Why do Americans...

[Jessica]

...not take off their shoes when they walk into their house? I've always thought they take it off before they walk inside. My brothers and I always do that. won't it be hard work for the mother? why can't the kids just take off their muddy shoes to save her work??

I know I am an American but sometimes we don't follow their traditions.

[Rusty]

You answered your own question - it isn't a tradition in America to remove shoes before/upon entering one's house.

You may be interested to know, however, that many have adopted the practice, and it is very common in Hawaii.

Many Americans are happy to remove shoes when entering another's home, especially if they are warned beforehand and have nice-looking socks on. Others are offended by the request.

Many of our guests ask if their shoes should be removed. If our carpets/floors have just been cleaned, we often respond yes. If not, we don't care.
We hardly ever ask our guests to remove their shoes, because it's not our tradition to do so.

I know it's a tradition in Asia to remove shoes before entering a house. Are there other countries that share that tradition?

[CrOtALiTo]

I don't think that it's a tradition in any place, because normally the people when is in their house remove their shoes for don't bedraggle their house, I believe that it should to be also for the comfortable of people when is their house.

I've made it before and, I'm not necessary in United States.

[pjt33]

I don't know whether shoe removal is traditional in the UK, but it's certainly common. When I first moved to Spain I spent some time living with a Spanish family, and the daughter wanted to know why I walked around the house in socks. Her mother explained that in Britain everyone has carpets, so their feet stay warm in socks, whereas in Spain everyone has tiles, which make your feet cold.

[irmamar]

Why did you say "mother"? All the family must clean, not only the mother.

[María José]

We always remove our shoes at home and wear slippers. As far as I know most people in Spain do. BTW, at home it's my husband who does the hoovering.

[yachica]

I always take my shoes off when I go in my house.

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

I don't think that it's a tradition in any place, because normally the people when is in their house remove their shoes for don't bedraggle their house, I believe that it should to be also for the comfortable of people when is their house.

It's definitely tradition in several Asian countries.

Originally Posted by María José

... does the hoovering.

Most Americans won't understand that. Over here it's "vacuuming".

[irmamar]

I never wear shoes at home, I'd like to be barefoot, but I'm not allowed, so I wear my slippers They're much more comfortable than shoes

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

It's definitely tradition in several Asian countries.


Most Americans won't understand that. Over here it's "vacuuming".

Okis.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I think I'm not for taking shoes off when walking into a house for three main reasons:

- Where I live, our grandmothers say we cannot walk barefoot or we'll get bunions. I've never known if that's true or not, but never wanted to investigate.

- We don't know about other people's hygienic habits, so I wouldn't ask them to take their shoes off to avoid unpleasant consequences.

- We don't know how clean the floor in another house would be, so I'd definitely refuse to take my shoes off in another house.

I do clean my shoe-soles at the entrance mat every time to avoid bringing dirt inside though.

[Jessica]

Originally Posted by Rusty

You answered your own question - it isn't a tradition in America to remove shoes before/upon entering one's house.

You may be interested to know, however, that many have adopted the practice, and it is very common in Hawaii.

Many Americans are happy to remove shoes when entering another's home, especially if they are warned beforehand and have nice-looking socks on. Others are offended by the request.

Many of our guests ask if their shoes should be removed. If our carpets/floors have just been cleaned, we often respond yes. If not, we don't care.
We hardly ever ask our guests to remove their shoes, because it's not our tradition to do so.

I know it's a tradition in Asia to remove shoes before entering a house. Are there other countries that share that tradition?

Hmm...but my mom said...I guess she is wrong. one of my teachers though, asked if any of us take off our shoes....(class is almost over...gotta go...)

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

I think I'm not for taking shoes off when walking into a house for three main reasons:

- Where I live, our grandmothers say we cannot walk barefoot or we'll get bunions. I've never known if that's true or not, but never wanted to investigate.

- We don't know about other people's hygienic habits, so I wouldn't ask them to take their shoes off to avoid unpleasant consequences.

- We don't know how clean the floor in another house would be, so I'd definitely refuse to take my shoes off in another house.

I do clean my shoe-soles at the entrance mat every time to avoid bringing dirt inside though.

Yes, I know that you are trying to tell us, here as you already know the culture is diverse in severals states, but when is a grandmother who's living in the house, well just the things chance, because she takes the control to everything inside of the house.

Until she takes the control of you.

[Fazor]

I'd imagine it's more common in the US in areas that tend to be either muddy, or sandy . . . though it generally depends on the house and the homeowner. We have wood floors which are easy to clean, and we don't particularly keep the floors that clean anyway. I don't care if guests take their shoes off or not; I only take mine off for comfort.

My friend's home is carpeted, and they have two young children that are always crawling / playing on the floor. Over there we take our shoes off.

[ookami]

I asked the same as you Jessica. Since I was a kid, all the people that wanted to enter my room needed to remove their shoes. Nowadays I do it always in my apartment, but when you have guests you can't obligate them or even ask, they have never do that before...
If I just step inside without removing them, I would have to clean with three time more frecuency!

[Jessica]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Why did you say "mother"? All the family must clean, not only the mother.

well right now we are having an entertainment center being built and the builders...or whatever you call them walk in with their shoes so my mom has to clean the floors. My brothers and I don't. I know we should help, but...well we have homework :P So I thought usually the mom does it

[irmamar]

Then you and your brothers should. When I was ten I used to take care of my little brother who was two years old, I helped with my brothers at home and we also studied. And nothing wrong happened to us

[laepelba]

I hate wearing shoes or socks. When I'm in my own home, I just walk around in bare feet. But my mother insists that I wear slippers when I'm in her home.

I have a friend who insists that people leave their shoes ON when in her home because she doesn't want people's "foot oils" to ruin her carpets or flooring. I suppose that my own bare feet are ruining my laminate floors and carpets ... but I still prefer to be barefoot at my own house.

I do think that it's personal preference depending on the home that you're entering.

[Jessica]

I wear socks when it's cold. In the summer I don't wear them

[CrOtALiTo]

I think that it is most that a culture or odd in people, for instance here in my country as I commented before in the Mexican houses are more common that the mother or the house's women had disciplined to the family walks inside of the house without shoes and only with socks, but surely there are more cultures in another countries that they do the contrary.

For example Jessica. Perhaps your family before that they telling you that you remove your shoes when coming to the house, they surely have created a culture to do it before join to the house.

Therefore I can't explain. Why is the reason of the culture, I want to think because, the family don't want to have ugly the house, or at least you should to clean the house if you join to the house with the shoes.