For the most part, we are a shoes-off-in-the-house family. We take our shoes off about 75% of the time {ahem, Monkey Boy and HH}. For the most part, the only time we leave them on is when we are running in to grab something and heading back outside. Through the years, I’ve read up on the topic and I’ve found a lot of reasons and research to keep those shoes off for good! Here’s what I found:
- Bacteria: Can we talk about the icky stuff on the bottom of your shoes that is now in your living room if you leave them on. Mucus, fertilizer, spit, dirt, etc. all get tracked into your home. I also read that “fecal material” is often found on the bottom of shoes because it gets picked up in trips to public restrooms. Gag! That means shoes harbor all sorts of nasty bacteria, including E. coli. This should be the only reason I need to stop wearing shoes inside!
- Toxins: All those chemicals you’re tracking in also bring all sorts of pollutants with them that wreck the nice clean air in your home!
- Dirt: Even if none of the other icky stuff was tracked in, simple dirt alone should have you taking your shoes off. It causes footprints, dusty tracks on hardwood and darkens carpet.
- Wear and Tear: Speaking of flooring, you’ll need to replace it years sooner if you wear shoes inside, as shoes wear down flooring much faster than bare feet!
- Neighbors: If you live in an apartment or condo and have downstairs neighbors, I’m sure they would thank you for the reduced noise of bare feet as opposed to clompy shoes. Also, sleeping babies tend to sleep longing without heavy sound of booted feet!
- Comfort: I love the feel of soft carpet under my feet, or the way it feels to kick off my heavy shoes after a long day. I can wiggle my toes, cage-free!
- Foot Health: Here’s a biggie. Shoes protect our feet from the outside world, no doubt. But wearing shoes constantly can do more harm than good. Going barefoot from time to time is better for your overall health. It helps with increased balance, foot/arch strength, and circulation to name a few.
While it’s highly unlikely I’m going to convince the boys to take their shoes off 100% of the time, I like the idea of going shoe-less most of the time. Better for my feet, less toxins and germy germs, and a cleaner house. Sounds like a no-brainer. What’s the shoe policy in your house? On or off?
~Mavis
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Kathy says
Growing up, it wad always shoes off before entering the kitchen. At the back door was a landing, either go down a flight of stairs to basement (leaving ahoes on assigned step) or kick them off and go into kitchen.
Parents taught me it was a sign of respect to remove ypur shoes before entering anyone’s home. To this day, I still take shoes off at door, in my own home and all others as well.
Alex says
Exactly the same here. Growing up we always took shoes off at the door at home and changed to slippers. Shoes also came off when visiting.
This has stayed with me all of my life. Guests also are expected to remove shoes. Its not an issue here as everyone we know does it automatically.
Lisa says
Off. But I find most people who come over don’t take them off. I always pay attention to whether or not it’s a shoes off home or not but many people don’t- I sincerely wish they did!!!
Cheri says
Both my husband and I were brought up to regard carpet as something to walk on with shoes or no shoes, as long as we wipe any obvious dirt on the doormat first. We allow either one and do not have nice carpet to worry about. We would also never ask a visitor to remove their shoes unless they were unusually dirty. Our upbringing dictated that this would be very rude, and I still think it is in most cases. However, we do honor that rule in the houses of other people, recognizing that it is the norm, now, and if we had brand-new carpet or if it was very light-colored, we might have a no-shoes policy for at least our family.
Shoes On says
I have high arches and after having kids I can no longer go without wearing shoes. Going barefoot is incredibly painful. This has happened to other friends of mine too.
I’m sensitive to the fact that people have shoes off policies and I do my best to make sure my shoes are clean. I usually mention to a new host that I need to wear shoes and they are always fine with it.
A European friend provides slippers as an alternative to wear in her house but they have no arch support and they are brightly colored so it looks goofy.
Karin C says
I have crocks that I have a slippers , they have arch support , they never go outside , they have helped my heal facitus and high arches . They are the name brand crocks and recommend by my therapist.
Kathy says
Shoes On, I’m right there with you. High arches, plantar fasciitis, pain when barefoot…I used to love going barefoot when I was younger, but no longer.
Sarah B says
Yep, I have to wear shoes too. At home I wear Birkenstock. But I can’t go barefoot for long without hurting my feet. I ran back into a my sister’s house one time at the holidays, and broke my sessamoid bone doing so. Had pain for a long time.
Gigi says
Haflinger had amazing slippers with arch support! They’re expensive but they can last for a decade
Lilypad says
I wear Birkenstocks inside the house too—the ones that are too ratty to be seen in public!
clickercricket says
i have read that carpet manufacturers do NOT recommend bare feet…the oils from feet collect on the carpeting and contribute more to dirt tracks than shoes do. it is easier to vacuum dirt from shoes, but not human body oil…indoor slippers are recommended. i also think it is a little much to ask all visitors to remove shoes. asking them to not smoke is as far as i will go. that being said…i do take my shoes off, since i like curling up on sofa and easy chairs….but it is socks on during winter. also…i have read that children with dogs in the household have better immune systems. why? because they bring in healthy microbes from the dirt outside. as a culture, we have become germ-o-phobes. our immune systems have suffered as a result. we need healthy microbes from the outdoors to remain healthy. this is a very interesting subject….
healthyfarmgirl says
AMEN to that, sister!!!!! My nieces and nephews are much less healthy. I attribute it in part to the germ-a-phobe practices of my sisters-in-law. Children exposed to farm dirt and real, unfiltered air at an early age end up being much healthier than their overprotected counterparts.
Ellen in Clackamas says
I have two big dogs!!! It might help some if I took my shoes off but those big, ‘ole paws can carry a lot of stuff on the bottom of them!!! I wipe them if they are wet ,muddy or snow packed but not every time they go in and out of the door. I would certainly take my shoes off if I went to someone’s house and saw a pile of shows by the door.
Sara says
This is what I tell our guests when they enter & ask: The dog doesn’t remove his, so I don’t see why you should have to either! 😉
Also, I honestly hate going over to a friend’s house for a party & wearing cute shoes only to have to remove them at the door. But I always look to see if shoes are worn in people’s homes, and respect house rules. We do both with & without shoes here at home.
On the other hand, the shoes I wear to work in the hospital or skilled nursing facility do not get to touch my floor- they get put in a bag & then in the closet when I am done. So I can see the point about the restrooms. I’m less worried about E coli than I am about C Diff.
Lilypad says
We have always been a “shoes off” family. Most of our friends have the same policy and automatically take off their shoes when they enter. My parents and MIL (born 1935, 1936, and 1937) are the only ones who are never going to get why we do this, so we don’t push the issue. But I always feel like hosing down the whole place after shoes have been walking around inside! Just thinking about public restrooms makes me sick…
Nancy says
Shoes off but socks or slippers on. Can’t stand bare feet on carpeting. For guests, most know what we prefer, so if the kick theirs off, fine; if not….oh well….
Idaho Girl says
All you have to do is clean your carpet with a rug doctor and look at the waste water (ours was nearly black)! It will make you think twice before walking on carpet with shoes on!
Deborah J says
Shoes on! I didn’t grow up in a shoes off house so it seems very strange to me.
…and I don’t want to walk around someone else’s house with my shoes off. Ewwww.
I would never ask visitors to take their shoes off. It just sounds rude.
Karin C says
I work as a Care Aide and the floors at our hospital are full of germs, I have “work” shoes and they come off before I get into my car, and I clean them with “Cavi ” wipes which is what is used @ work to clean our smooth surfaces. I have Carley in my house and we are a “Shoe’s Off ” house hold and always have been. Saves cleaning time, germs and sickness coming into the house and wear on your floors/carpet.
Julia says
I am a barefoot kind of gal. Mostly for comfort. We have a place for shoes at both the front and back doors. We don’t have a hard and fast rule but we all tend to take off our shoes when entering the house. We do not make our guests take their shoes off. They can if they want, or not. Both my husband and I have had foot problems over the years so we wear shoes if we need to.
Louise says
Great post! I’d like to see a follow-up: “Reasons You Shouldn’t Go Barefoot in the House.”
Mary-Ellen says
We have what are called “house shoes”. We leave street shoes on a shoe rack
Just inside the door and change into house shoes. Mine tend to be Crocs or Birkenstocks or Uggs slippers in the Winter I have suffered from plantar fasciitis in both feet at the same time and was told by my PT to always wear shoes with arch support inside or out.