This seems to be a never-ending debate in many homes.
Is it really necessary to ask people to step out of their shoes before stepping inside?
“Kick off your shoes, and stay awhile” might be a popular greeting (at least, in the olden days, so to speak). But does it really matter?
Sure, shoes can leave scuff marks on fancy flooring. They can drop dust and dirt into carpeting and rugs. And don’t even get us started about what happens when people put their feet on the couch, coffee table, or other furniture.
But is the argument purely aesthetic, or are their health and safety reasons to request people to enter shoeless?
How many germs might someone pick up, simply walking through various places before coming to visit?
- a busy street
- a carnival or county fair
- a commercial kitchen
- a factory
- a farm field or barn
- a grocery store
- a hospital
- a lawn with recent fertilization or weed killer application
- a locker room at the gym
- a parking lot
- a port-a-potty
- a public restroom in a shop, restaurant, or gas station
- a scientific laboratory
- a sports stadium
- an automotive repair shop
Are you gagging yet? Imagine the many contaminants one might pick up in such spots. Would you sit down and perhaps even eat on any of those floors? But what if those germs were tracked into your home? And what if you have a crawling baby or toddler?
Not to be a Goody Two-Shoes, about this, but I think the no-shoes idea has merit.
Some folks keep shoe or boot trays just inside their doors, along with big baskets of booties, slippers, or even shower caps. That way, guests can remove their shoes and put on comfy coverings, if they wish.
Of course, the no-shoes rule pretty much goes out the window, if certain people step outside in stockinged feet. (I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes …)
And what about bare feet in the summer?
It’s hard to police the no-shoes rule. But we try as best as we can.
Then we’ll always find those who firmly believe the rules do not apply to them. For instance, we’ve had a few extended family members that insisted their shoes were clean and refused to remove them. That’s when everyone else looks at us, just waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.
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Image/s: Adapted from public domain image
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