No Shoes in the House – Good? Bad? Impossible?

 Do you Agree with No Shoes in the House?

Does your house display such lovely shoes?  I’m afraid mine doesn’t – but that’s another story.

Many people all over the world don’t allow shoes to be worn in the home. Others react with horror at the mere thought of removing their shoes – especially in someone else’s home!

So, let’s look at both side of the debate. We’ll look at the pros and cons and also – probably more importantly – what to do if you want to change to a policy of no shoes at home, because it can be quite tricky, especially with visitors and parties.

Is It Normal To Have No Shoes in the House?

Not wearing shoes inside is normal in many Asian countries, as well as Sweden, and some parts of Canada and Hawaii to mention but a few.

If you are brought up with no shoes in the house, that’s your norm.  It’s considered rude, not to mention revolting, if people keep their shoes on in your home.

When I was growing up in Ireland, it was normal for most people to wear shoes inside at home.  (Bearing in mind the amount of rain that fell, and thus the mud and dirt, perhaps we’d have been wiser to adopt Asian habits!).

So, why do some people ban shoes in the home?

Respect – And Also Comfort

In many cultures it’s a sign of respect to remove shoes before entering a home.  It’s also a comfort issue.  If you remove your shoes when you enter a home, you will be as comfortable as the homeowner, and a gracious host always wants their guests to feel comfortable.

Yet it’s the norm in some other cultures to feel uncomfortable without shoes in someone else’s home.

Where I live now, I learnt quickly that in a hot climate most people wear sandals or flip-flops, so it’s quick, easy and normal to just slip out of them when entering a home.

Cleanliness & Health:

It’s pretty horrific what we track in on our shoes.

• Soil, especially if you’ve been in the garden or off the roads, together with garden chemicals
• If you go into a public washroom, you’re going to pick up bacteria on your shoes.
• If you walk on a street or pavement / sidewalk, your shoes will probably have bacteria such as E.coli, decomposing food and packaging, animal feces, crushed glass, chemicals from pesticides, residue and pollution from automobiles, and countless other nasties.

You really don’t want that junk in you home. Especially if you have allergies.

The Environment

Cleaning floors and carpets often involves toxic chemicals, so the less mess we drag in on our shoes, the less work for us, and the better for the planet!

Flooring

Some floors are damaged by shoes, and this is another reason why some people prefer to leave their shoes at the door.

Set It Up For You and Your Family

Here’s how to set up your home for no shoes inside.

1. Keep a small area or shelf free for shoes, just inside the main entrance.  Or a storage unit with some washable bins inside.  Or one of those hanging things with pockets in them.  Keep your most-used shoes there.
2. If you have the space, a seating area is a bonus.
3. Keep whatever everyone likes to wear indoors, there too.  So it’s easy to just remove the shoes at the door and put on slippers or socks or flip-flops, or go barefoot, whichever you prefer in your home.

As long as it’s easy and convenient, everyone will soon fall into the habit.

How To Get Visitors To Remove Their Shoes!

Now here’s where it gets tricky.

• People can be affronted or shocked.
• They might wonder if their socks or nylons are good enough to be ‘on display’.
• They might not want to be barefoot.
• They might be wearing an outfit which looks great with shoes, and revolting without them.
• Or they might have health issues which actively require them to wear shoes indoors.

If you want no shoes in the house AND friends, you need to make a plan.

If you’re giving a party for instance, you might consider dropping the normal routine for the night.  People may have dressed up for the occasion, often with co-ordinating shoes, so it’s unfair to make them remove their shoes.  You want your guests to be comfortable, so you may need to accept that you’ll need to clean the floors the next day.

With normal visitors, you could make the shoes (and indoor slippers) really obvious. Most people will understand and remove their shoes. If they don’t, then it’s up to you to decide if you want to insist on it, or let it go. Sometimes people will have their own reasons (e.g. health) for not removing shoes.

If It’s Really Important to Have No Shoes in the House

If it’s really important to you that everyone goes shoe-less in your home, then here’s what to do to make sure everyone’s comfortable.

1. Warn people in advance.  Just make a casual reference to it as part of the invitation.  That way, people can dress so that they’ll feel comfortable without shoes, and not get a shock when they arrive.
2. Set up your entrance area as above, with space for outdoor and indoor footwear.  Add some interesting pictures or knick-knacks for people to look at while they’re making themselves shoe-free.  Stuff from foreign cultures is great, to remind us that everyone’s different and exploring other cultures is fun.  Generally, you won’t even need to mention it to your visitors – they’ll see the shoes and remove their own.
3. Provide slippers for your visitors in different sizes and designs.  For example, you can buy those silk-like little Chinese slippers quite cheaply – then give them as a gift to your guests as they leave.  They look good and are comfortable and easy to wear.  Alternatively, those slippers used in spas are convenient and easy.   Supply warmer slippers in winter if you wish.
4. Another option is for fashion-conscious guests to bring ‘indoor shoes’ i.e. glamorous shoes that are only ever worn indoors.

What About Dogs?

It’s all very well having no shoes in the house but dogs can also track in a lot of dirt.  Do you keep them outdoors?

It’s a bit of a hassle but you could try cleaning off their paws with an old towel as they come in the door.

It depends – if they wander in and out freely this could be difficult.  Or keep them off carpets.

It really depends on your own doggie circumstances.

And Then There are Repairmen

If you’re worried that burly repairmen will track dirt and wet mess through your home, you could offer them shoe covers.

It’s unlikely they’ll be comfortable removing their shoes, plus they’ll probably be in and out all the time, so it’s not practical for them to be shoe-less.

Or just clean up after them and accept it as part of the price of the repair, and try to restrict them to only certain areas of your home.

A Final Word

I do believe that having no shoes in the house is worthwhile.  But it can be a shock, so it’s important to make sure that your guests are comfortable, either by waiving the policy and/or by making it easy for the guests.

What do you think about a no shoes in the house policy? Let me know in the Comments below.

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Editor’s Note  This article was updated with new information. It was originally published in May 2013.