“Gerba ran tests to see how efficiently our shoes deposit bacteria on what had been clean floor tiles. Very efficiently, it turns out: 90 percent to 95 percent of the colonies on the shoes found a home on the tiles.

‘Every step they took, we sampled after them - 10 to 20 steps,’ he said. ‘We could still find plenty of organisms on every footstep.’

Once the microbes are in a home, anyone can pick them up - especially young children. While adults may have immunity to some of the pathogens, others will be new, especially to children. And germs are changing all the time.”

I went to Norway and Denmark with an orchestra while I was in high school, and had no idea that Scandinavians didn’t wear shoes in the house. Perhaps it was because it was summertime or our host families didn’t want to seem inhospitable, but no one said anything to us when we wore shoes in their homes. I feel so bad, and I wouldn’t have had any problem kicking off my shoes. It’s nice when a host makes it clear whether they want you to take your shoes off or not so you don’t feel awkward as a guest (plus I think most people don’t mind kicking off their shoes!). Anyway, apologies to the Scandinavians on this board; we Americans don’t mean to be rude, sometimes we just don’t know the customs;!

I have had a shoe free home since I moved out on my home. While I have no problems making exceptions for people on this issue, I certainly appreciate people who respect this custom. Can anyone seriously say they don’t find it relaxing to take off their shoes after a day of work or running errands for a couple hours?

A lot of other parents had the same custom, and all the boys were used to shedding their shoes at the door. I have a photo I took one time of twelve pairs of shoes (and I use the term “pairs” loosely) in our front entryway.

I still take off my shoes in my house…mostly because I find shoes uncomfortable. I keep a pair of warm slippers under my desk at work for while I’m sitting at my computer. Delicious!

I prefer it when people take their shoes off when they come into my house, but don’t have a rule about it and don’t ask them to do so. Since I live out in the country, this means I have sometimes have to clean up other people’s tracked-in mud, but it’s no big deal.

My sons, who are now adults, still take off their shoes in my house and their own. Especially my older son, who now lives in Japan, and has become a fanatic about the no-shoes-indoors thing! Who knew I was inadvertently raising him right : )

I think removing shoes may be more common in the USA than here in England.

However, if someone did want to wear their shoes, or had a medical reason… I don’t see what’s so difficult about saying “I’d rather not, if that’s alright.” I can’t imagine ending a friendship over shoes!

So silly.

No shoes may = less cleaning, but my guess is no shoes = more clutter ~ at the very least by the entranceway(s). And more clutter almost always = more time spent cleaning!

How about getting back on task here and addressing the clutter-related issues of this topic rather than the hygenic and/or cultural ones?

If you live in New York city for example, just take a look at the sidewalks…there’s urine, feces, broken glass, food, and all kinds of trash on almost every block. I would never walk barefoot in the city, so in my home I wouldn’t wear shoes and walk barefoot, it would have to be one or the other. Even if you have a doormat, not all the dirt comes off, it’s pretty unhygenic wearing shoes indoors.

If you live in a more suburban/rural area, then yeah, it’s ‘cleaner’ and I wouldn’t mind natural dirt (grass, mud)…as opposed to city dirt (made by humans) being tracked into my home.

As far as hosts and guests, I don’t think a guest should feel forced to do anything, but at the same time you are an invited guest in someone else’s home and should respect how the host lives — do whatever you want in your own home. I understand not wanting to remove your shoes due to insecurities and embarassing foot odor (agree with previous poster that foot odor is caused by your feet not having enough ventilation!), but I can’t understand otherwise.

It shouldn’t have to take a baby crawling around to realize the hygiene aspect, it’s common sense — to respect yourself.

Think about the hygienics. Don`t you people have kids crawling all over the floors?

For a country with your health-insurance policy, I would strongly recommend takeing the shoes off.

Seriously though, I’m your typical American with no specific cultural background and I prefer to take my shoes off when I walk in the door. If I have gotten ready to leave, have put on my shoes and realize I left something in another area of the house, I may or may not take my shoes back off to run get it before heading out. Most of that determination depends on whether taking my shoes back off involves a lot of unlacing, etc.

As for guests, almost all of my friends and acquaintances simply note that I slip my shoes off and ask whether they should too. My response, “Whatever is more comfortable for you.” Most people choose to remove their shoes, but I do feel that guests in my home should feel comfortable and if that requires shoes, then so be it.

In other peoples’ homes, I have only been unnerved at taking off my shoes if I can’t remember whether I grabbed a nice pair of socks or a pair that should be heading to the trash

Even though I don’t live upstairs anymore, I’m still in my stocking feet all the time. It would feel weird to have shoes on in the house now. Take off your shoes and relax in your socks or slippers!

And yeah, I expect my guests to take of their shoes before they come inside. Part of it is a cleanliness thing, sometimes I like to sit on the floor and I’d prefer it not be dirty.

Some people were concerned they’d feel not completely dressed without shoes. I wouldn’t require such a formal dress code for people to come over.

As for Carrie getting her Manolos snatched at the party, sucks to be her. Stop spending so much on shoes.