I have to qualify my comment a bit . . . I currently live in Japan, and I have tatami mats as flooring for two of my rooms. You're not supposed to wear hard-soled shoes on tatami for not only cultural but practical reasons: it gets them dirty and wears them out faster.
That said, while wearing shoes inside at all is culturally taboo in Japan, as an American (originally from northern Indiana) I don't give a rat's ass if people wear them on the tile floor in my kitchen. The shoe rule is only a practical concern for my flooring.
If I lived in a normal apartment in the US, I wouldn't care about people wearing shoes in my house at all.
I thought of you after I posted this poll. ;) I know it's culturally taboo in Japan (although I didn't know anywhere inside.. like your entry about slippers at the graduation ceremony! So interesting!).
In North Dakota and Minnesota, it is definitely taboo to where your shoes inside a house or apartment. Most people don't even think about it and kick off their shoes at the front door out of habit. I'm curious where people do this and where people keep their shoes on. -- I could see it go either way. Who wants sticky-smelly feet or socks in their house? ;)
I'm wondering how much I may be a personal anomaly to not only my present region of Japan (if only my neighbors knew I sometimes walk around my kitchen in boots . . . ) but Indiana as well, in that I don't generally care about taking shoes off.
I saw your comment below about it being cold and snowy so much of the year so people have to take their shoes off, and that definitely applies in northern Indiana during the winter season when it comes to snow boots, etc. But now that I think about it, I knew a few families that had an explicit no-shoes rule year-round, usually enforced by having a shoe rack or a large mat by the door with the families' shoes on it. (When I saw one of these, I'd always cued to ask: "Do you want me to take my shoes off?"). One family I knew had a little sign just inside their front door with a cute message about removing shoes in their house
( ... )
In the year that we've had our house, noone has ever kept their shoes on, apart from small children and that was just because they were so excited they ran inside instead of taking off their coat/hat/shoes/etc at the door. It's not that I've instigated a no-shoe policy, it's that a no-shoe policy is the general default here.
Maybe next time I have a guest I should say, "Oh no, no, you can keep your shoes on" and observe their reaction. I am sure they would be extremely puzzled and look at me bizarrely. People would not even think to ask a question like, "Do you want me to take my shoes off?" -- because that would be silly to them. :)
I know I'm just repeating what I already said, but I want to make it clear that it's just second-nature here.. I'm just trying to show I'm not being pushy or instigating a policy or trying to make my guests uncomfortable, that's just the way it is. People don't even think about it. ;)
I just asked my husband if he knows of anyone in this area who doesn't automatically take their shoes off at the door. He immediately responded that his uncle Rich never does. So I guess there is one person! :) He's been to our house about two or three times, and I guess I didn't notice (probably because it was also when there were a large number of other people). See, it's not that I care if people wear shoes or not. It's just considered weird to wear them inside! ;)
That said, while wearing shoes inside at all is culturally taboo in Japan, as an American (originally from northern Indiana) I don't give a rat's ass if people wear them on the tile floor in my kitchen. The shoe rule is only a practical concern for my flooring.
If I lived in a normal apartment in the US, I wouldn't care about people wearing shoes in my house at all.
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In North Dakota and Minnesota, it is definitely taboo to where your shoes inside a house or apartment. Most people don't even think about it and kick off their shoes at the front door out of habit. I'm curious where people do this and where people keep their shoes on. -- I could see it go either way. Who wants sticky-smelly feet or socks in their house? ;)
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I saw your comment below about it being cold and snowy so much of the year so people have to take their shoes off, and that definitely applies in northern Indiana during the winter season when it comes to snow boots, etc. But now that I think about it, I knew a few families that had an explicit no-shoes rule year-round, usually enforced by having a shoe rack or a large mat by the door with the families' shoes on it. (When I saw one of these, I'd always cued to ask: "Do you want me to take my shoes off?"). One family I knew had a little sign just inside their front door with a cute message about removing shoes in their house ( ... )
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Maybe next time I have a guest I should say, "Oh no, no, you can keep your shoes on" and observe their reaction. I am sure they would be extremely puzzled and look at me bizarrely. People would not even think to ask a question like, "Do you want me to take my shoes off?" -- because that would be silly to them. :)
I know I'm just repeating what I already said, but I want to make it clear that it's just second-nature here.. I'm just trying to show I'm not being pushy or instigating a policy or trying to make my guests uncomfortable, that's just the way it is. People don't even think about it. ;)
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