Should Shoes be Worn in the House?

WTOP posted an article on the protocols for hosting a party in which you want guests to remove their shoes. In the U.S., there are many ways this could go wrong if you aren't accommodating about such a request. The best thing to do is warn guests ahead of time, so the worst that could happen is that no one comes to your party.

The discussion at Fark ranges from "Of course one removes his/her shoes upon entering a house!  It's what civilized people do." to "If you want visitors to remove their shoes in your home, let me know ahead of time. So I can avoid visiting you." Many pointed out that bare feet can be just as nasty as shoe soles.

The custom of shoes in the house varies from culture to culture, and even among states in the U.S. In Alaska and other snow boot areas, people take off their wet boots in the mud room provided. In Hawaii, everyone wears flip-flops, so it's easy to kick them off. In Texas, no one expects cowboy boots to be removed -it's not that easy to do. In the heartland, asking guests to remove their shoes in your home can imply that you spent too much on your carpets if you can't afford to clean them, or else you care more about your clean floors than you care about your guests.

In Japan, it is normal and expected to remove your shoes inside, because people sit and sleep on the floor. Slippers are worn instead. In Australia, removing your shoes opens up the possibility that some deadly creature may crawl inside them.

In the case of families with young children, some request no shoes in the house because they want to keep the floors clean for the kids to play on. Others are resigned to the fact that kids (and pets) will track in plenty of dirt whether they wear shoes or not.

In my house, guests can wear what they want on their feet, just don't expect the floor to be as clean as the tabletops. I certainly don't expect floors to stay clean. But please don't run up and down the wooden stairs in socks. It's not safe.

What do you think -should shoes be worn in the house, or should people remove them before they come in?