Do you wear shoes in your house?

[7/8]

On TV, it seems most people walk around the house with their outdoor shoes on.* I've also heard online this is common in the US. Is this true? Does it depend on region?

This is pretty rare in Ontario in my experience, regardless of the weather outside. Even if I visit a friends house, guests take off their shoes and walk around in socks (or sometimes slippers if they're provided). At my house, I walk around either in socks or my Birkenstock sandals.


* Last night I watched an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Larry refuses to take off his shoes at someone's house even though they insist he should. Why can't he just take them off?

[JayhawkCO]

We have mostly hardwood floors, so less noticeable tracking if you wear outside shoes.  I almost always wear either my Olukai sandals (which I also wear outside) or Birkenstock slippers in the house for foot support.

[SkyPesos]

No for me. In East Asian culture, you're supposed to wear indoor slippers after taking your shoes off, but I just walk in the house barefoot or only with socks on.

[1995hoo]

I voted "Other" because it varies. During the summer, I tend to go barefoot indoors; during the winter, it's too cold for that and I wear either driving moccasins or a pair of Samuel Hubbard "Hubbard@Home" shoes that are more in the nature of slippers, though they're not quite slippers. The Hubbards are nice and warm and are also supportive.

When I was growing up I often wore just socks, but my socks wore out too quickly when I did that.

We just adopted a cat this past weekend, so I don't know whether next summer I might be less likely to go barefoot.

[GaryV]

I'm not sure how to answer the poll.  We commonly do not wear shoes inside, but that's for comfort.  We don't have any process about taking shoes off as we come in, unless they are particularly muddy, snowy or wet.  So the poll answer would be No, socks only. (Or often barefoot.) But from the text of the OP's question, that's not what was really being asked, so I chose Other instead.

Aside: Last year working from home I made a comment, "I haven't worn shoes in the office for X months."  That's many X more months now.

[7/8]

I'm not sure how to answer the poll.  We commonly do not wear shoes inside, but that's for comfort.  We don't have any process about taking shoes off as we come in, unless they are particularly muddy, snowy or wet.  So the poll answer would be No, socks only. (Or often barefoot.) But from the text of the OP's question, that's not what was really being asked, so I chose Other instead.

Aside: Last year working from home I made a comment, "I haven't worn shoes in the office for X months."  That's many X more months now.

I'll change the poll to "what do you normally wear in the house?", I think that'll work better. I'll also add a barefoot option since that's been a pretty common answer so far.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I prefer to wear shoes in the house, but as I don't live alone right now I haven't done so in over a year. Always socks at minimum outside the bedroom. Always.

[1995hoo]

I'm not sure how to answer the poll.  We commonly do not wear shoes inside, but that's for comfort.  We don't have any process about taking shoes off as we come in, unless they are particularly muddy, snowy or wet.  So the poll answer would be No, socks only. (Or often barefoot.) But from the text of the OP's question, that's not what was really being asked, so I chose Other instead.

Aside: Last year working from home I made a comment, "I haven't worn shoes in the office for X months."  That's many X more months now.

The boldfaced prompts me to add that the same is true for us. My wife very much dislikes having shoes sitting out near the front door, so we don't take off our shoes immediately upon entering the house and we don't leave them by the door the way some other cultures do, even though both of us don't normally wear the same shoes around the house that we do outdoors. I'll go upstairs and change when convenient after I get home.

I do have a sign I picked up in Hawaii that says "MAHALO for removing your slippas, but no take mo' better ones when you leave." It's on a little stand near the front door, but it's there mostly just for humor. The only visitors we've had who took their shoes off were our relatives from Fort Myers, but they take their shoes off at home too.

[JayhawkCO]

I prefer to wear shoes in the house, but as I don't live alone right now I haven't done so in over a year. Always socks at minimum outside the bedroom. Always.

I wear socks as little as possible.  Especially since I work from home now, I don't wear them unless leaving the house when it's cold out (or going for a run/walk).

[Max Rockatansky]

Yes, my work shoes.  Our carpet is old and beaten up so it really doesn't bother me to have shoes on it.  I might change my mind when I presumably install new carpet next year.

[Scott5114]

I usually only put on shoes and socks if I'm leaving the property. Even if I go outside to check the mail or whatever, if I'm on my property, I'm barefoot. (Occasionally I'll leave socks on if it's cold, or wear shoes in my yard if I'm doing something where there's a possibility my feet will get dirty or injured, like if I'm mowing the yard myself.)

However, this is just for the sake of my own comfort. I don't expect visitors to take their shoes off.

[frankenroad]

I hate wearing shoes, so I take mine off as soon as I get home, but I'll walk through to the bedroom to do it.   If I go to someone else's house, I keep them on, unless I feel comfortable enough with my host to take them off.   At my son's house, the rule is no shoes, so I take them off as soon as I get there.  He and his family always take their shoes off  in my home, though I don't require it.

Around the house, I mostly wear crocs (sometimes with socks).   Occasionally, I'll wear those little sock/slippers that they give you in the hospital.  I have all hardwood floors with a few area rugs.

[webny99]

Yes. I don't like walking around in socks because they're likely to get dirty/worn out. And barefoot is fine for carpet, but I can't stand the thought of going barefoot on hardwood floors. All the more so when there's guests or when I'm the guest. I would consider it informal not to wear shoes.

Interesting that the OP mentions taking shoes off inside being more common in Canada. I've noticed that as well, it seems to be standard there the way it isn't the US, so I guess that would be a "yes" to the question of whether shoe-wearing at home is more common in the US. It really depends on the formality of the situation, but I haven't noticed much of a regional difference anywhere in the US.

[hbelkins]

I'm not a fan of going barefoot indoors or out. I always wore my regular shoes in the house, unless I had a pair of houseshoes, until I got married and my wife came from a family where they took their shoes off. Even now, when we visit her mother, my wife has to remind me to take my shoes off. I hate taking my shoes off. That means I have to put them back on if I have to run out to the car.

I don't even like to wear houseshoes without socks, and for most of my youth and well into adulthood I slept in my socks.

What's the issue with wearing your shoes indoors, anyway? That's what brooms and vacuum cleaners are for; picking up any dirt that gets tracked inside.

[webny99]

What's the issue with wearing your shoes indoors, anyway? That's what brooms and vacuum cleaners are for; picking up any dirt that gets tracked inside.

This is an interesting point because I think the idea behind always taking your shoes off at the door is so that dirt/debris etc. doesn't get tracked inside. But of course, that only works if everyone takes their shoes off.

[jp the roadgeek]

Unless I'm carrying something in and going right back outside (unless it's raining/snowing), I'm usually in socks and slippers.

[Rothman]

Growing up in New England, where mudrooms are standard, we took our shoes off in the house.  I still take my shoes off.  Typically wear socks in the house.

My wife is from the Intermountain West and her family wears their shoes in their house and bring all that dust in with them and their carpets are absolutely disgusting, no matter how much they vacuum.

[JayhawkCO]

Growing up in New England, where mudrooms are standard, we took our shoes off in the house.  I still take my shoes off.

My wife is from the Intermountain West and her family wears their shoes in their house and bring all that dust in with them and their carpets are absolutely disgusting, no matter how much they vacuum.

That's why I have a Roomba.  We can vacuum every day.

[7/8]

If I go to someone else's house, I keep them on, unless I feel comfortable enough with my host to take them off.

All the more so when there's guests or when I'm the guest. I would consider it informal not to wear shoes.

These two are interesting. Even though a lot of people have been saying they personally prefer to take off their shoes at home, I get the sense that most people feel it's unusual to take them off at other people's houses. I'd feel the opposite, like I'm being rude to keep my shoes on at someone's house.

For the people that don't take their shoes off right at the door, how do you keep the floors clean? Wouldn't you get mud or snow on the floor?

[JayhawkCO]

If I go to someone else's house, I keep them on, unless I feel comfortable enough with my host to take them off.

All the more so when there's guests or when I'm the guest. I would consider it informal not to wear shoes.

These two are interesting. Even though a lot of people have been saying they personally prefer to take off their shoes at home, I get the sense that most people feel it's unusual to take them off at other people's houses. I'd feel the opposite, like I'm being rude to keep my shoes on at someone's house.

For the people that don't take their shoes off right at the door, how do you keep the floors clean? Wouldn't you get mud or snow on the floor?

I take them off if they're clearly dirty/snowy.  If it's dry (which it is most of the time in Denver), then I don't concern myself.

[Scott5114]

Yes. I don't like walking around in socks because they're likely to get dirty/worn out. And barefoot is fine for carpet, but I can't stand the thought of going barefoot on hardwood floors. All the more so when there's guests or when I'm the guest. I would consider it informal not to wear shoes.

If I'm inviting someone over to my house, or I'm going to someone else's house, we're at the point of informality anyway. I don't like anyone enough to be formal around them anywhere that isn't neutral ground like work or a public function.

For the people that don't take their shoes off right at the door, how do you keep the floors clean? Wouldn't you get mud or snow on the floor?

I usually keep my shoes in the bedroom, so I usually take them off there too.

I always park in the garage, which is part of the house, so there's not much opportunity to step in mud on my way in the house. The garage opens up to the laundry room, and then the kitchen, and then the entry hall, all of which have tile floors, so any mud stepped in before getting in the car would likely have worn off or been noticed and rectified before encountering carpet.

For visitors, there are a set of stone pavers leading up to the concrete sidewalk that leads to my front door, so again, not much opportunity to step in mud unless they don't use the pavers or stepped in it before they got in the car.

Obviously, this isn't a luxury Canada could indulge in, but pretty much any time there's snow on the ground in Oklahoma, nobody's going anywhere. By the time people get out and about again, it's melted enough that it should be possible to follow a path to the on bare concrete. But if stepping in snow at some point was unavoidable (e.g. in a parking lot) then I'll just take them off in the kitchen or entryway.

We have two cats and a dog, so dirt tracked in from outside isn't exactly high on the list of mess-causing agents in our house.

[Bruce]

Nope. Socks or slippers required all the time. Barefoot only if it's warm and I'm on the carpet.

I've stepped in dog and human shit more than once while outside and can't imagine the horror of tracking it inside on carpet.

[allniter89]

I voted "Other" because it varies. During the summer, I tend to go barefoot indoors; during the winter, it's too cold for that and I wear either driving moccasins or a pair of Samuel Hubbard "Hubbard@Home" shoes that are more in the nature of slippers, though they're not quite slippers. The Hubbards are nice and warm and are also supportive.

When I was growing up I often wore just socks, but my socks wore out too quickly when I did that.

We just adopted a cat this past weekend, so I don't know whether next summer I might be less likely to go barefoot.

Why would a cat make you less likely to go barefoot?

If I'm around the house, inside or out I'm barefoot. I'm in north Florida so cold temps arent often a problem. The few times it is cold I'll wear socks indoors & in bed cuz the linoleum is cold. I barely open my eyes when I get up to P during the night, when my feet hit the cold linoleum WOW, thats a wake up call!

[vdeane]

I usually just wear slippers at home, though I do have a couple old pairs of flats that are fairly worn out for things like vacuuming, or walking around downstairs at my parents (the floors are more dirty than I'd like to use barefoot or in my slippers).  I don't specifically take my shoes off at the door unless they're really full of snow or something, though; I just walk to my closet and swap there.

As to the more general question of how Americans keep floors clean if we don't take our shoes off inside, well, we usually have some form of abrasive carpet by the door that we stomp and rub our shoes on as we enter if they're wet or dirty to take care of the worst of it.  If people are going to be walking in mud or huge amounts of snow that are beyond even that capability to deal with, they're probably wearing boots specifically for that and change into regular shoes when they get home or wherever they're going.

[ErmineNotyours]

My parents insist on visitors taking their shoes off, but I have poor circulation and their house is always freezing at the two holidays when I used to visit.  So I bought shoe covers from the paint department of a home improvement store so I could keep my shoes on.