Shoes or no shoes in the house?

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545613#Comment_119545613

You have no idea.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545682#Comment_119545682

Is Ireland's weather as bad though? Certainly not for the same duration, and snow is rare here.

I mean yeah of course you need to take off your shoes if they're muddy, but when the shoes are perfectly clean on the surface, plus they're given a mat wiping, I don't see why it's necessary.

positron

We have kids. We play on the floor a lot. No shoes in the house.

We don't want dried up dog (and sometimes human) excrements / spit / squished slug juice etc smeared all over the floor where the little ones roll around and play.

It really doesn't make sense to wear shoes indoors. It's like going into someone's house and not taking off that rain jacket. Just why?!!

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545798#Comment_119545798

You can over do it https://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/kids-and-dirt-germs

snowstorm445

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545794#Comment_119545794

Perhaps not in terms of the depth of cold, no, but Ireland winter's are pretty mank and miserable. Plenty of muck and scutter around to drag into a house if you're not careful, especially in the countryside.

I'd agree about the doormat though, that seems to deal with all the other concerns. Although more and more I'd find myself taking them off anyway and wearing slippers (or flip flops in the hot weather).

Well shoes with excrement on them should always be removed, but I'm not sure that's all that common. On the rare occasion we accidentally step in shoite, it's horrible! Not something you just wave away. We tend to furiously wipe the shoe off the nearest bit of grass we can find, and then take it off at the first opportunity. And clean it with disinfectant if possible. Or leave it outside the house we're going into.

For the less obvious dirt there is usually a mat to wipe the shoes on. When there are small children in the home, it's absolutely understandable to have a no shoes policy, even when it's just invisible dirt (which it nearly always is - nobody has ever traipsed visible dirt into my home) but no kids, no carpet? I don't see what the issue is with guests leaving their shoes on. That's what hoovers, sweeping brushes, mops, cloths, detergents and hot water are for. I'm fastidiously clean, but with more concern for the toilet, fridge and food prep surfaces than the floor.

Lawlesz

When I first moved to eastern Europe, I thought it was odd. But now it makes perfect sense. People walking on dirty streets, in and out of toilets in bars etc. God knows what they bring round on their feet and then drag it inside all over the carpet. I do it now out of habit, I don't really insist that guests do it though. I never understood the Irish logic behind this, saying they wouldn't visit a house where the owners requested this - you are offended that the owners do not want remnants of dog s**t, urine, chewing gum and whatever else all over their carpet?

Sgt Hartman

I never wear shoes at home but I would never demand that guests take their shoes off either.

Pinch Flat

Common enough in other cultures. Most Europeans would have a policy of no shoes in the house. preference for me is no shoes. Cannot understand why you would drag all the crap on your shors throughout the house

callaway92

Always associated friends’ parents as weirdos when growing up if they said to leave your shoes at the door etc

Graces7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545757#Comment_119545757

I would not want to wear slippers worn before by others... Better to have a pair of soft slippers with you? Lino here; rental ,, so easy to clean but carpet is a different matter entirely,

Squeeonline

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545794#Comment_119545794

Have you seen how many people spit around ireland? It's disgusting. Eventually you walk that into your shoes, and then around wherever else you go. Traces of dogsh1t, bird ****, rotten food... Shoes are disgusting in all likelihood and should be left outside.

We have guest slippers, but no one ever wants them and everyone is just happy in socks or bare feet. If there's a big party with people going through the house to the garden etc, then shoes are ok but we know we will mop the floors asap afterwards to avoid our baby crawling on hands and knees through the dirt (even if it's not visible).

Squatman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119543888#Comment_119543888

i think you've undermined your own argument there subzero

notAMember

The concept of outdoor footwear and indoor footwear is slowly drifting in. This is Ireland growing up / developing. There are cottages in the city around here that I remember in my childhood had bare earth floors. A lot of them still had outdoor privies. It was only the 80's and 90's they had floors installed. Outdoor shoes were worn indoors all the time, because floors were a fairly new fangled thing, they've only appeared in one generation for the working classes.

In my own house, we have indoor slippers that we put on at the front door and slip-on garden shoes to put on at the back door. It's just more comfy. For guests, they can do what they like, some people are used to taking outdoor shoes off and do that, others don't. I don't mind either way, we give the floors a wash every couple of days anyway.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119546199#Comment_119546199

So you've regular shoes, indoor slippers, and back garden shoes. I'm telling you, you're on a slippery slope. Next it'll be another set of upstairs slippers. But do you put them on at the bottom of the stairs or the top? So there'll have to be a pair of stairs slippers too. They'll have extra grip, because we all know how dangerous stairs are. Then there'll be the bathroom crocks - because what kind of animal would wear their upstairs slippers in the same room that poo happens?

Then what happens if you walk out the back garden, around the side and want to come on the front door? You've left your house slippers at the back door and you're in your back garden shoes, and all you have is your regular shoes to change into. So you have to get a little back to keep a pair of indoor shoes with you at all times. But you can't put the bag down when you're outside, because then if you put it down inside, you'll be bringing in the dirt and AIDS and Communism and all the other horrors that you can pick up off the outdoor ground that must be kept our of your house. So you need two bags, one for inside and one for outside. Not sure if you need a separate bag for upstairs or nor, but sure you might as well get one while you're at it.

When the aliens finally attack us, they'll meet no resistance. We'll all be too busy trying to figure out what shoes we should don for the occasion to fight back. Then they'll trample all over our pristine carpets and laminate floors with their space tentacles.

Hooked

I'm 44...

I've NEVER heard of this...

But, I can kinda understand it... if posh, new and expensive carpets were involved.

If no carpets were harmed - then I'd think it very odd.

irelandrover

I'm against people wearing shoes in the house. However the story from the opening post is ridiculous. If you invite people to a party where they are walking in and out of the garden then just accept shoes for a day. Wash your floors the next morning and accept a bit of dirt on the floor for a night.

Tzardine

https://youtu.be/A7d4wBFnw7M?t=54

Larry knows best

Graces7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545832#Comment_119545832

But a lot of dirt is not fully visible.

Seeing here a divide between town and rural..

whisky_galore

Their house, their rules.

Don't like it, then fcuk off.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119546367#Comment_119546367

Funny thing is your more likely to step in sh!t on town pavements than you are anywhere rural.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058261072/shoes-or-no-shoes-in-the-house

So was it boots or shoes? Either way if things go to plan by the end of the winter shoes and overcoats will be the normal house wear.

Some amount of lying about what gets "dragged" in. Nobody walks into a house with dogsh1t on their shoes. Nobody.

There is not one iota of visible dirt on the floor from visitors to my place. Ever. For the invisible dirt, the floor is washed.

People are just lying to themselves that others step in reams upon reams of filth and have filth encrusted shoes at all times (they of course don't) in order to justify this silly rule (with the exception of small children playing on the floor, carpets - although I've never been asked to remove my shoes in those cases either). And as for Ireland "growing up" (lol) - what's grown up about it?

xhomelezz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119546272#Comment_119546272

Jeez, you need to relax a bit..

On the topic, my house my rules. Usually, over the summer I don't bother to change to indoor slippers or whatever, but in the wet weather it's a must.

notAMember

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119546272#Comment_119546272

Are you a "One Pair of Shoes" type of person? Very admirable.

For me, yeah there are indeed multiple shoes. It's a crazy concept, but hear me out. I've got shoes for various sports, running with a bit of cushioning, climbing with some grippy bits, water shoes that get wet when I'm getting in and out of boats. And then shoes for different outfits/situations and weathers, wellies, sandals. I haven't found a shoe that does all the jobs I need. I've only got one pair of slip-on washable gardening shoes, and one pair of comfy slippers. I don't do that circling of the house dance you're up to though. In the alien invasion, the slip on shoes aren't too taxing.

What type of shoe is it you have to satisfy every scenario?

osarusan

Lived in Japan for a decade.

Definitely shoes off, but slippers would be provided there (a kind of rubber-insoled slipper rather than anything absorbent, and the host might make a gesture of wiping them with a cloth/wipe as the guest actually arrives to emphasise their cleanliness) and there would be outdoor slippers/sandals available for balconies/back gardens and so on.

Some places would even have another set of guest slippers for the toilet. Which is a separate room from the bath/shower room, which should be a thing everywhere.

Pissy Missy

Think things were stressful enough with covid, adding a no shoe rule would sure make Monica proud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119546367#Comment_119546367

And didn't I mention invisible dirt a number of times? 😊 a person would be some eejit to splash out on a Dyson yet not have much grounds to use it.

Oh yeah if you're living rurally and your guests' shoes are invariably muddy, off they come.

miezekatze

We wear slippers at home, never outdoor shoes. I'm from mainland Europe where this is normal, and my Irish partner came around to the idea too. We don't get that many visitors and I don't ask them to take their shoes off, but I do find it a bit yucky to have people walk around the house in outdoor shoes. My brother has a strict no outdoor shoes in the house policy and it's a bit annoying sometimes having to take your shoes off, but I totally understand it.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119546591#Comment_119546591

Hilarious that the uptights that are dictating their visitors' footwear are telling the normal people to relax! 🤣