It depends on the house, as some prefer people to take off their shoes, while others do not care. Personally, my family does not care if you wear shoes in the house, as it barely does anything. However, over quarantine I have been to many of my friend''s houses, and only 2 out of the approximate dozen has asked me to take my shoes off. I usually instantly take my shoes off, as it seems morally correct to do so. If I had a house, I would not care about it, as long as their shoes are fairly clean. I mean, my shoes are always spotless like Mr. Clean, but I take them off anyways to respect their household. I believe you should always ask the owners if they want you to take off your shoes, but in the end it all comes down to their preference.
Monday, July 20, 2020
When You Enter a Home, Should You Take Off Your Shoes?
While reading a Room for Debate article titled "Should You Take Your Shoes Off at Home?" by Christopher Mele, he talks about the differences between wearing your shoes in your house and taking them off by the door. However, another article replied to it asking the broader question on whether or not you should instantly take off your shoes when you enter anyone's house.
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In my house, my parents always want us to wear shoes inside. In many Hispanic households, it is believed that if you do not wear shoes, you will catch a cold. If my siblings or I am caught without shoes on, we instantly get in trouble. We never wear dirty shoes inside, and if we did, it is not much of a big deal since we vacuum and mop the floors at least once a week. However, if you are going over to another house, you should always ask what their rules are regarding shoes in the house. Many people prefer you do not enter their house with shoes on, and you should honor their rules. Overall, it is just courtesy to ask the customs and honor them by following them.
ReplyDeleteAh! I was logged in the wrong account, but this is my comment!
DeleteTo be completely frank and direct, wearing shoes inside of one's home is very gross, in my most humble opinion. I can understand wearing house slippers, as I am an Asian-american, but there are reasons why I think shoes inside of a house is repugnant. Right of the back, it is very dirty and leaves a mess in the house. Though many families often clean their homes, I believe there is a clear difference between a light sweep to tidy and refine a house and a cleansing operation to really pick up some gunk. Why on Earth would anyone need to have a street cleaning in their quarters? I also have this same opinion against in the bedroom but magnifies. Does anyone watch shows and the character wears shoes whilst they lay in bed? That very thought rips open the seams of my brain. I do not dare but to imagine the eternal filth that would infest one's very bed. It's comparable to sleeping on the soil of a dank forest floor. So through, and very clearly, I made my point that I despise the idea of shoes in the house, and I do not condone wearing shoes in the house.
ReplyDeleteIn my household, we're told to take off our shoes upon entering as it "leaves a lot of dirt behind", which I can completely understand. I'd prefer people to not wear shoes in our household as it often times leaves a big mess, especially with the dirt in my front yard. Not only is it dirty and disgusting, it saves us a lot of time cleaning and sweeping the house if people would not enter with their shoes on. But at the end of the day, it's completely your decision whether or not if you enjoy wearing shoes in your household, just don't do it in others if they do not enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI would like to preface this by saying I definitely identify with you Bailey when you claim "your shoes are always as spotless as Mr. Clean" because my shoes are also, indeed, as spotless as Mr. Clean. That being said, I do have to agree with Kyle: I do find that having your shoes on in the house is not the most sanitary. Perhaps it is also because I grew up in an Asian household, and was wired to believe that taken off your shoes upon coming into someone's home was a sign of respect. At this point, it has become an impulse. Although I do believe that it is up to the favor of the household in which you are a guest, I also think that it is just a common courtesy regardless.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a person's opinion on this topic depends on their culture or personal preference. Asian households tend to not allow shoes inside the house. Because I was not raised in an Asian household I wear shoes inside. This has to do with where I grew up. I grew up on a cliff in Mexico and my house had no insulation or protection against harsh weather. Because of this I wore the same clothes inside as I would outside in any certain climate. When it was cold I wore shoes inside and when it was hot I wore shorts. I became accustomed to wearing shoes inside, and I feel uncomfortable when I am not wearing shoes. I lived very close to other family members so I always wore shoes in case I had to walk to their house. In the United States you could walk anywhere barefoot and arrive to your destination safely. I could not do this where I grew up because of the terrible infrastructure, so I always wore shoes to protect my feet and to have better balance on the 45 degree angle roads. I believe that this issue comes down to personal preference. You can do anything you want in your own home, but if you visit someone else you should follow their rules.
ReplyDeleteIn my house, when we come back from outside, we take off our shoes when we enter our rooms. Usually when my family or I have friends over, my family doesn't really care if the guests have their shoes on or not. Although we have house slippers that we change into once we get back home
ReplyDeleteTo prevent as much dirt coming in our house. The thing I hate the most on the other hand is when people put their shoes on their bed. That would be the only pet peeve I have when someone visits me.
DeleteIn my household, we take off our shoes and ask our guests to do so as well. We mostly do this to prevent dirt on the carpet and because we have a large tree in the front yard that leaves several berries on the ground. I think in houses with carpet it is often preferred to remove your shoes as it is more difficult to clean dirt from carpet than wood. Although I take my shoes off in my house, I prefer to wear shoes everywhere else and I find it more comfortable. However, I would feel much more uncomfortable not complying with the owner's preference.
ReplyDeleteIn my household, we don't care whether or not someone takes off their shoes because my brothers and I walk around with our shoes on but there aren't any stains or marks left on the carpet even though we've been doing this for years. I don't mind someone telling me to take my shoes off when entering their house but in my house people can have their shoes on or off because there's really no problem from what I've seen.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel that wearing shoes in the house is not sanitary. Shoes go everywhere you go. That means they travel everywhere from the puddle-filled Mayfair restrooms to the gum-stained ground. At my house, shoes are not allowed inside. However, like Eduardo said, this highly depends on your culture. I find that the majority of homes from my Mexican family wear shoes around the house all the time. Some of them also have a similar story to Eduardo. My Filipino side of the family prefers no shoes in the house. When going to somebody's house, it is always best to follow their preferences.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of you that wearing shoes in the house is also not sanitary. I have grown up not wearing shoes in my house, so when I go to other people's houses, I normally take off my shoes as well. I find this normal because I am so used to not wearing shoes in my house because we have a lot of carpet, but some, like Aimee, may feel uncomfortable not wearing shoes outside of their own house (which is perfectly fine of course :) Ultimately, it is the most proper and courteous to ask the owner, or your friend who lives there, what their preference is.
ReplyDeleteThere are many people who grow up differently in every household. Some prefer not wearing shoes due to how unsanitary it is. Although, some also don't mind if shoes are worn in the house. Although, due to the fact that I've grown up in an Asian stereotypical household, we are asked to take off our shoes most of the time. Most shoes could be dirty and nevertheless, we usually don't known if someone had stepped on something dirty before coming inside. I've went into some friend's house who let me keep my shoes on but I prefer taking them off. Overall, I think we should be respectful towards the person's house on whether or not shoes should be taken off or kept on.
ReplyDeleteIn Asian culture, it is a necessity to take off your shoes when entering someone’s home. One reason Asians insist on taking off their shoes before they enter the house is that there is a need to keep the house clean, as clean as possible. In Asian cultures a lot of activities are done on the floor and keeping the floor spotless for hygiene purposes is important. I've grown up all my life with taking my shoes off before entering into a house. So, I normally take off my shoes whenever I go to someone else's house. I always have socks on each time I go to someone's house so it's not like I'm barefoot in their house. If you're wearing shoes outside, and wear them inside the house, you are more than likely to bring in germs. Especially now, when a pandemic is occurring, you wouldn't want those germs to come into your house. Taking off your shoes is just respectful of the household of a individual, because you wouldn't want to mess up their floors or carpets. Ultimately, asking the owner, or your friend who lives there, what their preference is for shoes inside the house, is the most proper and respectful thing you can do before entering.
ReplyDelete