Why do some people remove their shoes when going inside?

Remove your shoes at the door?

  • Yes

    Votes: 57 70.4%
  • No

    Votes: 20 24.7%
  • I never wear shoes

    Votes: 4 4.9%

  • Total voters
    81
  • Poll closed .

flamin'trek

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Dirty shoes off inside - work boots, muddy day. 'Clean' shoes inside - dry weather, no unpaved access while wearing.

Shoes inside coz the tiled floor on slab is just too hard to stand on for any period of time without cushioning.

When in rome... Most people I visit go shoes on. It's a pain in the bum to visit someone and then duck out the back knowing your shoes are at the front door. We live in Australia, the backyard is the place for BBQs and socialising, we don't have to stay inside due to the horrid conditions outside.
 

Mywifesirrational

I however am very normal. Trust me.
And when we moved home, the removalists took their shoes off coming into our house and a guy dropped a couch on his foot.
I used to work as a removalist, aka relocation engineer, i would never take my shoes off for anyone's new carpet unless it was muddy outside - OH&S. Most people seemed to understand that and we always have some runners to lay down if need be.

A few people insisted, so taking off lase up boots 50+ times adds quite a bit of time for them to pay for.
 

Pebble

Likes Bikes and Dirt
As a kid never, but probably only owned one pair at a time anyway. An Indian friend once thought it was strange that I never really used to take my sneakers off even when inside (my own house anyway).

Now I'm married with kids and we take shoes off (keeps house cleaner) and also when going into other peoples houses unless they insist not to worry about it.
I don't mind if visitors keep their shoes on as long as they're not dirty (muddy etc) but most people take them off our of courtesy.

I clean some houses too but have specifically purchased flat soled shoes that don't carry dirt in (hate getting dirty socks from cleaning dirty floors and then wet socks when cleaning the bathroom / shower etc).

My Husband has a funny thing about making the kids wear slippers or socks in the winter (tiled floors) I don't see the problem, if their feet get cold surely they can decide for themselves lol.
 

workmx

Banned
I used to work as a removalist, aka relocation engineer, i would never take my shoes off for anyone's new carpet unless it was muddy outside - OH&S. Most people seemed to understand that and we always have some runners to lay down if need be.

A few people insisted, so taking off lase up boots 50+ times adds quite a bit of time for them to pay for.
Under either the harmonised Workplace Health and Safety laws or the current Victorian OHS laws, can you tell me where it says you can't take off your shoes?

Disclaimer: I work for a Worklplace Health and Safety Regulator. :tickled_pink:

I call shenanigans.
 

Joel O

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Under either the harmonised Workplace Health and Safety laws or the current Victorian OHS laws, can you tell me where it says you can't take off your shoes?

I call shenanigans.
What about a genuine concern for your own personal well being. Why introduce unnecessary risk into your job for no reason?
 

workmx

Banned
Regulation 46 sub section (2) of the Workplace Health and Safety Regulations states that if a worker is provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) by their employer (person in control of a business or underataking in the correct jargon), then they must use it.

In short, if a removals company insists that workers wear safety boots (PPE), then they must do that at all times.

However, if this situation arose for me, I would refuse to use that company. It is a personal call: my family's health is more important to me than an employer's preference for PPE.

After all, using PPE is the lowest option on the hierarchy of control.

The company should be using higher level controls and has an obligation to treat their employees better than that.

Also a worker can't just make up their own WHS rules, that is the point here.
 

willsy01

Eats Squid
Meh, it's simple really. If someone opens their door and they're not in shoes, I take mine off.....9 times out of 10, they tell me not to bother but i'll still check the bottom of them. If they have shoes on, I leave them on and make sure they're crap free on the bottom.

Life's too short to be that anal, people. Stuff gets dirty, deal with it or go live in a hospital ward.
 

sxereturn

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I can't believe the paranoia about germs...I bet half of the germ freaks in here have one of those motion detecting touchless soap dispenser things! Build up an immune system you bunch of sickly wimps.
 

workmx

Banned
For me, the cleanliness is an unanticipated consequence of intended cultural actions.

And a post-emptive reason.

The real reason is cultural. I could no more change it than most Australians could stop themselves shruging when saying: "I don't know."
 

Pete J

loves his dog
Back home in Oz, i used to be a 'shoes on inside' kind of person and thought nothing of it.
However, now after living for many years in a country where practically nobody wears them inside, i am a changed man.
And i feel better for it, no jokes!
The weather here is predominantly crappy, so that shows in the kinds of stuff your shoes bring inside with them.
If i was to return to Australia, i would maintain this 'shoes off inside' principle for good.
Not because i am afraid of germs though, that kind of thinking is a bit loony, imo.
 

udi

swiss cheese
Unless specifically told to not worry about it, I'll take my shoes off. My place has polished timber floors and one little rock in the sole of a shoe makes a mess of them pretty quickly. I'd hate to be doing that to someone else's floor. Asians, particularly Japanese, find it very disrespectful if you leave your shoes on.
Maybe if you had the courtesy to offer me some wabaki, I wouldn't wreck your floor!
 

Pebble

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I imagine people who are anal about no shoes inside would have to wash their feet if they've been walking outside in the summer without shoes???
 

walkietalkie

Likes Dirt
I have to take my shoes off.
Carpet is as good as new thanks to that after 8 years.
My wife is Japanese, she would probably summon
some kind of ninjas to cut my feet off if I didn't !
 

Gripo

Eats Squid
Anyone who's ever gone to the pub and had to take a piss knows why you never wear your shoes inside. :)
So true ^..... or walked around my yard with wallaby, bandicoot, rabbit and dingo poo or any other wildlife that's left a calling card when wandering through my place.....hence pebble, I probably most definately wash my feet after a summer walk...
 

BlakZ

Likes Dirt
Keeping your floors maintained/clean/well presented may save you $20,000 in re-carpeting and flooring when you try to sell up in 15 years time.

Just a thought.
 

Fisher

Likes Bikes and Dirt
If my shoes are covered in crap, they come off. If not I'll walk to my room and take them off inside.
If at a friends house, pretty much the same unless they obviously take their shoes off as they walk into their house.

Just make sure I use the doormat, never had anyone get narky at me before.
 

Hamsta

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Is this not why people use door mats.....to wipe the soles of their shoes before they enter a living area?

If someone asks me to remove my shoes, I will. If they don't, I won't.
 
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