Wearing shoes inside

[Habba]

Every then and now I read articles how finns have weird customs, such as taking shoes off while home. To me, it's pretty normal. I mean, why would you want to wear shoes inside? Especially the same shoes you wear outside where it's dirty, muddy and wet? So I'd like to hear from you guyes, where do you wear shoes? Where do you take them off? Here in Finland everyone take their shoes off while at someone's house. Many people also wear slippers/crocs while working at an office, or just socks (like me). Shoes are also taken off while at class rooms (except at universities, where they are more like lecture halls).

What's your shoe culture like?

 

[INTP]

Agreed, wearing shoes inside makes no sense and if you wear them all day long, taking them off in the evening can make someone senseless.

 

[BadOctopus]

I always take off my shoes once I'm inside my apartment. I also wipe my dog's paws before I let her in. I really want that cleaning deposit back when and if I move out.

I take off my shoes at other people's houses, unless instructed to leave them on. In my opinion, it's common courtesy. It gets wet and muddy in my corner of the United States, and nobody really wants to have mud tracked in their house.

 

[Totenkindly]

When I was growing up, we had no rules about shoes.
Obviously when my shoes were dirty, I would take them off.
But not in general.

however, I had a malaysian friend shortly after graduating college, and it was expected to take shoes off immediately upon going inside.

I've found it more in the last ten years, that a lot of people expect you to leave your shoes by the door (first thing) when you go visit. I usually take my shoes off at home myself just because I find it more comfortable, but it's not necessarily the very first thing I do unless they're wet/muddy.

 

[Rasofy]

In Brazil we don't do that.

Our hot weather would make that custom stinky. Ew.

 

[prplchknz]

I wonder if it has to do with snowy places because my cousins in pittsburg and people in that area tend to do that in the winter. so I wonder if it started out as a house hygiene thing. but yeah in finland i was made to take off my shoes they were polite about it though.

 

[five sounds]

Sometimes I take them right off, but usually I take them off once I've settled into the couch or somethig. It's part of the relaxation process.

Edit: in the winter if it's really salty or snowy out, they come right off. No one likes stepping on a hunk of half melted snow in socks.

 

[prplchknz]

Sometimes I take them right off, but usually I take them off once I've settled into the couch or somethig. It's part of the relaxation process.

I often kick off my shoes as i'm walking from the door to where i'm going when i get home then later i can't find them or one might be in the kitchen and the other in the bathroom

 

[five sounds]

I often kick off my shoes as i'm walking from the door to where i'm going when i get home then later i can't find them or one might be in the kitchen and the other in the bathroom

Haha yeah it makes for them being left in random spots around the house for sure. Shoe hunting is a part of my morning routine lol.

 

[93JC]

Here it's common courtesy to take your shoes off as soon as you get in the door of someone's home. To keep your shoes on without expressed permission would be very rude. It's not as big of a deal in the summer when it's warm and dry but it's a necessity in the winter and spring.

In public buildings there are almost always mats just inside the door; you are expected to stamp and rub the soles of your shoes on them to get as much water and grime off of the shoes as possible and minimize the amount of dirt you track into the building. Some buildings also have boot scrapers just outside the door, upon which you are expected to scrape off large clumps of snow or mud before walking inside.


Some people, if they don't feel comfortable walking around in socks, will bring a pair of "indoor shoes" or slippers with them when they travel to someone's home. When I was in elementary school in the winter months we would bring a pair of clean, dry shoes to school to wear inside. When we left the building (for recess, or at the end of the day) we would change out of our shoes and into boots.


I presume this is common anywhere where it snows.

 

[Codex]

I have separate house slippers for the apartment building, my washroom, kitchen, and the rest of the house. That's 4 excluding my actual shoes. A little OCD, but my J is strong.

I can't fathom how people can walk around their house in their outdoor shoes.
The only time I'd ever consider walking inside with them on, is if i was at the brink of peeing myself as I am arriving home; which does happen from time to time. That's what razor blades are for.

Everyone who enters my apartment is expected to follow the same rules.

 

[ceecee]

I never go barefoot or even in socks in the house. I always have shippers/shoes on, mostly because my feet pronate and the ortho suggested I do. That said, I never EVER ask guests to remove their shoes. I think it's partially gross and partially rude. Unless they had really dirty/snowy shoes and boots but that would be the rare case.

 

[chickpea]

i eventually take my shoes off at home, but it's a pet peeve when other people force you to take your shoes off before entering their house. i understand the reason I guess, but like ceecee said its rude and gross lol.

 

[kyuuei]

I LOVE wearing shoes inside! Seriously, you'll never find a bigger supporter.

Thinking the inside of your house is cleaner than outside sans being a neat freak/living alone is just misleading. Broken glass occasionally falling, kitchen scraps, dogs tracking in soil, dust from the home being occupied at all... Sure I don't want scruff in my bed or whatever, but we have a ton of people in the house and it gets dirty quick in here no matter what you do.

I DO take off impossibly muddy or tracking-dirt-soiled shoes off inside the house and stick sandals on, I have a few pairs of house shoes (not a hard-and-fast rule like the Japanese though, I'll go get the mail in them or walk to the car to pick up my sister from work or something), and I definitely have very fluffy dirt-hungry rugs that help catch dirt both at the entrance of my room and near by bed, but to not wear shoes I'd go bananas.. stepping on every teeny tiny little splintered piece of something or other that a kid or dog tracked in.

 

[miss fortune]

I hate wearing shoes and if it was up to me I would never wear them except for when it's snowy

that said, I grew up in the rural midwest, where people were coming in from being out on the farm and taking off one's shoes was a good idea. most houses had an entry room with rugs to wipe off your shoes and there was usually a pile of shoes and boots (or cubbies or such if you were fancy like that) that had been discarded by the houses residents and guests. it was always just a natural thing to do to take off your shoes when coming inside because terrible things lurked on your shoes and large rubber boots aren't all that comfortable either

 

[violett]

I am in love with my latest pair of boots, I think I might buy another pair on sale so I have back ups when these wear out.

 

[AphroditeGoneAwry]

I would love it if everyone took off their shoes at the door, and I had one of those really clean houses whereby we/guests could walk around barefoot and not get anything stuck to the feet, but sadly, I do not have super clean floors. I myself prefer to wear shoes in my own house because i just like how I feel in my shoes. I wear heels and to go without shoes very long makes me feel frumpay. But my house shoes are currently a pair of Rocket Dog hot pink flip flops. So I can't exactly enforce the no-shoe policy with my kids if I myself wear shoes around the house.

​

I guess I never thought much about this. I am a bit weird about wearing my heels. I'm just comfortable in them. Plus they are good for dancing!



Since we are on the subject of shoes, I will share with you the Rocket Dogs I had last summer. I dunno, I think they were 4-5 inch platforms, but as you can see, they are super fabulous! I fell a couple times in them, yet I still wore them on my camping/driving trip back down to Texas to visit family. Sure enough, walking along a stone path, my foot twisted and the strap broke. I just really thanked God because I wasn't hurt, and those things were dangerous--I could have injured myself pretty badly!! I still miss them....




For some reason, I found that if the heel is somewhat higher than the toe, it is much easier to keep from twisting the foot sideways. Those straight platforms with no elevation difference between the toe and heel are really tricky to walk in for me. So the pink ones are fine, but I was always twisting my foot in the rainbow ones.

 

[AphroditeGoneAwry]

I am in love with my latest pair of boots, I think I might buy another pair on sale so I have back ups when these wear out.

Picture?

 

[violett]

I wish, but my skills are inept on this forum when it comes to linking photos....

 

[violett]

Rainbow colored rocket dogs make me smile