Should Guests Take Their Shoes Off in Your House?
Every front porch has been home to great conversations. Some are lighthearted, some thoughtful, and some have been debated for generations. In this series, we answer questions from readers about family traditions, etiquette, hospitality, home, food, friendships, and everyday life. We will keep this light and fun!
Have a question you’ve always wondered about? Pull up a chair and ask the porch.
ASK THE PORCH
Should Guests Take Their Shoes Off in Your House?
Dear Front Porch Life,
I grew up in a house where we never asked guests to remove their shoes. Unless your shoes were muddy or wet, you simply walked in and made yourself at home. Honestly, I don’t remember anyone even thinking twice about it.
But over the years, I’ve noticed that several of my friends have a completely different take. At their homes, shoes come off at the door, and they even ask guests, “Would you mind taking your shoes off?” To them, wearing shoes through someone’s house is flat rude!
Now I’m curious. When you’re having company over, is it okay for guests to keep their shoes on, or should everyone take them off at the door? And if you’re a shoes-off household, is it okay to actually ask your guests to remove them?
Katherine – Mobile, Alabama
Around The Porch
This is a great question and we know people have very strong opinions about this one.. and people are always shocked by what other’s believe. Honestly it was kind of funny to receive this question because this is a conversation we have had a few times, since everyone feels differently about it.. BUT.. they feel strongly about it too.
We all had the same answer.. NO.. we have never asked anyone to take their shoes off in our homes. It’s just not who we are and I always think back to my petite adorable Southern grandmother, who never wore pants and can’t imagine someone asking her to take her heels off to walk about their home.. she would have been appalled! We base a lot of our views on what she would have thought if someone asked our Grandmother.
I will say, we live on a farm, we have dirty feet and yes, I slip my shoes off at the door and usually put on my house slippers, but if I have on my tennis shoes I don’t take them off at the door. I would never ask someone who had on regular shoes to take them off and anyone I know that has mud on their shoes, would just take them off, they would never need to be asked. Growing up on farm, in the winter you would put on 3 layers of clothes, wool socks, and lace up rubber boots and be “ready” for the day. We always rinsed our boots off at the barn, but no way was any of us taking them on and off each time we had to run in the house to get something.
I lived in southern Illinois one summer during college and you couldn’t walk in anyone’s house with your shoes on. It was the most foreign concept to me since I was not raised that way. I had to be reminded over and over again. We would come in from the farm after working all morning for a quick lunch and it was immediately “take your shoes off”. Honestly.. it was irritating, I mean they shoes weren’t dirty and we were going right back out! haha.
I remember having this debate in college and many of our friends that were from the Midwest insisted you take your shoes off.. so is this a midwestern thing? Or is this just household to household?
What’s Your Take?
So tell us, do you have people remove their shoes in your home? This is a topic people can have very strong opinions about and honestly.. your home.. your rules! There is no right or wrong answer. We’d love to hear your thoughts below. Your response may even appear in an upcoming issue of Front Porch Life. Have you own question for us email us today!
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Ecoli mold fungus MRSA Staph to mention a few of the things on your shoes. Take them off
We always take our shoes off when we come in the house. If you look at the bottoms of your shoes and see how dirty they are and the germs you are bringing into your house it makes sense. I have a little plaque hanging on my coat tree that says to please remove your shoes. However, if someone comes in and doesn’t remove their shoes, I don’t say anything. I did have a friend come over, and it was snowing and raining outside, I asked her to please remove her shoes, and she said no. I have very light carpet, and I thought it was very rude. My kids all take their shoes off in their homes also. I am from the Midwest so maybe it’s a midwestern thing.
In all my 72 years I’ve never asked or been asked to do so. Such a foreign concept for South Texas. Now if your shoes are dirty, yes I take them off. But not guests. That said, I do have a friend who asks us to remove our shoes. I now bring socks to wear as walking on a hard surface is difficult on my feet.
We don’t ask people to remove shoes because we don’t have people coming in that work on farms or have been in the mud. However, if someone comes to our house and has been somewhere where dirt would be left behind, that person always takes their shoes off without having to be asked. So, no one is asked to take off their shoes. I walk barefoot in my house all the time and have never had any medical issue because someone didn’t take their shoes off.
If you ask someone to remove your shoes when they enter your house, you might provide them with something for their feet. In my case, my feet often are uncomfortable if I have to walk around without some foot protection. I also live on a farm, so I would never walk into a person’s house with dirty boots!
I live in the Midwest and I think it’s common here. Honestly, I never ask cause it’s not a big deal to me. However, I know people that do and that doesn’t bother me either
You should never ask your guests to remove their shoes! I think that would be so rude!
I grew up at time where you would never ask a guest to remove their shoes just like you’d never ask a lady to take off her hat. It was just considered rude. I know times have changed but I still would never ask someone to remove their shoes.