Shoes in the USA

[Deleted]

Meh, unless you're walking around in the mud, not really. The other thing is that Americans drive much more that most Europeans, so the distance I walk outdoors is typically from my front door to the car, or from the car up to the office. It's a few feet on relatively clean pavement. There's not a whole lot of dirt on the shoes to track into the house to begin with.

Yeah I can see that ofc, if you don't walk around that much. But then for example people that go shopping a LOT in big cities, clubbing and whatnot, then your shoes will get pretty nasty and sticky most likely. Because in most tv-shows whatever the people have been doing they just go in with their shoes on and have them touch their furniture etc, and yes it's tv, but that's why I made this topic since I have never been to America (although I'd love to), so I just wanna know what the customary procedures and thoughts on shoes in the house really are.

[Deleted]

Yeah, pretty regular here, mostly only asians leave all their shoes at the door. But in the USA our pavement is not dirty so its ok.

Do you clean and sterilize it every 20 minutes?

[Reeve]

I cannot stand this bad habit. When I was growing up, we were always made to take our shoes off at the door. My mom was British, so maybe that's why we were told to do this. Regardless, I make my kids do it and I can be quite the bitch when I see my husband on the couch with shoes on.

I mean, really.....it's nasty. You're bringing in all that dirt, germs, and nastiness from outside, and bringing it inside your home. its going all over your furniture. It's disgusting, IMO.

Don't judge my shoes. You wouldn't see me judging your unicorn!

[Obsession]

Do you clean and sterilize it every 20 minutes?

What third world country do you live in that doesn't? Wow, wtf?

[Gothicshark]

i must be asian then ?
i live in canada and i dont know anyone who doesnt take their shoes off oO here it seem to be consider impolite to keep our shoes on ( like having no respect for the owners propiety)

From the 'merica point of view Canadians are pretty strange, and people from Quebec are down right Alien.

[Alvito]

Yeah, pretty regular here, mostly only asians leave all their shoes at the door. But in the USA our pavement is not dirty so its ok.

Life is going to be rough when your bubble bursts and reality sets in.

I take my shoes off when I get home. I don't really like having them on for one but the other reason is it is a habit I picked up when I was bartended, you never walk inside with your shoes you wore behind the bar or in the kitchen. Sometimes I would switch out in my car to keep them from getting on the floor of the car too.

[Gothicshark]

I just can't believe i read this.

Come on, americans are not this stupid to think their pavement is immune to dirty, please, tell me you are not this stupid.

Not at all, we just clean our pavements weekly. And some businesses clean the pavement every morning.

this image is actually a very common sight first thing in the morning.

[Reeve]

Yeah I can see that ofc, if you don't walk around that much. But then for example people that go shopping a LOT in big cities, clubbing and whatnot, then your shoes will get pretty nasty and sticky most likely. Because in most tv-shows whatever the people have been doing they just go in with their shoes on and have them touch their furniture etc, and yes it's tv, but that's why I made this topic since I have never been to America (although I'd love to), so I just wanna know what the customary procedures and thoughts on shoes in the house really are.

Well in this case, the TV has it right for most families.

[Muzjhath]

That's about right. When I enter a home, if I see there are shoes by the door, I take mine off. Otherwise, I assume it's a "wear your shoes" household, which is more common than not. Generally speaking, the houses that want you to take off your shoes tend to be households of people from other countries. Americans usually don't care.

Sometimes I'll even walk into the living room of a house where removed shoes is the norm, realize there are shoes by the door, begin to apologize, and the homeowner will tell me not to bother taking my shoes off. They're used to that mistake here.

As for cleaning, we clean our carpets when they seem dirty. Usually once or twice a year is more than enough to keep the carpets pretty clean. If you move apartments often, you might not clean your carpet at all, preferring to let the apartment complex take care of it when you move out.
.

I'm gonna say this. Clean far more often. Worked selling a cleaning mashine for a while and... Almost all dirt in a house you won't see. It's there, it's not really good or your health. It should get cleaned up. This includes carpeting. Sadly the normal vacuum cleaner is mostly useless. So clean more often than you do.

As for OT.
I've never understood the whole "keep shoes on". Walking into someone elses home without removing my shoes would be disrespectful, since you'd drag in more dirt off the street. And in effect forcing them to clean more often.
I only run in with shoes if I've forgotten something and need to get it quickly.
The exception to the rule would be fancy parties when you bring a pair of loofers you never use outdoors to wear indoors.

And this is from living in Sweden.

[Alvito]

i must be asian then ?
i live in canada and i dont know anyone who doesnt take their shoes off oO here it seem to be consider impolite to keep our shoes on ( like having no respect for the owners propiety)

I know several ppl that remove their shoes right away or very soon after getting home. A smaller bunch that ask others to do the same. Then you have some ppl that are just down right rude or strange about not wanting to take off their shoes. Ppl and their feet hang ups I guess.

[Arkenaw]

I hate wearing shoes, so no, I never wear them in my house.

[xindykawai]

From the 'merica point of view Canadians are pretty strange, and people from Quebec are down right Alien.

Im from Quebec, how should i take that : /

[DisposableHero]

From the 'merica point of view Canadians are pretty strange, and people from Quebec are down right Alien.

to be fair, other Canadians often share this view of people from Quebec.

Climate has something to do with it, taking off snow covered boots should be fairly obvious, which is far more often the case for us.

[xindykawai]

Not at all, we just clean our pavements weekly. And some businesses clean the pavement every morning.

this image is actually a very common sight first thing in the morning.

sad waste of pure water..

[LolretKJ]

When I'm at home I never wear shoes unless I'm going out or carrying something heavy up and down a flight of stairs.
As for other peoples homes I just look to see if people are wearing shoes and follow what they do.

[Reeve]

I'm gonna say this. Clean far more often. Worked selling a cleaning mashine for a while and... Almost all dirt in a house you won't see. It's there, it's not really good or your health. It should get cleaned up. This includes carpeting. Sadly the normal vacuum cleaner is mostly useless. So clean more often than you do.

As for OT.
I've never understood the whole "keep shoes on". Walking into someone elses home without removing my shoes would be disrespectful, since you'd drag in more dirt off the street. And in effect forcing them to clean more often.
I only run in with shoes if I've forgotten something and need to get it quickly.
The exception to the rule would be fancy parties when you bring a pair of loofers you never use outdoors to wear indoors.

And this is from living in Sweden.

I'm honestly not too worried about the dirt I can't see, unless it's going onto a surface that food is going to touch. But I do vaccuum more often than twice a year. I meant doing a real carpet cleaning is something I do once or twice a year. In the case of the apartment I live in now, it's a service that goes along with renewing your apartment lease.

[Adam Jensen]

A lot of households have rules about shoes, but most the ones I go in, they don't mind so long as the shoes aren't very dirty and are kept off furniture.

If there's a lot of mud or slush, then yes, most people will take their shoes off or bring an extra pair of footwear.

[Arcilux]

I know a lot of families that have a rule for shoes off at the door, and a lot of families that don't care. My grandma actually has a rule that shoes must remain on unless you are laying in bed. She finds it disgusting that your bare feet will touch the ground that everybody else walks on, even indoors. By wearing shoes your feet only touch the inside of your shoes.

My parents don't have any rules regarding shoes in their house, although usually shoes get taken off once you sit down, either at the computer, couch, bedroom, etc. but not taken off at the door. My husband's family, on the other hand, are strict shoes go off in the doorway family. At our house now we usually take them off at the doorway, but not always. Moreso a 'whenever I think about it' kinda deal.

It really does differ from house to house. Usually if I go over to somebody else's house I will either look to see what the family that lives there does or otherwise ask, I never assume that I should keep shoes on or take off.

[Monoxyde]

i was raised to take my shoes off in the house because it's fucking filthy not to. i dont want spit and shit and god knows what else all over my floors/socks/bed. most of my friends do NOT take their shoes off inside though so i leave mine on at their houses and tell them my house is a no shoes area when they come here. i'm not a clean freak by any means, who the hell wants to wear shoes any more than they have to anyway? it's unnatural.

[flarecde]

In my own house I usually take them off. But else where, no. Honestly, I'd consider myself under-dressed without shoes on. It's considered inappropriate to have them off in many public places - the classic no shirt no shoes no service. Most places I go have places to wipe your shoes before you enter, you're expected to keep them clean and not be wandering off the pavement / sidewalk into the grass and mud anyways.