There’s some nuance to this topic, admittedly. Whether it’s about honor and respect, or this is just how it is, how your mama raised you, etc. Different cultures and all that. In my neck of the woods (Norway), we typically let those socks fly free.
I remember someone making the argument that in areas where you’re not likely to encounter extreme weather conditions, it’s probably fine if you keep your shoes on. To which my response was, “Yeah, but we’re all nasty.” I don’t care how dope your weather situation is, if you’re encountering the ground as you go about your business, you’re gonna be dragging a lot of shit (literal or otherwise) with you.
I keep my floors nice and clean, and it’s not so I can more easily discern what caught a ride on my footwear.
More broadly, do you take your shoes off in other people’s homes? Do you expect visitors to take theirs off in yours? Granted, if I’m visiting someone and their place is just a climate-controlled version of the street outside, I’m a little more inclined to keep my shoes on.
At home I’ll probably keep my shoes on for a while, especially if I’m wearing boots, because I’m too lazy to get over there and take 'em off. Obviously at other people’s places its definitely house rules. If you come to my place I don’t care if you have your shoes on as long as you don’t get my stuff dirty.
Totally on the same page. I live in SoCal now where it’s not a problem, but growing up in places where the ground is wet and dirty half the year means that shoes go off the moment I cross the threshold.
my dude, when i get home i immediately get out of all my work clothes and swap to some shorts and a tshirt. the last thing i want when i get home is to be wearing the same shit i’ve worn all day. i’m home now, work is a distance memory.
I keep them on til I get to my room and can actually put down all the shit I lug around daily. I live in a house with my family, so I can’t leave things lying around in the common area, but we also live in a small house, so we don’t have a shoe rack in the common area. Also, my dog has ruined two pairs of shoes so they go right into the fucking closet. Shit’s money.
I also get to work in casual clothes, so I don’t switch to lounge wear when I get home, mostly because I need to remember I’m in my body and also because I just wanna get online and play HotS and chill lately.
I was expecting way more of this, honestly. From watching American entertainment and, well, just talking to a lot of Americans for the better part of three decades, I had understood shoes in the home to be a really common feature.
Maybe a lot of my entertainment comes from sunny places. That could be a factor.
(I’m also making the assumption that most people voting in this poll are Americans, and I’ve been wrong before. It’s happened.)
This is the other big reason why I don’t get those who don’t want to take their shoes off: why keep your shoes on when it prevents you from taking your socks off?
Taking my socks off after being out all day long is one of the best feelings of the entire day.
I take my shoes off as soon as I can now that I live in Canada, but when I was in the American Midwest nobody took their shoes off. I think my dad would have slept in his work boots if he could have.
The answer to that is to clean your floors, not to wear socks.
Also pro-tip to the house shoe wearers: the floor isn’t nearly as gross if you just take off your shoes at the door all the time.
But one time I will wear shoes in the house is when I am doing dishes. Usually a very clean pair that has never been outside and has good support. Standing up for a long period of time on hard floors without proper support (esp when you weigh as much as me) is just asking to hurt your back.
My boyfriend neglects this a lot and it bugs me so much. I like wandering around barefoot or wear slippers/flip flops that are for indoors only. I also change into pajamas and take the bra off the moment I’m indoors.
