Parties: Shoes or no shoes?

[Ideologue]

There's a lot of good wingtips that can be had at $120. But a lot of lawtalkers I know invest in nice shoes like A-Es. A lot of them spend a lot of hours pounding it in places with granite/marble floors that are hell on shoes. A nice pair that can be resoled periodically is actually an economical move.

I don't disagree.  The heels on mine are torn up from having to wear them to various law school events and parking in a lot you would expect $70,000 in tuition per student would ensure was paved properly.

[Martinus]

If I asked guests to remove their shoes when they come over my place I'd get the weirdest stares ever.

Ok now I feel good. So Russians expect guests to take their shoes off. Western Europeans don't (Brits don't count as they are weird).

So I was on the "civilization" side of the argument. I will make sure to mention this to that guy when I meet him next.

[Sheilbh]

Ok now I feel good. So Russians expect guests to take their shoes off. Western Europeans don't (Brits don't count as they are weird).

So I was on the "civilization" side of the argument. I will make sure to mention this to that guy when I meet him next.

The Scandis and North Americans are with us!

It's another Northern European-Southern European divide 

[Tamas]

As a host I wouldn't say anything.  I'd silently judge people who didn't follow my cue.

[The Larch]

Ok now I feel good. So Russians expect guests to take their shoes off. Western Europeans don't (Brits don't count as they are weird).

So I was on the "civilization" side of the argument. I will make sure to mention this to that guy when I meet him next.

The Scandis and North Americans are with us!

It's another Northern European-Southern European divide 

Or a "snow on the street - No snow on the street" divide. 

[Barrister]

In our family we all take shoes off at the door unless we're going right back outside. But if I'm having guests over I wouldn't ask them to take their shoes off, and truth be told I'd prefer they keep them on. When I'm hosting a party, me and my wife will also both have shoes on.

Maybe it's just my parents being formal/fastidious, but there is a certain, I dunno "informality" to walking around with your shoes off. I'll do it when it's just me and my family or close friends even because it avoids tracking stuff through the house, but at a large hosted party I'd feel way out of place to be walking around with socks or barefoot and would prefer my guests be wearing shoes as well.

Otto's got a point.  Close friends and family is one thing;  you going to tell your VP from work at your holiday open house to take off his shoes?

I wouldn't have to tell the VP (or government equivalent) to take his shoes off - he'd just automatically do it.

This is obviously a northern / southern divide.  Look if I lived in Italy or Spain, where it never snowed, and you consequently have tile floors, then I'd have no problem with shoes in my house.  But living in Canada, with the amount of snow and mud outside right now (and with our carpet floors) there's no way you're wearing your shoes in my house.

[MadImmortalMan]

I take it as an affront if asked to do it. It's an offensive request. Unless the person is covered in mud or something. But then I'd hose them down in the driveway before letting them in.

[Zoupa]

I think it's rude not to take them off. Who knows what you stepped on in the street?

[MadImmortalMan]

Presumably if you stepped in something in the street, you'd be responsible enough to clean it off yourself and not be a complete dick knowingly tracking over peoples' carpets. Making the assumption that you might be said dick and pre-emptively asking you to remove your shoes shows a lack of trust and is insulting to the guest. If I don't trust someone enough to not track dog shit in my house, I'm probably not letting them inside to begin with.

[Barrister]

No matter how much you wipe your feet, you can never get rid of all the grime and dust or snow.

[Malthus]

Presumably if you stepped in something in the street, you'd be responsible enough to clean it off yourself and not be a complete dick knowingly tracking over peoples' carpets. Making the assumption that you might be said dick and pre-emptively asking you to remove your shoes shows a lack of trust and is insulting to the guest. If I don't trust someone enough to not track dog shit in my house, I'm probably not letting them inside to begin with.

In winter here it is simply not possible without truly heroic efforts to get the dirty, salty slush out of the treads of your footwear.

[mongers]

In winter the soles of my shoes are often the cleanest going.  :spins aimlessly:

[Grey Fox]

I forgot, where do you live MiM?

[MadImmortalMan]

Reno.

Yes, I get plenty of snow here.

[Grey Fox]

Reno.

Yes, I get plenty of snow here.

Really? I didn't know that.

You are weird then.