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Annie B. Bond

Remove Your Shoes on Entering? 7 Reasons Why

posted by Annie B. Bond Sep 23, 2007 12:55 am
filed under: Healthy Home, Household Hints, , , , ,
Remove Your Shoes on Entering? 7 Reasons Why
89 comments

Adapted from Japanese Style, by Sunamita Lim (Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2007).

Do you remove your shoes on entering your home? Many of us who are not culturally predisposed to this activity avoid thinking about it because we are conflicted about starting a daily routine that you would then need to impose on others.

There are many kinds of sanctuary this routine can bring, and here are seven:

Natural Style, Easy Grace
From Dutch homes of the 15th century, where it was not permissible to set foot in a room without first removing one’s shoes, to removing shoes at the front door in most Asian homes as a mark of respect to the house and to honor its cleanliness and purity, taking off one’s shoes at the front door can be a deeply ingrained cultural habit.

For those of us who don’t share this habit, a good reason to consider initiating it is grounded in the pollutants they carry in from the outside world.

The benefits of removing shoes are many, including:

  • Taking off one’s shoes at the door can be a simple celebration of everyday life, as easy as kicking off your shoes at the front door to symbolize leaving behind the harried outer world, then lighting incense and being soothed by the subtle aroma of lavender wafting through the house.
  • Less dirt and small rocks gouge our floors, gently buffed by bare feet in the warmer seasons and by softly slippered feet in the cooler months.
  • Bare feet are treated to the comforting sensation of walking on smooth wood, or other flooring, an uncommon experience in itself.
  • Less time is spent cleaning the floor.
  • Infants and young children with more sensitive immune systems inhale cleaner indoor air.
  • A healthier home is ensured because shoes track in lead, pesticides and other pollutants, contaminating carpets and floors, turning a home into a toxic place for pets and young children, especially, who spend more time on the floor.
  • Shoes in Japan are left in the foyer, and traded for house slippers, with the gesture being both symbolic and a conscious desire to leave behind the outer world by shedding, literally, the first obvious steps—shoes.
  • Home is seen as a separate, special place, a sanctuary.
More on Household Hints (186 articles available)
More from Annie B. Bond (3251 articles available)

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Pradnyaa J.

Taking shoes off while entering the house is a common practice in India. In fact wearing shoes in the house would be a topic of discussion for us.
Shoes aren't taken off just for the dirt and pollution from outside world, but also for for the good/bad vibes we bring with us. Usually there is a shoe rack at the entrance.

Its an instant transformation from the polluted [in every way] world to a peaceful place that's home.

Vicky H.

We always take our shoes off and put slippers on at the door.We expect friends who visit to bring slippers with them and do the same.

Rosa Jordan

Well, I wear houseslippers in my home. This article is prompting me to keep scrub slippers, the kind that are used by doctors in the hospital operating rooms and hand them to those who come so that they may cover their shoes when they enter, that way, everything wil be covered, their feet and my floor.

Mary Adams

we always take of our shoes when we get home We started when we Had kid's. we never did when i was kid . Who wants to bring in the car oils and dirt and thing to gross to say into their home it's home a place to fell cozy and play with your kids on the floor.I wash my floor once a week just to get sticky spots or crayons off and only wash with soap and water and the water is still clear when done washing .So take of your shoes

Kristi Krug

I live in Florida, where taking your shoes off in the house is sure to be followed by walking back out with them off, and then back in again. When my husband and daughter trek in and out of the house barefoot they track in sand, mulch, leaves, grass, dirt, etc. Debris sticks to bare skin, not leather or rubber soles of shoes. This drives me nuts and I am always chasing my 2 yr old with a pair of shoes. I always wear shoes (if only flip flops) so my feet are soft and clean, my inlaws' feet are calloused and rough. When you come to my house, just keep your sandals on please!

Khulood A.

Being middle eastern, this is part of our culture too. once you get home you take off your shoes by the door and wear home slippers or not (depending on what you prefer). Its much cleaner and you don't bring in all sort of dirt around the house.

Ricardo Cortez

Can't see it at all. I keep my house at 60 degrees and the floor is cold. I am 66 years old and live alone and I don't care if the floor gets dirty. I can clean it. I have natural wood floors in my old house and stocking feet could cause a fall and I could be stranded and no one would know. Slippers are not much better and I am up and down in the basement so tracking dirt is just part of my life and cleaning it up is also part of my life.

linda s.

I so agree with taking one's shoes off before entering a home. My mother always taught us that and we are not Asian. It's much cleaner and easier to take care of things inside the home. Some people feel funny about it but they usually comply with your request.

Thanks for this old new tip.

Linda Starr, Rancho Mirage, California

Valerie B.

This is a new concept? It was part of my upbringing. The only way I don't remove my shoes upon entering someone's house is if they insist that I don't because their floor is already dirty. But they rarely insist. Mind you, I do live in Canada where snow covered winter shoes are the norm for 6 months of the year.

Chris M.

I have been telling my family this for years. The last hold out. GRANDMA ! Grrrrr

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