I’ve always associated removing shoes at a house with like, upper middle class suburbanites and overbearing religious sorts, because those are the only ones I ever saw expect it growing up.
I’m going to end up being one of the “overbearing” people that insists people take their shoes off I think, as I get older. I had a few people over and none of them took their shoes off this summer and they tracked dirt and shit all over that I then had to clean up. And I’m definitely no neat freak, not at all, but I don’t want rocks and dirt and road salt and puddles and etc all over my floors, I walk on those floors, mostly barefoot or in socks.
maybe its less bad in places that don’t get much snow or rain and have perfectly manicured sidewalks (lol) but idk that still means trashing your floors or carpets with grit and tracking nasty road dust inside and such, I don’t get why anyone would ever lol
I take my shoes off even when people insist I don’t have to, unless its somehow so dirty that I really need them. it’s just wrong lol, They don’t know where my shoes have been
I think maybe it comes from many people in the US driving everywhere. Your shoes only touch the parking lot/driveway, and only briefly, whats the big deal. If you’re only ever going from your own garage to another indoor parking garage even moreso.
My grandparents (both sides) live in sort of rural areas where their shoes definitely get dirty, so they’re a shoes off house.
My parents live in the manicured environment you describe. Their shoes only touch clean pavement and floors, so they keep their shoes on in the house often.
Yeah I think it must be a factor. Though some people also just get their shit dirty all the time and don’t care if the flooring gets trashed.
Frankly my mental health couldn’t withstand such an inane life in such a manicured environment, I don’t think. I live in a city, and my shoes definitely still get dirty lol, because I actually go places that don’t have parking garages, or (gasp) even walk/bike places, or go off the sidewalk onto some grass on occasion. Or snow
Exactly… it wasn’t until I lived on my own in more culturally diverse areas that I realized how gross it is and made my home a shoes off home.
I’ve also moved towards changing my clothes before getting comfortable in my own house. I don’t want outside clothes on my couch. This is a little unrealistic if you host people, but I still operate like that for myself.
Fwiw it’s situationally dependent in my experience. I don’t wear outdoor shoes in my own home, and I don’t know anyone who does. Visiting family or close friends, I probably take my shoes off for most occasions. A social gathering at someone’s house I don’t know well, then shoes definitely on.
what is meant by “shoes” here? Like, do people in the US walk around their homes in same shoes they wear outside?
Yeah a lot of houses will wear outside shoes inside. There is a decent number of people who don’t do shoes in the house, though.
that is just deeply disturbing to me
you get kind of used to it, but yeah I don’t wear shoes in my house and never have lmao
I’ve always associated removing shoes at a house with like, upper middle class suburbanites and overbearing religious sorts, because those are the only ones I ever saw expect it growing up.
I find that with bougie surbanites its like a flip of a coin if they do or don’t take off shoes. I’ve mostly seen it in Asian households tbh.
I live here and: its bad.
I’m going to end up being one of the “overbearing” people that insists people take their shoes off I think, as I get older. I had a few people over and none of them took their shoes off this summer and they tracked dirt and shit all over that I then had to clean up. And I’m definitely no neat freak, not at all, but I don’t want rocks and dirt and road salt and puddles and etc all over my floors, I walk on those floors, mostly barefoot or in socks.
maybe its less bad in places that don’t get much snow or rain and have perfectly manicured sidewalks (lol) but idk that still means trashing your floors or carpets with grit and tracking nasty road dust inside and such, I don’t get why anyone would ever lol
I take my shoes off even when people insist I don’t have to, unless its somehow so dirty that I really need them. it’s just wrong lol, They don’t know where my shoes have been
I think maybe it comes from many people in the US driving everywhere. Your shoes only touch the parking lot/driveway, and only briefly, whats the big deal. If you’re only ever going from your own garage to another indoor parking garage even moreso.
My grandparents (both sides) live in sort of rural areas where their shoes definitely get dirty, so they’re a shoes off house.
My parents live in the manicured environment you describe. Their shoes only touch clean pavement and floors, so they keep their shoes on in the house often.
Yeah I think it must be a factor. Though some people also just get their shit dirty all the time and don’t care if the flooring gets trashed.
Frankly my mental health couldn’t withstand such an inane life in such a manicured environment, I don’t think. I live in a city, and my shoes definitely still get dirty lol, because I actually go places that don’t have parking garages, or (gasp) even walk/bike places, or go off the sidewalk onto some grass on occasion. Or snow
you need a boot brush
That doesn’t get all the snow slush off, I’d much rather just not wear my boots indoors.
I am sitting at my desk inside wearing boots, and I’ll do it again
Exactly… it wasn’t until I lived on my own in more culturally diverse areas that I realized how gross it is and made my home a shoes off home.
I’ve also moved towards changing my clothes before getting comfortable in my own house. I don’t want outside clothes on my couch. This is a little unrealistic if you host people, but I still operate like that for myself.
Fwiw it’s situationally dependent in my experience. I don’t wear outdoor shoes in my own home, and I don’t know anyone who does. Visiting family or close friends, I probably take my shoes off for most occasions. A social gathering at someone’s house I don’t know well, then shoes definitely on.