Comments on: Shoes or No Shoes Allowed?

By: Sally

Sally — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:02:12 +0000

I had honestly never heard of the no-shoes rule until I moved to Massachusetts; but it makes sense. For much of the year it is muddy/slushy/icy/snowy outside, so you are just wearing boots anyway. We have a mudroom and each person has a basket to throw their shoes in. I wear slippers in the house because my feet get cold. It does keep things cleaner (though with 2 cats and a dog I’m vacuuming all the time anyway) and we know where all the shoes are (in theory, at least).

I am not a no-shoe nazi, though. Some people are very uncomfortable removing their shoes for a variety of reasons and I don’t force them. Most people around here will sort of automatically remove their shoes but it doesn’t freak me out if they don’t. I figure that is what vacuums and mops were invented for, and if you can’t handle the thought you might need to vacuum after having guests, then maybe you need to reconsider inviting people in your home!

I do make kids take their off, though, ’cause they are prone to not wiping their feet and also prone to climbing on furniture and beds…I can deal with someone tracking in ick on the floor but not on beds or couches!

By: Allison

Allison — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 19:55:54 +0000

I have a no shoes rule in my home. After living in Ny, I think that wearing shoes inside is gross! Plus, I like taking my shoes off after a long day! I find that even if I mop once a week and sweep regularly my feet and socks still get dirty! So I created a foot pad that sticks to the bottom of your foot, Footums.
.-= Allison´s last blog ..Footums – 8 pairs =-.

By: Jasi

Jasi — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:51:59 +0000

No shoes allowed indoors. Unless they’re indoor only slippers. We only ask and do not enforce on people older than ourselves, even if it is our house. (Unless of course their shoes are super dirty. C’mon, we’ve got little kids!)

By: fathersez

fathersez — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:48:59 +0000

We have always never worn shoes in the house. This is a cultural thing. You can see shoes outside the house for almost all Malaysian homes. It's like a madhouse when you have a function. About 20 - 30 pairs of shoes, sandals and what nots. fathersez´s last blog post..MLM – a way out for those wanting to make a change in their lives

By: Andrea

Andrea — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:01:41 +0000

We have a no shoes rule in our house. We'll politely ask guests to remove them if we can but if it is someone who will be offended we let it go. Most of our friends and family have the same custom in their homes so there is no issue. The house is hard enough to keep clean without the neighbor's dog's poop all over the place from the bottom of the kids' shoes! Andrea´s last blog post..You can help children in Burma!!!

By: The Chatty Housewife

The Chatty Housewife — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:46:56 +0000

I wear shoes in the house because I have really bad feet, but they are shoes that I do not wear outside. My hubby wears leather slippers with rubber bottoms. When we have kids, I hope they will wear slippers! The Chatty Housewife´s last blog post..Oh Deer

By: sherrieg

sherrieg — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:23:28 +0000

I live in Canada, and had never even heard of people habitually wearing their shoes inside in the US until a few years ago. Here, you just don't do it (even in the summer). And like many others, we have a slipper basket by the door for guests. sherrieg´s last blog post..exciting garden developments and recipe-a-week #9: zucchini bread

By: FFB

FFB — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 21:53:41 +0000

We try to maintain a no shoe rule. It just keeps things neater throughout the house. We have a shoe rack behind the front door so the most we get is to the couch to take the shoes off. Much easier t maintain the floors and carpet. FFB´s last blog post..Using Google Calendar To Pay Bills On Time

By: Emily in Charlotte

Emily in Charlotte — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:36:38 +0000

No Shoes Allowed – unless you’re company…Family IS NOT company, no matter how far they traveled! My in-laws have a hard time with this, but since it was my hubby’s rule, I let him handle it. We have shelves in our coat closet. Funny, we don’t have shoes in either kids’ closets or our own! I guess we’re not shoe fanatics. Only a few pairs each to worry about.

By: cindy platt

cindy platt — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:35:47 +0000

80% of the dirt in your home comes from pets and shoes. We do not have pets, but we have a NON NEGOTIABLE no shoe rule. We are Buddhists and your home is your temple. It is unimaginable the amount of yuck that comes into the home via shoes. We have baskets by the door and the shoes go in the cubbies immediately just like taking a breath. We had a preschool with 10 children. No shoes allowed inside. The children learned how to put their shoes on with assistance and anyone with a toddler knows tiny tots have no problems taking shoes off especially in public places and abandoning one shoe in a New York second. Our students became independent in this endeavor quickly. I taught abroad in Asia and many of the kindergartens I taught in had a no shoe policy. This is cultural and the schools were clean. Additionally, custodians did not exist in the schools, the children and teacher cleaned the room at the end of the day. I love this kind of empowerment, initiative and discpline that creates healthy habits from the beginning. When we sit on the floor we feel good about it and humble.