A foreign custom I find weird is how people abroad not take their shoes off when they enter someones home. In Sweden entering someones home with your shoes on is conscidered rude.
I think this is a nice custom. I mean, it’s a lot less cleaning to do. And you can walk around barefoot in your home without getting your feet all dirty. Isn’t it gross getting out of the shower and walking barefeet on a floor where people have walked around with their dirty shoes on?
I’m not sure why we have this custom in Sweden. I think it might have something to do with the weather. We have long winters and during the season when the snow is melting it gets muddy and wet. In southern Sweden pretty much the entire winter is muddy and wet since the snow rarely stays.
I’ve read other theories about it being because many Swedish homes have wooden floors which walking around with your shoes on could be damaged. I’m not sure about that though. Are wooden floors uncommon in other countries?
Anyway. I think taking your shoes off when you’re inside is common sense. You don’t wear your jacket inside so why wear your shoes? And shoes are dirty! If nobody wears their shoes inside it’s not like your socks will get all that dirty. Besides. You can make your socks a fashion accesoire. 
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You really take your shoes off whenever you go to somones house?
That’s kind of weird to me, but idk. Like here in the US, most people just walk around the house in their shoes most of the time. Hell, I even wear my jacket whenever I go to other peoples houses.
OH OH and I just realized this..
I think it has to do with the cold (the whole taking your shoes off) because when I lived in Pennsylvania, in just about everyones home, you had to take your shoes off. But here in Virginia, where its warmer, its less common. So idk, but that blog makes sense.
It also seems so uncomfortable to be walking around with shoes all the time, not the mention what it does to your feet :<
One thing I’ve thought about though.. we do wear our shoes ON in our workplace and schools. I would much rather wear socks hehe.
I think smaller children don’t wear their shoes in school.. at least I didn’t. But I don’t know about this century:D
We had this custom in Russia, but then again we had wooden floors there..
Here in Israel we have marble floors so if people walked barefoot or with sock they would freez their feet.
Oh.. and if it is my hoe i have slippers.. but if I go to visit someone I have to stay with my shoes on.
You find it weird? Heehee to be honest with you it’s pretty normal here in our country where people just go inside their houses with their shoes on. But some houses however “require” their guests to remove their shoes sooo yeah it really depends on the owner of the house on what type of “rule” they would like to implement
I think it’s a pretty cool thing aswell, I like it. It makes it all a bit more personal if you’d ask me.
I think here in Britain, most the time we take our shoes off when we enter a house. Maybe it’s the weather here too? It rains all the time.
My mam makes sure we take our shoes off, we have cream carpets and she doesn’t want them messed up.
Wooden floors aren’t common in Britain, well not in newer houses they aren’t. We have some wooden flooring in the hall way and our sitting/living room, even though it’s a new house.
Seconding Laura really, but it is quite common in Britain. It’s maybe not to the same extent though.
I do think it’s a good practice to have; why would you want to wear shoes inside?!
I take all my clothes off when I get home.
Well, then I put on shorts and a tee, don’t need much else really.
I suspect that the weather has most to do with it. I see many Asian homes with their shoes sitting on their porch, but I think that is more a custom for them from their culture. If you have wet and muddy shoes, yeah, taking them off would be a great help to those that have to vacuum the floors…like me.
In Wisconsin in the US — It is cold and snowy from November until April… all the houses I know, if they have newer carpeting, you take off your shoes before entering the home. Its more of a personal preference of the homeowner though.
I think its a good idea to do it also. I mean, you have a great point – shoes are very dirty, why dirty the floor… it would save so much money and time if I could convince people to take off their shoes before entering the house. I wouldn’t have to wash the tile flooring all the time because of the muddy tracks, I wouldn’t have to buy a $300 carpet cleaner to to remove the grime and dirt that built up — I mean, I do have kids, so it would be dirty regardless, but it would be a lot less dirty if I didn’t have shoes worn in the house as a factor. You always make excellent points.
I agree, I always take my shoes off when entering a home, just out of habit, and sometimes people think I am weird for it. Or maybe it is just because my socks rarely match.
I always think it’s proper to take off your shoes when you go to someone else’s house, and in my own house!
My parents are weird about it, though, they always fuss and complain when they ahve to take their shoes off … And the only time my Dad ISN’T wearing shoes is when he’s in bed sleeping! It’s ridiculous. XD; ((They’d never survive in Japan, LOL, it’s practically a crime to leave your shoes on in houses there.
))
Most people don’t take their shoes off here, but I always take my shoes off as soon as I get in. I hate wearing shoes really, and love to get them off and walk about with bare feet.
Thinking off all the things that you may have stepped in outside it seems right to take them off.
Yeah I agree, shoes should be removed in the home. At my friend’s house in Florida everyone takes off their shoes and the carpet looks great. My ex moved to the same place he doesn’t take his shoes off and the carpet looks crappy. When I finally get my own place I’m so making people take off their shoes.