i always remove my shoes.
No they aren’t always dirty. It is a sign of respect. Like making eye contact when you shake someones hand.Are they soooooooooooooo dirty always?
Where do you live?
In some jungle?
Snow, mud, dirt, rocks, leaves, dog shit, glass, etc. It's also about not destroying the floors in the home, take care of the carpet and you don't have to replace it as often. Don't scratch up wood and linoleum with whatever is stuck to the bottom of your shoe, or have it fall off for someone to step on later.No they aren’t always dirty. It is a sign of respect. Like making eye contact when you shake someones hand.
Maybe, the custom, is from living in a cold environment; for much of the year we have snow. And it isn’t nice to track snow into another’s home.
It is a sign of respect.
Whenever I visited a friend's house as a kid, their parents would usually say something to the effect of "keep your shoes on, raid the fridge, and call me by my first name". I never said it out loud because they were just trying to be hospitable, but I cannot do those things with a clear conscience.
Snow, mud, dirt, rocks, leaves, dog shit, glass, etc.
I meditated for years. Many of the places where people gather to meditate around here, Boston/Cambridge, are connected to Buddhism. Taking your shoes off is a common request in these places. But here's the/my problem. I lost a portion of the popliteal artery in my left leg. Because of that in combination with multiple shrapnel lacerations, I'm highly susceptible to infections in the lower leg. Cellulitis, etc. So, taking off my shoes and walking around where others are walking around is problematic for me. Usually, after I explain my situation, people understand, but there was one very well known meditation center in Cambridge that refused me.
Bottom line, I'm glad to hear this: "Taking off shoes inside the,sick, you can probably relax"
Just remember:
You should follow the house rules. Some people will look at you very weirdly if you take your shoes off in their home. While other people have it as a requirement.Always take your shoes off at other people's homes, it's polite. At home it's up to you. I don't want to live in a dirty apartment, so I always take off my shoes at home.
Nobody is advocating for 100% cleanliness. My house is probably never more than 50% perfectly clean at one time unless I have VIPs coming over. If you just show up, you might find week old dust or dishes in the sink or whatever. Life is too busy to keep everything %. However, with everyone coming inside and taking their shoes off before they leave the entranceway, that significantly increases the time between vacuums, and significantly reduces the amount of dirt coming inside, which increases the lifespan of the carpet.Let me say it again:
Too much attention to 100 percent cleanlyness is not healthy.
It is rather the sign of narrow minds.
In suburban Toronto. We do have snow, rain, lots of leaves, people that don't clean up after their dogs, the occasional broken bottle on the sidewalk, puddles, backyards with dirt and grass, etc.Where do you live?
Some people will look at you very weirdly if you take your shoes off in their home.
You could have brought your own cloth booties in your pocket instead of being offended.
Your own poll refutes this statement.They are right! Because IT IS weird!
Your own poll refutes this statement.
I come from a long succession of 'take your shoes off' family.
After they’ve taken their shoes off I offer them a glass of wine.Is it?
And where is the respect that a host should show for his guest?
Your point about carpets is a good one. And yes, carpeting is very common in the Northern cold states, even if just 'throw' or 'area' rugs.Also watch the homeowner too. If the homeowner leaves the shoes on, well, then they are leaving their shoes on. Also I note a distinction between the heavily carpeted north and the tiled FL. Living up north, particularly when seeing carpet, you would presume to take your shoes off. In FL the tile can many times be slippery and the floor is just easier to clean, shoes tend to stay on. Imagine stepping in dog s--- and coming into a home with carpet versus tile. Both aren't pretty sights, but which situation is preferable. S--- on tile much easier to deal with!
I'm on my way over!After they’ve taken their shoes off I offer them a glass of wine.
After they’ve taken their shoes off I offer them a glass of wine.