Shoes or no shoes in the house?

chewed · 30-08-2022 5:51pm #1

So, a few weeks back I got invited to a BBQ at a friend's new house. Arrived early and about to put my foot past the threshold only to be told that there's a "no shoes" policy in the house! So, I had to walk around the house in socks, then when I went outside to the BBQ/Patio, I had to put on my boots again, and then had to take them off when I wanted to re-enter house and use the jax or grab a beer from the fridge.

I found the whole ordeal a right pain in the arse! It's fine if it was an apartment as you wouldn't need to walk outdoors, but a house???

What are your thoughts on this? Shoes or no shoes?

The Continental Op · 30-08-2022 5:54pm

So you have friends that are weirdo's. Probably best avoided as life's to short to be bothered with people that worry about dirt on their floors.

btw this isn't the first time this has come up here and I said the same last time.

Subzero3 · 30-08-2022 5:55pm

Why should a person with loafer's be allowed walking around someone's carpet ect. Its sick and the person is right,.no shoes no entry.

30-08-2022 5:56pm

What surface were you walking on?

Surely you wouldn't wear boots across carpet?

Gregor Samsa · 30-08-2022 5:58pm

I know this has been done before here, but shoes are not only allowed in my house, but actively encouraged. I don't want to see your toes or smell your socks. I'm fine with vacuuming whatever small amount of dust you bring in later.

I remember visiting the US for work onetime, and being invited to my boss' apartment for dinner. 2 colleagues from Japan were invited too. When I got to the apartment, there were shoes outside the door on the corridor. Thought nothing of it, since I assumed it was the Japanese being Japanese, but when I entered everyone in the apartment was shoeless. Problem for me was that I remembered that I'd put on an old pair of socks that morning with gaping holes in both big toes. So I decided to ignore the obvious protocol and proudly express my Irish culture and keep the damn shoes on.

Kintarō Hattori · 30-08-2022 5:59pm

I first came across this with my Polish partner, about 17 years ago. It seemed odd at the time but now it makes perfect sense. You walk in and over lots of dirt outside. Why on earth would you bring that into someone's house, particularly if they have carpets. Shoes off is simply hygenic.

EmmetSpiceland · 30-08-2022 6:00pm

Take them off on request. Otherwise, I’d just wipe them on the mat and carry on.

Subzero3 · 30-08-2022 6:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119543910#Comment_119543910

Why would you have smelly sock's this day and age. Most people wash feet daily and change socks. If someone was sweating there are probably wearing the wrong socks, have naturally smelly feet, or are un-hygienic.

Now if you were playing 5 aside and were visiting atleast take a shower first.

The Continental Op · 30-08-2022 6:10pm

Anyone that knows us wouldn't even invite us if they had a no shoes in the house policy. I can remember one neighbor that had just had a new solid wood floor put down have a dance in the same room (it was more of a massive hall than a room) and he said hobnail boots welcome as he wanted to give the floor a bit of patination and character - my kind of guy.

I do understand there are people that want to keep their house perfect and thats fine by me but I don't need to visit them or go in their house for any reason I can think of.

SuperBowserWorld · 30-08-2022 6:12pm

We make the cat leave his shoes outside.

Gregor Samsa · 30-08-2022 6:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119543961#Comment_119543961

You've just asked "Why would you have smelly sock's this day and age?", and then given no less than four reasons why someone would have smelly socks in this day and age.

Subzero3 · 30-08-2022 6:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119543987#Comment_119543987

Yeah and then you don't take off your shoes, aka visit the house . So you should turn up with clean feet.

gmisk · 30-08-2022 6:20pm

I personally take mine off and so do my other half but guests it is up to them.

I have a pair of Crocs stored at front and at back if I need to pop out to do bins or something

freshpopcorn · 30-08-2022 6:29pm

I've got into wearing sliders around my house. However I wear them outside as well if I'm going to the car, etc.

If I come home from the shops, work and I'm going out again I don't change out of my shoes.

I don't seat, lick, eat off the floor. So, what's on it doesn't bother me. You'd generally smell crap of it was on your shoes.

Leg End Reject · 30-08-2022 6:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119543987#Comment_119543987

Probably best to just amputate your own feet at the door and cover your stumps with a plastic bag to stop blood dripping everywhere.

I don't wear shoes around the house for comfort, but will walk around with shoes if I'm just back to collect something. Guests can leave their shoes on. I don't have any carpet but doubt I'd enforce no shoes if I did. There will be as many germs on feet as shoes, plus the risk of verruca viruses and the fungus that causes athlete's foot. People can keep those to themselves. And I won't be putting my feet anywhere near the communal slippers some people provide for guests. Mank.

Princess Calla · 30-08-2022 7:05pm

We take our shoes off when coming into the house.

I've pretty much always done it for comfort tbh.

However once the kids came along and crawling on the floor it became a hygiene thing as well.

Don't ask guests to take them off though.

Atlantic Dawn · 30-08-2022 7:48pm

The idea of someone coming in to your house and walking around in their sweaty or non sweaty socks is disgusting, shoes all the way.

Brid Hegarty · 30-08-2022 10:31pm

In my house I need to keep the shoes on or else the dog hairs will stick to my socks from the wooden floor/tiles.

Jequ0n · 30-08-2022 10:51pm

No shoes inside the house. If you are worried about smelly feet or socks then you need a serious look at yourself.

Larbre34 · 30-08-2022 10:55pm

Its a tradition in much of Asia and Eastern Europe etc, which always made me laugh as any time I've been to China I've seen plenty of people take their shoes off entering a home, but having no problem spitting cigarette induced phlegm on the floor once there. Go figure.

Anyway, to me its a highly ignorant request to ask people to remove their shoes when they enter your home. Its a time consuming, unnecessary and often uncomfortable thing for any guest to have to do.

A friend of mine married a Chinese woman and she made him introduce it in their home. I was blindsided by it the first time and complied, but I told him I wouldn't be doing it again, so he bought some medical shoe covers which he keeps at the front door and now everyone looks ridiculous.

30-08-2022 10:59pm

Not this shite again!

Strumms · 30-08-2022 11:08pm

I’ve never asked anyone to remove shoes, neither have any of my family. It’s a weird phenomenon. The only person I remember up to that craic was a mother of a lad who I was friends with at school. She was an utter freak re: cleanlinesses to the point of being neurotic…you’d call around to theirs and she would 90% of the time be in the middle of doing cleaning, dusting or polishing, ALWAYS. She’d be out like a whippet with marigolds, apron, duster and spray to oversee shoe removal…. “ welcome Strumms, nice to see you, you know the drill “…. Yes a drill to your fûcking temple ya weirdo….A lovely woman but a freak…

here is all wooden floors aside from the bathrooms so you’d go skating if you were to be just manoeuvring around in socks.

pgj2015 · 30-08-2022 11:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545424#Comment_119545424

He needs to grow some balls I reckon.

thedart · 30-08-2022 11:45pm

Since wearing my partners dress and singing harry styles I go barefoot

CPTM · 30-08-2022 11:46pm

No shoes in the house! Unless you have visitors over in which case tell them to make themselves at home whatever makes them feel more comfortable. I don't think I could ever buy a carpet which would make me feel like telling people to take off their shoes when they come over.

Atlantic Dawn · 30-08-2022 11:50pm

One of those shoe wrap machines they use at million dollar house viewings at the door is probably the best answer to cover all bases...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BECAs4adFE8

snowstorm445 · 31-08-2022 12:04am

I never gave this much thought until I first went to Denmark, and nearly got eaten alive for walking around in my shoes inside the guests house. For Scandinavians wearing shoes inside houses is really frowned upon - they usually have a little stand at the front door for people to take them off once you arrive. Some of them have indoor shoes/slippers for that reason. Basically with an awful climate all year round they would argue that bringing all the seasonal mud, dirt and melted snow inside is pretty disgusting. But then in Ireland our weather is just as bad and yet it really isn't the norm.

Graces7 · 31-08-2022 12:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119543984#Comment_119543984

Of course. But I knit little indoor slippers for my cats too...

31-08-2022 12:25am

I put on slippers or sliders in my own home as there's no need for me to wear shoes, but I would not expect guests to remove their shoes (unless they stepped in mud or shyte obviously) - just wipe them on the mat. I don't get the concern about bacteria on floors - we don't lick them, and we barely touch them. And sweeping, hoovering and mopping. We keep our shoes on in shops, restaurants, bars, hotels... in all buildings open to the public. Including open houses for sale, or rental viewings. And we're fine.

I have never been asked to remove my shoes in other homes either. Here or abroad. I would understand it if there's a baby crawling, or a lot of carpeting, or if it's the home of someone who's from a culture where it's customary. But otherwise, I wouldn't understand it at all. Yeah, people's socked or bare feet gives me far more of an ick. It could be several hours since they last washed their feet.

Graces7 · 31-08-2022 12:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545640#Comment_119545640

Now THAT is neat...

Potential-Monke · 31-08-2022 12:32am

I'd like to think if I ever manage to build a house, I'd have this rule, but I'd also be providing slippers (of varying levels of ridiculousness) to swap over to. I'd rather not wear them inside, or have specific indoor shoes, but in my current living situation it would be pointless being the only one doing it! And try and tell my father to not walk around the house he built with his own 2 hands in shoes, doesn't matter if he was just in the fields!

That show wrapping thingy though... interesting (Kinetic Butler one of them is called, €800... normal ones seem to be around €250).

Shoes or no shoes in the house?

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