I think it’s definitely pragmatic to have a no outdoor-shoe policy in the home. In Asia, many families use house slippers rather than wear their own shoes. I think this is certainly an excellent compromise.

It grosses me out to see some people wear shoes into their house and then plop on their beds with their shoes on. Wow. That really is grossing me out just writing about it.

I am an Asian American who grew up in a upper-middle class suburb. Most other American families never requested that I removed my shoes, especially if they had pets. I definitely did not remove my shoes, but I never felt that it was ‘home’ for me, so that was ok. I treated it as if I was in another public place.

Think of it this way; when you go home, you want to relax. That would mean changing from your business suit or daily garments into your pajamas which are nice and cozy to sleep in. I find the same thing goes with shoes. Shoes I wear outside remind me of work, shopping, school, taking the dog out, working out, but never relaxation. So I prefer changing into something entirely when I go home.

Really, this is all a matter of opinion and cultural differences in the home. There is no reason to bash anyone’s culture or call their country streets dirty or filthy because they take their shoes off at home. There will always be dirt and filth in any country you visit. The wild animals do not care a hoot where they like to shed their excrements. I mean, check out your car when you leave it under a nice shady tree on a hot, sunny summer afternoon.

All I would ask for in a guest is respect for my rules in the house. After all, I’m the one who has to live in it. If you have feet stink, oh well. If I don’t care, why should you? Maybe it’s time for a new pair of shoes or perhaps some Gold Bond if it’s really that bad.

All of my non-asian friends allow their guests to wear shoes in their house even if the owner themself goes bare, therefore I won’t take off my shoes at their home. Some of my neighbors also go bare in their apartments but I also see them go bare in the hallways and basement to get their laundry. I don’t know a single east asian who would do that.

In addition, ppl mention that the ground in china is unsanitary hence leaving shoes off to go in the house–that makes sense to me but how does that explain Paris, NYC and London? In the early days all major western city streets were like garbage dumps (e.g. feces, urine, garbage, dead animals, dust all over the streets). There were pigs and dogs that would roam the streets and backyards and eat the garbage ppl threw out of thier windows. Yet everyone wore their boots and shoes indoor.

I myself am English and my husband is Chinese. We follow the tradition of leaving outdoor footwear at the door and insist that visitors also do the same.

Different cultures are disgusted by different things and I must say that I am baffeld whenever people fail to understand how disgusting it is to wear outdoor shoes in the house.

Your home is somewhere that you want to relax. Somewhere that the kids can roll around on the floor happily. Babies especially pick things up and put them in their mouths so why would I want my kids to crawl around where people have walked in the filth from outdoors?

I am proud to have originated from a British working class background and one old fashioned remark I’ve heard as a kid when picking things up from the street is ‘You don’t know where that’s been!’

The same goes for money. It’s passed through so many hands and probably lots of dirty ones. I always tell my kids after they’ve handled money to wash their hands because they don’t know where its been.

This could be used when contemplating the ground outside. You don’t know what’s been on it! People spit on it, dogs pee and poop on it, etc. So how on earth can anyone in the right mind relax with their outdoor shoes on indoors?!

Its such a shame that in Britain we don’t adopt the same tradition as a norm. But then again, you’d probably come out of most of your friend’s homes with your socks covered in dog and cat hairs! Hence, this could explain why a lot of people don’t feel the need to take off their shoes at home.

I would find it extremely offensive if someone refused to remove their shoes at my front door. I feel strongly that if you are a guest in someone’s home, you need to abide by their rules or leave.

Another issue I have is that people assume the problem is with their shoes and not with the ground outside. On many occassion I’ve had guests take off their shoes, go out into the garden with no shoes on and come back into my house bringing in dirt from the soles of their feet.

I’ve had to educate quite a few friends but they seem to get the hang of it after a while and some have even adopted the same methods in their own homes as they can see the obvious benefits.

Having said that, I’ve also lived in 4 countries now – currently China – and I absolutely love this custom of leaving the dirty shoes outside. No matter where I live in the future, my home will remain forever more shoe-free.

Lastly, someone made the comment about shaking hands, and how right they were. More germs are spread (and more colds contacted) via hands than any other way.

Oh yes, lo-and-behold, we Asians do assign (maybe subconciously) hierarchical significance to different body parts, animals, trees, different kinds of decorative pieces, etc. Confuciansm didn’t breed itself, but was a manifestation of the hierarchical aspect of the Chinese culture in the same way that the caste system was to the Indian culture. Naturally, by Chinese logic (for that matter, Asian logic), the ground is considered very low => dirty. In addition to this, I’d even add that some of my Asian friends (myself included) are appalled by the western practice of putting silverware ON the table or the table cloth that has already been used. I also find many western people to be very incapable of properly washing dishes and glasses.

I appreciate John’s curiosity in the Chinese’s seemling unbalanced obsession with cleanliness. But I think that in most cases people from other cultures behave differently because they are “different”. Period. Not because they are unsanitary, insane, less educated, or perverted in any way.

Remember the contempt and mockery western medicine practitioners used to throw at Chinese acupuncturists just less than a decade ago? Look who are busy learning how acupuncture works now and how much a session in New york costs?

Justin,

I’m sorry to say I agree with Shutty. I used to live in the upper-middle class neighborhood in Maine and visted all other New Endlander states, by far the richest region in the US. I was not asked to take off my shoes to any house I’d been to (the owners also wore shoes inside the house).

“Cement cannot be cleaned”???? I recommend that you take (or retake) Chemistry101.