Shoes: on or off inside?

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by drew

There are hardwoods on the main floor of my house, so if it is dry out, and my shoes are clean, I'll leave them on.

Ah, yes. Hardwood floors can be colder than carpet in the winter. I grew up with carpet everywhere, but as an adult I've only ever lived in places with either hardwood or tile floors.

But a large part of my adulthood was spent in Asia, so I got used to having slippers, especially since winters in Asia are so cold inside (no heating). So now, back in Canada, we wear slippers in the house, and set them out for guests.

I'd be curious to hear what people in northern parts of the U.S. do.

[Metro-One]

Always been shoes off in my family's house. If you ever wore your shoes inside, my mother would kill you!

I found the South Africans on average don't take their shoes off. I remember my friend getting so mad at our south African friend for he would always enter wearing his shoes on inside.

[raggedy13]

I definitely grew up with a shoes-off policy. I would like to say this was because my mother was a total neat-freak but I can't recall having any friends that didn't have the same policy in their house. Personally I'm a fan of the idea, because, as circle33 said, "one can never be sure of what they stepped in while outdoors." However, that said, while I lived in student housing at UBC I never took my shoes off. Not exactly sure what made the difference though. It probably came down to a few different factors such as the temporary nature of the setup as well as it being too hard to control with slovenly roommates and random people coming and going at all hours. Currently I have a shoes-off policy in my apartment.

[Ayreonaut]

Having people take their shoes off is not a neat freak thing. Forbidding people from walking on the carpet because it was recently vacuumed in a uniform direction is definitely a neat freak thing.

[sammo]

wall to wall carpet stinks! -i'll put my shoes on in that case.

but disposable carpet, luxurious bearskin, leopardskin, a little pelt... now were talk'n.

[Coldrsx]

shoes off

at work i wear sandles, those addidas painful ones.

[kitchener-lrt]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Further to this:

2. I grimace when I see someone jump onto a bed or lie down on a couch with shoes in an American film or TV show. I find the idea disgusting, and I'm not some fastidious busybody or anything. Europeans seem to leave their shoes on when they get home, but I don't think they would wear them into the bedroom. Would they?

Ditto. That being said, it's shoes off for me.

[niwell]

Definitely shoes off. I hate wearing shoes indoors even though my regular pair are fairly comfortable vans slip-ons. Actually feel weird walking from my door inside to grab something I forgot, even though I have easy to clean laminate flooring.

American friends I've had thought it strange that the majority of Canadians were raised to take their shoes off indoors.

[Gordo]

I have no idea what's going on with American TV shows, but I was definitely raised to always take my shoes off indoors, by my immediate family, friends, and (even more so) by my extended family. This includes folks from Idaho, Montana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, so we're talking about a decent sampling of different regions. I'm pretty sure that either of my grandmothers would have shot me if I ever walked more than one step inside the house with my shoes on.

In California (lived four years in Los Angeles and seven years in the Bay Area), this is also pretty standard, though many times it's more of a "take your flip flops or sandals off at the door." Aside from some years in college, I've always lived places with hardwood floors and tile (including some ridiculously cold tile in Idaho and Montana), so in my experience that hasn't had much to do with it.

I can't imagine having shoes on a bed or a couch. That's just weird.

[rousseau]

I may need to take this poll global.

Actually, never mind American entertainment...can anyone think of a Canadian film or show where the characters routinely take their shoes off when going into someone's domicile?

I've recently finished two feature-length screenplays set in Canada. And it just occurred to me that I make no mention whatsoever of my characters' podiatric behaviour upon entering homes. Which means, by default, that they don't take off their shoes.

Is this a dramatic device by omission, then? Do the vast majority of North Americans remove their shoes when they get home, but showing them doing that in a story would be tedious and interrupt the flow?

[new.slang]

only leave them on when i forget something and am too lazy to take them off and put them on again...it just seems weird. getting dirt all over your house. my family usully wears slippers. ...

[vid]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Is this a dramatic device by omission, then? Do the vast majority of North Americans remove their shoes when they get home, but showing them doing that in a story would be tedious and interrupt the flow?

That's what I think when I see it. Something that they overlooked or didn't care about because it is easier to just leave them on then take them off and put them back on when you're doing takes. They're in a closed set anyway, chances are those shoes are only worn when they're inside and they have another pair of shoes for the outdoors.

[MonkeyRonin]

I was not aware that it was common anywhere to wear shoes indoors normally, all the time (aside from guests sometimes, or in situations where you might be going in/out frequently)...the only other different habit that I've been exposed to on a few occasions is taking shoes off before entering an apartment and leaving them outside in the hallway.

[roman]

I always leave my shoes on in the house, unless the shoes are wet from rain or snow outside.

[dsim249]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

I found the South Africans on average don't take their shoes off. I remember my friend getting so mad at our south African friend for he would always enter wearing his shoes on inside.

That's odd. I have found quite the opposite, in regards to South Africans...

To me, it seems fairly clear that it is regional, rather than cultural. (With a few exceptions).
We've heard from one or two Americans. One saying they always take they're shoes off, and someone else saying they we're ridiculed for doing so in America. So which parts of the country was this taking place in?
I can attest to Americans living in the Southern states, that keeping shoes on is the norm. That being from experience.

As for me in SK, I always take my shoes off, unless I'm at a formal soirée.

[manny_santos]

At home in Canada, I always take my shoes off, no exceptions. We have carpets.

When I visited Mexico, I was staying in a house with tile flooring. Shoes always stayed on, particularly since in that country it is customary to leave your shoes on when entering someone's home. It really confused me the first time I entered, but really, it's more convenient to just leave them on

[MTLskyline]

Always remove my shoes in the house, no exception. I wear socks inside 90% of the time (except to bed or really humid days). Although I've experienced it a lot at people's houses where they tell me just to leave my shoes on after entering.

Growing up, my father had inside shoes (loafers of some sort) and outside shoes. First thing he'd do when he came in the house was change his shoes.

[Nicko999]

Shoes off...always. No matter what, no matter were!

[Aylmer]

I take my shoes off whenever I can... It feels better
In the summer, though, we will sometimes leave out shoes on if we don't plan on sstaying indoors long.
There is no strict rule.

[The Chemist]

Shoes off, slippers on. It's commonplace in China, and that's what I usually do (though sometimes I just go around barefoot or in socked feet)