
> Funny. I don't follow Flylady anymore but I tried her site many years ago. The whole shoes things was something I never got, even though I appreciated quite a few of her other tips and still use some of them. But the shoes thing, I disagreed with completely. FWIW, I think a lot of people are dependent on shoes after a lifetime of wearing them. Feet and ankle muscles are weakened, sensory feedback is poorly developed and they have to rely on shoes totally.


I agree with all of this.


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## mariee (Mar 4, 2012)

We always take our shoes off when we enter the house. We put them on just before leaving the house. We have a bench that we store our shoes in right next to the front door, so that keeps things pretty tidy.

DH and I both grew up in shoe-wearing households, although, looking back, I really don't get it. It seems so yucky to me to wear shoes inside and on the carpet. Anyway, over the last 15 years, DH and I sometimes worn shoes inside the house, but once we had our son, we stopped wearing shoes inside for good.

It totally grosses me out when my inlaws come over and wear their shoes all over our carpet. I mean, it is really obvious that our son picks up EVERYTHING off the floor and puts it into his mouth. And our newborn will be doing the same soon. I'd like to ask them to remove their shoes, but they are kind of odd about things and I'm sure it would turn into a huge deal. In fact, they actually yell at my DH when he takes his shoes off in their house. My MIL yells at him to leave his shoes on because the floor is dirty. That's her rationale. I'd like to point out that if they just didn't wear shoes in their own home, the floor probably wouldn't be "dirty." Sigh.


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## thatgirliknew (Dec 1, 2009)

We don't wear shoes in the house, ever. The only real rule is keep them where you can find them or I'm pulling out a pair that you may or may not like as much next time you can't find them.

I'm weird about the whole barefoot outside thing. Mainly because my daughter's father is highly allergic to bees and if he gets bit has to go straight to the hospital via ambulance. They said the allergy could be passed down. So, I'd rather my daughter not accidentally step on a bee.


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## SweetSilver (Apr 12, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamazee*
> 
> Do you wear shoes? Always or never or somewhere in between?
> 
> ...


I tend to not wear shoes if I don't have to, especially not in the house, though I've taken to wearing slippers in the winter (over 40--what can you do?) but I don't have a particular rule. We tend to take shoes off at the door because we have chickens and the weirdest soil that makes mud at the slightest drop of rain. Everyone is very polite about asking about taking shoes off, but I tell them we do it only because we are gardeners and our shoes track in too much and they are welcome to leave them on. But it seems that it's become a habit in our region to take shoes off at the door. Every house I visit, there is a pile of shoes in the entry.

Shoe rules for kids-- mind the chicken poo.







Some areas of our property have been trashed in the past, and I want them to wear shoes when exploring (with all the trailing blackberries, I wouldn't go barefoot even!) But all the lawns and roads are clean. I also insist on wearing shoes when visiting urban beaches and wading, though in our area, all the *ocean* beaches are away from urban areas, and half of those you wouldn't want to walk on barefoot anyway with all the muscles and barnacles.

Mainly, I worry about glass (and also sharp metal on our property), but the comment upthread about the fungus in Mexico.... *shudder*.....

My kids wear their shoes more than I do outdoors. We've had to spread gravel so the rain won't turn our pathways into a mudpit, and those are growing over with grass. I hope to be able to walk barefoot comfortably all around the yard and up and down the road next year. I used to spend time each spring toughening up my feet, building up our "Hobbit Feet" is what I call it. I tell the girls that it's nice to not feel so handicapped without shoes, but I know that dd1 especially is likely to want to wear hers more often out of personal preference.


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## Fillyjonk (Sep 21, 2007)

TBH I barely wear shoes outside when I can get away with it. If I'm in a coffee shop or something I normally take off my shoes. I do usually have "good" shoes too, that fit me well. Don't mind summer and sandals so much but proper shoes? Hate them.

I'm not extreme about it. If I have guests over I don't expect them to take off their shoes. Our downstairs is tiles and floorboards and concrete, so that is fine anyway. Our upstairs is carpet but its easy enough to clean. I'd rather people feel welcome and I can totally see why not everyone would want to take off their shoes! My floors aren't always super-clean.

I just hate wearing shoes. I've found that if you are just wearing socks, dark socks, people often don't notice, or at least are generally too polite to point it out if they do.

My daughters will tend to go barefoot, and live in crocs where they can. My son tends to find one pair of manky comfortable trainers and live in them.


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## Quinalla (May 23, 2005)

I almost always wear shoes outside, except at the beach or for a quick walk to the mailbox. I never wear shoes inside my house or any house I can get away with it. I take my shoes off at work under the desk at times (only if my feet aren't stinky!) I prefer to be barefoot or just in socks when it is cold, but outside I do like shoes to protect my feet, but I prefer sandals unless I'm going to be running or be in tall grass/woods.

Right now the rules for my DD1 (DD2 & DS1 are too young for shoes) are shoes on when you are outside and at daycare, off inside and she can pick her shoes, but I have veto power. She also knows which shoes are ok for daycare (they don't allow open toe shoes). Occasionally she is allowed outside with no shoes, but she knows not to ask that it is only if me or Dad are ok with it.

We do have a shoe container next to the front door and everyone takes off shoes when they come in. DD1 also tends to take her socks off there too which is fine, but I'm trying to teach her to carry them to a laundry basket too with little success so far







If we had more room, I would have a shoe cubby too, the container is nice for wet shoes to dry, but I think we're going to need a cubby, especially once the twins start wearing shoes.


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