I can totally see your point. From an outside perspective it seems really bizarre to have people take of their shoes, especially when it's a large party and you have a huge pile of shoes at the front entryway.
It's just that here people honestly don't even think about it. They just automatically take off their shoes at the door (in a house, but not anywhere else). I cannot remember the last time anyone didn't take off their shoes. And if someone is from out of the area and is really oblivious to unspoken rule and does wear shoes in the house, I would think it's highly unlikely that the host would demand they take them off. It would just be surprising.. like people who stand in an elevator facing the "wrong" way. ;) Culturally, people around here tend not to be direct.
I think the whole shoe-taking off custom is because for half the year our shoes are so full of snow or mud that we pretty much have to take them off otherwise they'd leave large clumps of wetness/dirt everywhere. While our floors could live up to it, that would be a major pain to clean up everyday.
It's just that here people honestly don't even think about it. They just automatically take off their shoes at the door (in a house, but not anywhere else). I cannot remember the last time anyone didn't take off their shoes. And if someone is from out of the area and is really oblivious to unspoken rule and does wear shoes in the house, I would think it's highly unlikely that the host would demand they take them off. It would just be surprising.. like people who stand in an elevator facing the "wrong" way. ;) Culturally, people around here tend not to be direct.
I think the whole shoe-taking off custom is because for half the year our shoes are so full of snow or mud that we pretty much have to take them off otherwise they'd leave large clumps of wetness/dirt everywhere. While our floors could live up to it, that would be a major pain to clean up everyday.
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