Let’s Discuss: In-Home Shoe Policy

September 11, 2013

It’s a bona fide fact that shoes track all kinds of deadly germs and various street cooties into the home, and that, therefore, not wearing outdoor shoes indoors goes a long way to preserving the cleanliness of a house.

It seems to me that in-home shoe policies are one of those things which, in theory, we can all agree to the usefulness of, but only sometimes do we abide by. Often it’s the presence of very young children that will inspire the no-shoe rule, while other times it’s clear anal retentiveness. But there seems to be no obvious markers of how any one household will regard the issue. Size of the home doesn’t do it. Why, I’ve stocking feet-slipped through miniature bungalows and stamped my shoe-clad way through mansion monstrosities.

I almost always bring a change of shoes with me for use in clients’ homes because, professionalism (unless, of course, I know I’ll be working in a garage or basement). Otherwise, it’s generally understood that having me track dirt and mud and germs onto the newly installed carpet of a luxury closet, let’s say, isn’t quite desired. And then there’s always the off chance that there does exist a shoe-off policy, but clients are too bashful to request I adhere to it. In which case I like to spare them the duty of shoe policing, and myself the not so graceful delivery on the part of a child, “We’re not allowed to wear shoes in the house, but she is”(finger extended).

In my own home, the shoe policy wavers. Immediately post-mopping, my house goes into strict no-shoe lockdown. As in, tempt fate by flip-flopping your way across the living room and you just might find yourself right back on the front porch, you vile creature you. But then, you know, the days go by, and I come in with arm full of heavy grocery bags and can’t quite be bothered to slip my shoes off before relieving my load. So I sort of tip toe to the kitchen, as if the impact affects the extent of dirt deposited. And once I’ve done that, the magic clean luster has been sullied, and I might as well tromp around the house in my rain galoshes with the caked on mud underfoot for all I care (I’m kidding, I care, that’s still never okay).

While no one else on the planet possibly could posit the question and be in any way interested in the responses, I sincerely want to know:

What’s your stance on the in-home shoe situation? Do you allow them? Forbid? How do you regard the rule when experienced on the receiving end? (don’t think this can’t be a loaded topic; anyone who will have seen the episode “A Woman’s Right To Shoes” will comprehend the potential for tumult when one is called to remove her shoes upon entrance, as learned and then, valiantly triumphed over, by lady Carrie Bradshaw). Or, what are your tips for ensuring your no-shoe rule is upheld?

Let’s get this tantalizing discussion under way, eh?

Image credits: BHG, Hus & Hem via Desire to Inspire, Sukkertoy for Oyet, Apartment Therapy, House to Home

 

20 Comments

  1. Melissa on September 11, 2013 at 5:15 am

    We don’t have a “no shoe” policy but shoes do come off at the door more for comfort than any other reason.

    I do understand why people have this rule and am fine if someone asks me to take off my shoes before entering their home. However it is always an awkward moment. I usually have a moment of brief panic while trying to recall if my feet/toes are looking their best.

    Maybe a cute sign at the doors could work – after all they have signs at display homes or houses for sale and nobody minds taking them off then.

    • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 4:25 pm

      Ha! I always think about that when I dress: okay, if I’m going to take off my shoes, should I wear socks or be barefoot? If I’m going to be barefoot, what’s the state of the two polish? Wait, is it gross for them if I’m barefoot? Etc etc. And hey, a sign!

  2. Sandy on September 11, 2013 at 6:49 am

    We have a no shoes policy at our house which is strictly adhered to for all family members. I don’t mind so much if shoes come into the hard surface areas that I mop but HATE shoes on the carpet. I don’t have a good way to ask people not to wear them though so unless they pick up on the fact that we always deposit shoes at the door I won’t ask them to take their shoes off which makes me cringe when they proceed to walk onto the carpet. Maybe my best bet is to go all hardwood and tile in my next house.

    • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 4:27 pm

      Didn’t even think about that aspect of it but I totally agree- dirt on hardwood feels easily cleaned, shoes and carpeting? Feels like a permanent dirt sponge.

  3. tidyupgal on September 11, 2013 at 7:01 am

    I leave shoes at the door purposely to hint that shoes must come off. And, I answer the door with no shoes on :-). It seems to work. Sandy, I have hardwood floors and carpet too, so I also leave a pair of shoes right where the carpet starts so that visitors can see it’s a no-shoe zone.

  4. Amanda JayneJayne on September 11, 2013 at 7:49 am

    I feel like it’s a regional thing. I’m from Michigan too (Lansing, currently, although we are UofM fans in this house!) and I grew up with a VERY strict no shoe policy. In the small town I’m from it was completely rude to enter a home without removing your shoes, and I feel like that’s the case in most homes around the Midwest. When I lived down in North Carolina, however, the policy seemed to be the opposite-it was rude to remove your shoes and expose your feet to your unsuspecting host.

    • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 9:22 am

      Huh, so interesting! Never really thought about it as in a regional characteristic, but that absolutely makes sense.

  5. Stephanie A. on September 11, 2013 at 8:52 am

    It might be both a regional and cultural thing, because in all Asian houses, I’ve always had to remove my shoes! But then when my Danish boyfriend and I started dating, he didn’t know about the “remove your shoes at the door” policy that’s unspoken of in Asian households while I didn’t know that his culture doesn’t really care if your shoes are on or off.

    • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 4:28 pm

      So interesting! Feel silly I didn’t even consider the cultural aspect of it.

  6. ame on September 11, 2013 at 10:50 am

    I grew up in a house without such a policy. We all walked around with shoes on all over. We weren’t to keep our stuff downstairs so that’s just part of why they were on til we got to our rooms. My inlaws don’t really have a policy of the sort, but they’re more a barefoot kinda clan, so they generally kick them off at the door. I am the vile beast that clomps through their home with shoes on. lol! I am trying and failing miserably to institute this policy in my own house, and have yet to accomplish it. We don’t have a foyer or a mudroom situation that works for it though, so I am trying to find a solution where we can store the shoes nearish the door.

    • Ame on September 11, 2013 at 10:52 am

      Also–if it matters–I am in a fairly large city in the midwest, and it’s not “expected” or “normal” around here. My in laws are originally west coast but live in the south now.

      • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 4:29 pm

        The barefoot clan WOULD be west coasters at heart, wouldn’t they.

  7. Robin on September 11, 2013 at 2:12 pm

    I am a single gal and I have a no shoes rule in my townhouse. The entryway is slate the rest of the downstairs is hardwood but I do have oriental rugs in the dinning and living rooms. The family room and the entire upstairs is carpeted. I belong to a bridge group and we play anywhere from two to four times per week. At some games there can be as many as twelve players. The standard rule at all bridge games, no matter who’s home we are playing at, is that all shoes are left at the door. If I visit one of the members in a non bridge situation, it is still shoes off at the door. The same applies if they visit me.
    If I visit a non-members home I will take my cue from them….shoes by the door or if they answer shoeless or in slippers I automatically take mine off. If the weather is bad I take my shoes off regardless.
    If someone new visits me and they don’t notice me shoeless or shoes by the door I will say “you can just leave your shoes here if you don’t mind”

  8. Robin on September 11, 2013 at 2:34 pm

    Annie, I am curious, you say that you generally bring a change of shoes for use in a client’s home. Are you talking about slippers or other type of shoe that has never been worn outdoors? If it is just another pair of shoes what is the purpose?…

    • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 3:31 pm

      They’re actually regular shoes (one specific pair) that are solely for use in clients homes. No slippers, and i prefer no stocking feet either, since I need good support for the work- plus the height of a sole helps minimally to make up for my own lacking in that department 😉

      • Robin on September 11, 2013 at 4:59 pm

        Thanks for the answer..it makes a lot of sense!

  9. Maureen on September 11, 2013 at 4:22 pm

    Annie, that was so well written…. Well done girl

  10. Mark on September 11, 2013 at 11:10 pm

    Shoes off at home and when we visit friends and family. We wear slippers and when we visit others for more than a few minutes we take our slippers to wear. Most people seem to take off their shoes where we live and wearing slippers seems to be the norm. Maybe that’s a UK thing.

  11. Philly on September 12, 2013 at 1:58 am

    Interesting article! It’s funny, it’s the kind of issue I never gave a second thought to (take your shoes off / leave ’em on – I don’t care!) until I had a baby. Now I have an 8 month old crawling around at the speed of light, touching everything, I suddenly have become a shoes-off tyrant! Now I shudder to think of all the grime on the streets of London that can be brought into my home otherwise. Funny that!

  12. amelinda on September 13, 2013 at 5:32 am

    We have a pretty strict no-shoe policy. But what I struggle with the most is that the kids often play outside barefoot or with socks (aaaaaah i hate this!) And then no-shoes doesn’t work because their socks or bare feet are JUST as dirty as it is outside, and they don’t seem to comprehend. I’ve tried to explain that if they insist on not wearing shoes outside they will need to wash their feet or remove their socks before entering the house. Still working on it – any suggestions???

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20 Comments

  1. Melissa on September 11, 2013 at 5:15 am

    We don’t have a “no shoe” policy but shoes do come off at the door more for comfort than any other reason.

    I do understand why people have this rule and am fine if someone asks me to take off my shoes before entering their home. However it is always an awkward moment. I usually have a moment of brief panic while trying to recall if my feet/toes are looking their best.

    Maybe a cute sign at the doors could work – after all they have signs at display homes or houses for sale and nobody minds taking them off then.

    • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 4:25 pm

      Ha! I always think about that when I dress: okay, if I’m going to take off my shoes, should I wear socks or be barefoot? If I’m going to be barefoot, what’s the state of the two polish? Wait, is it gross for them if I’m barefoot? Etc etc. And hey, a sign!

  2. Sandy on September 11, 2013 at 6:49 am

    We have a no shoes policy at our house which is strictly adhered to for all family members. I don’t mind so much if shoes come into the hard surface areas that I mop but HATE shoes on the carpet. I don’t have a good way to ask people not to wear them though so unless they pick up on the fact that we always deposit shoes at the door I won’t ask them to take their shoes off which makes me cringe when they proceed to walk onto the carpet. Maybe my best bet is to go all hardwood and tile in my next house.

    • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 4:27 pm

      Didn’t even think about that aspect of it but I totally agree- dirt on hardwood feels easily cleaned, shoes and carpeting? Feels like a permanent dirt sponge.

  3. tidyupgal on September 11, 2013 at 7:01 am

    I leave shoes at the door purposely to hint that shoes must come off. And, I answer the door with no shoes on :-). It seems to work. Sandy, I have hardwood floors and carpet too, so I also leave a pair of shoes right where the carpet starts so that visitors can see it’s a no-shoe zone.

  4. Amanda JayneJayne on September 11, 2013 at 7:49 am

    I feel like it’s a regional thing. I’m from Michigan too (Lansing, currently, although we are UofM fans in this house!) and I grew up with a VERY strict no shoe policy. In the small town I’m from it was completely rude to enter a home without removing your shoes, and I feel like that’s the case in most homes around the Midwest. When I lived down in North Carolina, however, the policy seemed to be the opposite-it was rude to remove your shoes and expose your feet to your unsuspecting host.

    • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 9:22 am

      Huh, so interesting! Never really thought about it as in a regional characteristic, but that absolutely makes sense.

  5. Stephanie A. on September 11, 2013 at 8:52 am

    It might be both a regional and cultural thing, because in all Asian houses, I’ve always had to remove my shoes! But then when my Danish boyfriend and I started dating, he didn’t know about the “remove your shoes at the door” policy that’s unspoken of in Asian households while I didn’t know that his culture doesn’t really care if your shoes are on or off.

    • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 4:28 pm

      So interesting! Feel silly I didn’t even consider the cultural aspect of it.

  6. ame on September 11, 2013 at 10:50 am

    I grew up in a house without such a policy. We all walked around with shoes on all over. We weren’t to keep our stuff downstairs so that’s just part of why they were on til we got to our rooms. My inlaws don’t really have a policy of the sort, but they’re more a barefoot kinda clan, so they generally kick them off at the door. I am the vile beast that clomps through their home with shoes on. lol! I am trying and failing miserably to institute this policy in my own house, and have yet to accomplish it. We don’t have a foyer or a mudroom situation that works for it though, so I am trying to find a solution where we can store the shoes nearish the door.

    • Ame on September 11, 2013 at 10:52 am

      Also–if it matters–I am in a fairly large city in the midwest, and it’s not “expected” or “normal” around here. My in laws are originally west coast but live in the south now.

      • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 4:29 pm

        The barefoot clan WOULD be west coasters at heart, wouldn’t they.

  7. Robin on September 11, 2013 at 2:12 pm

    I am a single gal and I have a no shoes rule in my townhouse. The entryway is slate the rest of the downstairs is hardwood but I do have oriental rugs in the dinning and living rooms. The family room and the entire upstairs is carpeted. I belong to a bridge group and we play anywhere from two to four times per week. At some games there can be as many as twelve players. The standard rule at all bridge games, no matter who’s home we are playing at, is that all shoes are left at the door. If I visit one of the members in a non bridge situation, it is still shoes off at the door. The same applies if they visit me.
    If I visit a non-members home I will take my cue from them….shoes by the door or if they answer shoeless or in slippers I automatically take mine off. If the weather is bad I take my shoes off regardless.
    If someone new visits me and they don’t notice me shoeless or shoes by the door I will say “you can just leave your shoes here if you don’t mind”

  8. Robin on September 11, 2013 at 2:34 pm

    Annie, I am curious, you say that you generally bring a change of shoes for use in a client’s home. Are you talking about slippers or other type of shoe that has never been worn outdoors? If it is just another pair of shoes what is the purpose?…

    • livesimplybyannie on September 11, 2013 at 3:31 pm

      They’re actually regular shoes (one specific pair) that are solely for use in clients homes. No slippers, and i prefer no stocking feet either, since I need good support for the work- plus the height of a sole helps minimally to make up for my own lacking in that department 😉

      • Robin on September 11, 2013 at 4:59 pm

        Thanks for the answer..it makes a lot of sense!

  9. Maureen on September 11, 2013 at 4:22 pm

    Annie, that was so well written…. Well done girl

  10. Mark on September 11, 2013 at 11:10 pm

    Shoes off at home and when we visit friends and family. We wear slippers and when we visit others for more than a few minutes we take our slippers to wear. Most people seem to take off their shoes where we live and wearing slippers seems to be the norm. Maybe that’s a UK thing.

  11. Philly on September 12, 2013 at 1:58 am

    Interesting article! It’s funny, it’s the kind of issue I never gave a second thought to (take your shoes off / leave ’em on – I don’t care!) until I had a baby. Now I have an 8 month old crawling around at the speed of light, touching everything, I suddenly have become a shoes-off tyrant! Now I shudder to think of all the grime on the streets of London that can be brought into my home otherwise. Funny that!

  12. amelinda on September 13, 2013 at 5:32 am

    We have a pretty strict no-shoe policy. But what I struggle with the most is that the kids often play outside barefoot or with socks (aaaaaah i hate this!) And then no-shoes doesn’t work because their socks or bare feet are JUST as dirty as it is outside, and they don’t seem to comprehend. I’ve tried to explain that if they insist on not wearing shoes outside they will need to wash their feet or remove their socks before entering the house. Still working on it – any suggestions???

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