By Kevin Williams
I was recently visiting a friend’s house and was asked to shed my shoes at the door. For a moment, my heart pounded. “What socks did I throw on this morning?” Last thing I wanted was to have a couple of ratty or, worse, mismatched socks showing. Fortunately, my socks were basically fine…white, clean, no holes, although had I known ahead of time that I’d be shedding my shoes I might have worn nicer ones (lesson: always check your socks). There are some homes I go to where I know ahead of time that the shoe police will be out in force, so I plan for the nicest socks I can. The topic of shoes in the house is actually a very divisive issue as an online search will show.
Some cultures despise shoes and, in fact, in the Middle East at the height of the Iran hostage drama in the late 70s angry protesters stood on shore and waved their shoes at passing US Navy ships in a show of contempt. In the Middle East, shoes are viewed as very dirty and to show the soles is an insult.
But, closer to home, shoes have their own issues. For the Amish, going barefoot indoors and out is a cherished part of life in the summer. And during the winter I’d say, from my experience, most Amish leave their shoes at the door and opt for thick socks inside. It’s simply too cold in most Amish homes to be comfortable barefoot. The issue among the Amish is practicality largely. There is a lot of coming and going, tromping through muddy barns and yards as they tend to livestock and outdoor chores. Tracking in a bunch of mud is simply going to make more work later, so leaving shoes in a designated “mud room” or by a door makes the most sense. Another variable in Amish homes is that the vast, vast majority of them don’t have indoor carpeting so if someone does track mud into the house, the broom simply comes out and sweeps it away.
For the pro-shoe crowd, there’s comfort, stability, and durability in keeping the soles on. For the anti-shoes in the house crowd there are reasons like you’re walking through public restrooms, dirt-filled city streets and God-knows what else and tracking it into your house and I can’t find fault with that logic. But I don’t particularly like walking around barefoot, especially during winter, so socks become a very important tool in keeping a house shoe-free for me.
But what about guests? That seems to be a trickier issue. Do you make them remove their shoes before they enter your house? Simply encourage them to? There are actually devices that use UV light to sterilize shoes, I guess that would be a good compromise for people who don’t want to take their shoes off and homeowners who don’t want shoes in their house.
Meanwhile, it is Dec 21, the shortest day of the year. Days get longer now and spring will soon beckon, and Amish outdoor enthusiasts will be waiting to kick off their shoes!
7 Comments
Nana
I personally find it insulting to ask guests to take off their shoes unless an unusual circumstance ie: they are grossly muddy or dripping dirty slush. I feel sort of like I am being asked to use the servant’s entrance instead of the main entry. I am not a fanatic housekeeper but I consider my home to be clean. If a house is so fine the guests and family can’t use it I think that is sad. My son’s wife expects shoe removal and it instantly makes me feel less than welcome. In the winter their floors are cold and in a brief time so are my feet. Just my opinion and I say nothing to cause friction but I can think it!
Kevin
I hear you, Nana…thanks for your sharing your thoughts!
Judy Goodwin
i HA! The last thing I do when I leave the house is put on my shoes and the first thing I do when I get back is kick them off. I would never dream of asking guests to remove their shoes but I wouldn’t mind if they did. It is a family thing for us. We did that at my parents and now at my and at my sisters house. The first thing I do when I enter her home is go to the spot where she leaves her shoes and leave mine there, too. I think a lot of it has to do with people who have trouble getting shoes that are comfortable. But , also, it’s sort of a family tradition. We just do it. No known reason.
Linda from KY
The only time I required guests to remove their shoes was after we moved into this house, which we had built new. The builders hadn’t yet graded the lot, so it was really muddy. I didn’t want people tracking mud over my new carpet. Usually, I don’t care whether people wear their shoes in my house or not. I frequently go barefoot myself. In fact, I’m sans shoes right now.
grapenutquilter
I have several places I go that removing shoes is a requirement. Personally I do not like it as I wear corrective shoes and they are not easily slipped off but when in Rome….. To solve the issue I take clean never worn outside slippers that I can put my shoe inserts for flat feet in and everyone is happy.
Diana Glover
We have new very light-colored carpets so my husband & I “invite” guests to either remove their shoes or put on little plastic covers over their shoes (which we keep near the door). Neither of us ever wear shoes around the house & when I go visiting, I always make the effort to remove my shoes first. Most of our friends don’t bother about shoes, but they have told me they appreciate my offer to remove my shoes. To me, it’s just a show of respect for someone else’s property & home…not a sign of whether I feel welcome or not. Feeling welcome or not comes from the person – not the act of asking someone (or not asking someone) to remove their shoes.
Kevin
Diana – Thanks for sharing that. Interesting. The plastic covers would be a good compromise, I would think. As long as I am wearing decent socks, I personally don’t mind removing my shoes…but there’s nothing worse than being asked to remove them and suddenly I am left with exposed holey socks or, worse, barefoot! – Kevin