Sounds like it is pretty much the same here in the United States. The rules of etiquette are something like the following. Keep in mind that these rules are not universal, and can vary.BrotherRool said:The shoe on/off thing is quite complicated in the UK. Every house does things differently and normally whether you're meant to take your shoes off needs to be established when you visit someones house.
Few houses in America have a foyer, anymore, outside of the upper classes. The formal entrance usually opens directly into the "living room", often the main entrance opens directly into the kitchen or dining area.-Dragmire- said:Wow, I thought it was a common courtesy to take off your footwear before entering a house beyond the foyer, which usually has a placemat or closet for shoes and boots.
In America, pets often have a "doggy door", and are allowed to come and go as they please. Especially if the door opens into a fenced in yard. As long as the owner remembers to latch the doggy door during muddy or snowy weather, then they can wipe the dog's feet. This is often forgotten if the weather is not routine.-Dragmire- said:Wipe off their feet if the weather's muddy/snowy. At least that's what I do for my dog.Dags90 said:Still, what do you do about any pets? We had a dog for a number of years. Couldn't exactly tell him not to track in dirt.
I think part of the issue here is you're basing your perception of the US on what you see in shows like The Big Bang Theory.Realitycrash said:In multiple instances of US media, I've seen characters wear shoes inside a private home.It always struck me as odd; Why would one wear it? For comfort? Isn't it more comfortable without the shoes..Or with slippers?
And hey, don't you realize that it is DIRTY? What especially baffles me is that Sheldon and the others in Big Bang Theory wear shoes inside the apartment, even with Sheldon's extreme germ phobia. Isn't this exactly the sort of thing he would crack down on?
So, my question is; Is this really common-place in the US, and why? How do you feel about it?
Not in Scotland. Shoes are incredibly uncomfortable opposed to the freedom of bare feet.Richard A. Kiernan said:I'm pretty sure it's commonplace in most Western nations. We're not Japanese, and we don't have a ritualistic point of view on wearing shoes indoors.
This^^ a thousand times thisXan Krieger said:I'm wearing my shoes inside right now. If they're on they're staying on till I have a reason to take them off. If they're off they're off till I have a reason to put them on.
Yes, its very common to wear shoes indoors in America, unless a particular person decides to impose their own "take off your shoes at the door" rule, which always fades over time. Usually that kinda rule lasts for like a year, after getting a new carpet installed or something, but eventually, something gets spilled or something happens and people eventually stop caring about it.Realitycrash said:In multiple instances of US media, I've seen characters wear shoes inside a private home.It always struck me as odd; Why would one wear it? For comfort? Isn't it more comfortable without the shoes..Or with slippers?
And hey, don't you realize that it is DIRTY? What especially baffles me is that Sheldon and the others in Big Bang Theory wear shoes inside the apartment, even with Sheldon's extreme germ phobia. Isn't this exactly the sort of thing he would crack down on?
So, my question is; Is this really common-place in the US, and why? How do you feel about it?
I'm definitely an exception. I shower daily, change socks daily, use odour eaters on my shoes, and my feet still stink. Usually just when I wear slippers though, it's weird, and very annoying.Realitycrash said:If you properly shower and exchange socks every day/other day, you won't have smelly feet.
Well, most people won't. There are always exceptions.
Really? I thought that it was just Newfoundland thing and all you mainlanders went around your house tracking dirt everywhere. Huh, shows what I know I guess.IndomitableSam said:We aren't neanderthals here in Canada, either. You take your damn shoes off in my house... And everyone else's house, too.
Slippers are fine, as long as they don't go outside.
Who say's a mess is being made? I hoover the house once a week. That is all that is needed to keep it clean. I live in the north west of England. It rains a lot. Fortunately though we replaced our mud tracks with pavements.excalipoor said:The kind of shoes that take 10 seconds to put on, and less than that to take off. The kind that weigh about a pound. The kind I wouldn't want on my couch, my carpets, my bed, or in my bathroom. It's not like I run in and out every fifteen minutes, so why would I not take them off? Because it does affect my comfort greatly. I wear shoes at school, at work, while running errands, and just running. They're the first thing to come off as soon as I get home.Diluted Dante said:Because wearing shoes really isn't something that affects your comfort greatly. And if it is, what shoes are you wearing exactly?
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If I feel cold when at home, I get a blanket or turn up the heat. I'm not going to wear a coat indoors. The same goes for shoes. Also, why would you choose to clean up after yourself or others, when you could just not make a mess? Either way, I don't know what the weather is like where you're from, but around here a vacuum cleaner is only going to save you on a dry midsummer day.
I can see how someone would find it awkward when a visitor they don't know takes their shoes off, but how often are you visited by people you're not familiar with? And how often do these people come in beyond the foyer?