Seewalds 39: Piping in on the IKEA conversation

[lumpentheologie]

12 minutes ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Do the no shoes in the house people not entertain at home? Would everyone at a dinner party be sitting around in nice clothes but barefoot? If Queen Elizabeth invites you to Buckingham Palace, are you going to kick off your shoes? 

Usually if there's a party there's a big pile of shoes by the door.  It can get complicated with drunk people going home when everyone has the same kind of shoes!  People keep their socks on, I wouldn't consider that barefoot. Some people (esp. in Europe) have slippers for guests. 

I also don't take my shoes off at places where the host wears shoes inside, because it's basically not 'inside' anymore then and can just be treated like outside. But then I would also be wary of sitting on the floor, etc. 

[CarrotCake]

I don't think socks around the house are better than shoes, all those sweaty footprints.

I wear slippers around my own house but shoes in other peoples houses and I also let guests wear their shoes in my house. I do think it is more of an issue if you live a more rural and/or snowy area where shoes are actually muddy most of the time.

[Someone Out There]

1 hour ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Do the no shoes in the house people not entertain at home? Would everyone at a dinner party be sitting around in nice clothes but barefoot? If Queen Elizabeth invites you to Buckingham Palace, are you going to kick off your shoes? 

I'm not sure about how the dinner party works, but friends I visited that were no shoes in the home had slippers for me to wear when I visited.  There are a number of countries such as Japan where no shoes is standard, they are left at the entrance to the place.

Here is a site that may answer some questisons for Japan? https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2001.html

[Iamtheway]

1 hour ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Do the no shoes in the house people not entertain at home? Would everyone at a dinner party be sitting around in nice clothes but barefoot? If Queen Elizabeth invites you to Buckingham Palace, are you going to kick off your shoes? 

In Sweden, yes they would. I have never been to a home in Sweden where shoes are worn inside. I have not been invited to the royal palace though so I don’t know their policy.

In Australia I keep my shoes on if the host does but it always, always feels wrong. 

[tabitha2]

So I guess yall’s sock game is on point... no holes, mismatched or stinky feet cheese socks? 

[catlady]

1 minute ago, tabitha2 said:

So I guess yall’s sock game is on point... no holes, mismatched or stinky feet cheese socks? 

true for us.  white socks are bought in large packages and not kept after they get discolored or stained, dark colors and patterns are always a win, and holes are not acceptable (and also incredibly uncomfortable).  

[Kailash]

3 minutes ago, catlady said:

true for us.  white socks are bought in large packages and not kept after they get discolored or stained, dark colors and patterns are always a win, and holes are not acceptable (and also incredibly uncomfortable).  

Similar here, though mostly dark socks. No holes allowed! Mismatched socks don’t particularly bother me, as long as they are clean and hole free.

[singsingsing]

Yes, when people come over, even for fancy dinner parties, they take their shoes off at the door. When you’ve been doing it your whole life and everyone else does it too, it’s just normal and you don’t even think about it.

[tabitha2]

Reminds me of the Von Trapps. When they first came to America all those  shoes left by the door caused a lot of awkward situations  

[lizzybee]

I noticed the other day that one of the houses in my neighborhood had a cute sign next to their door that said “please remove your shoes when entering.” I know they’re Indian because I’ve said hi to him a few times when he’s out walking. A quick google search says that’s culturally the norm. This conversation reminded me to look it up. 

I usually switch right to houseshoes and once I’m home, not for any reason other than if I’m home I don’t need my outside shoes on. My grandfather always made a big deal about shoes on the couch...and there’s a lot of good reasons for that! So now I have that complex where I get an eye twitch if someone wears shoes in my house and said shoe comes anywhere near the furniture. 

[Sullie06]

1) Now I'm starving at my desk, thanks thread drift lol.

2) I let my kids run around the yard barefoot in the summer. I don't see a problem with it as long as they clean their feet after. I won't walk around barefoot myself anymore even though I love the feel of grass because I'm allergic to bee's and we have a lot of ground bee's here in New York. 

[lumpentheologie]

1 hour ago, tabitha2 said:

So I guess yall’s sock game is on point... no holes, mismatched or stinky feet cheese socks? 

I wear mostly Darn Tough socks, which I love.  They have a lifetime warranty and cute patterns, and wool socks don't get nearly as stinky as other materials. I've had my oldest pairs for 6 and a half years now, and there's nothing even close to a hole despite regular use. 

[SassyPants]

I loathe slippers because most of the slippers I see people wearing could likely qualify as germ warfare. How do people keep slippers clean?  I’m also anti -robe. Yes, I’m a weirdo.

[Cheetah]

2 hours ago, CarrotCake said:

I don't think socks around the house are better than shoes, all those sweaty footprints.

I wear slippers around my own house but shoes in other peoples houses and I also let guests wear their shoes in my house. I do think it is more of an issue if you live a more rural and/or snowy area where shoes are actually muddy most of the time.

Funny, I was starting to wonder how you get sweaty footprints through the sock fabric but then I remembered teenagers... for me my feet don't usually sweat through socks.  My feet do get too hot in slippers, though, plus if I'm wearing slippers I can't put my feet up on the couch ;-).   I also would much rather keep my own socks on in someone else's house than wear communal slippers (or just wear socks under communal slippers) because of foot fungus.  

BTW for the person asking about dinner parties - I live in a part of the country where I'd say about half of families are strongly 'no shoes indoors' and the other half aren't and it's just normal to look at see whether there's a big pile of shoes by the door and if so, take your shoes off and leave them there.  And a lot of times even if the house is usually 'shoes off' they'll bend it for a bigger party, especially if people are wandering in and out to the back yard.  And yeah, you do try to make sure you are wearing a halfway-decent pair of socks.

[nausicaa]

4 hours ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Do the no shoes in the house people not entertain at home? Would everyone at a dinner party be sitting around in nice clothes but barefoot? If Queen Elizabeth invites you to Buckingham Palace, are you going to kick off your shoes? 

I'm not a purist about it, so I wouldn't ask people take off their shoes if I had a nice dinner party or a shower at my house. I always ask or just get a feel for the room at someone else's house. If it's a party and everyone's shod, I'll leave my shoes on. If I notice a huge pile of shoes and the carpet is pristinely white, I'll take them off. 

For the shoes people--do you guys wake up in the morning and get dressed and put on a pair of like leather, hard soled shoes even if you're just staying at home that day cooking and cleaning? I'm not judging, just trying to wrap my head around it. 

Edited April 10, 2019 by nausicaa

[Meeka]

I've lived in several parts of the country in Canada and everywhere that I go we've always taken our shoes off in the porch. Even at relatively fancy parties everyone goes around in their socks or barefeet. This time of year, I can't imagine walking in with my shoes on throughout my house. The porch itself gets covered in sand and water everyday.

[NakedKnees]

In my experience in the states, I'd say it's rather mixed whether people wear shoes in the house or not- just follow the host's lead. However, it blew my mind when I started spending significant time in Minnesota and saw  many houses have "mud rooms" for dirty boots/outerclothes. It makes sense, just not something I'd ever really thought about growing up in distinct climates.

In six years in Chile, I can only remember going to one place (a Japanese restaurant) where people take them off in certain sections (although kicking flip flops off under tables in homes and casual restaurants in the summertime is common).

I should note that socks are quite expensive here and everyone I know wears their socks absolutely down to nothing, including myself. Wearing nice socks ALL the time here wouldn't be realistic. 

Edited April 10, 2019 by NakedKnees
riffle

[Satan'sFortress]

45 minutes ago, nausicaa said:

For the shoes people--do you guys wake up in the morning and get dressed and put on a pair of like leather, hard soled shoes even if you're just staying at home that day cooking and cleaning? I'm not judging, just trying to wrap my head around it. 

I guess I am a shoes-on person. If I am staying home for the day, though, I normally wear socks.

I guess bare feet or sock feet feel too . . . intimate?? . . .  to me when mixing with non-family members?  Maybe not the right word.  I would not feel comfortable taking my shoes off at someone else's house, but would certainly do so if asked to or if it was evident that was the norm.  Likewise, I wouldn't really feel comfortable if a guest in my home took their shoes off (especially bare feet, which I find kind of icky), but I would never say anything to them about it.

I get what people are saying about tracking yucky stuff inside, but people's feet are yucky to me.

Then again, I actually like wearing a bra--I even wear one to sleep in!

[just_ordinary]

4 hours ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Do the no shoes in the house people not entertain at home? Would everyone at a dinner party be sitting around in nice clothes but barefoot? If Queen Elizabeth invites you to Buckingham Palace, are you going to kick off your shoes? 

Even the formality of a dinner party can vary. If people dress up in heels and suits/ties the shoes are often allowed. Because thights aren’t warm enough and in my country there are often hard floors and floor heating isn’t the standard. But if you just have a relaxed dinner with family or friends it’s definitely shoes off if  that it the hosts standard.

3 hours ago, CarrotCake said:

I don't think socks around the house are better than shoes, all those sweaty footprints.

I wear slippers around my own house but shoes in other peoples houses and I also let guests wear their shoes in my house. I do think it is more of an issue if you live a more rural and/or snowy area where shoes are actually muddy most of the time.

3 hours ago, tabitha2 said:

So I guess yall’s sock game is on point... no holes, mismatched or stinky feet cheese socks? 

Fucked up the quotes here-

If you leave seriously sweaty footprints in socks you (genera you) should talk to your doctor. It’s often a sign for health problems (diabetes for example). Often feet sweat because of the shoes so after a few minutes without them it’s fine. And I still rather take the sweat of the people I invite in my home than dog piss staines. 

 

I loathe white socks. They only look good when they are impeccable and they show how clean your floor really is. Most people here wear dark or colourful/patterned socks. Often bought in cheap packs. Men sometimes have additional better quality socks for suits. Definitely no holes. Mismatched can be fine- depends on the occasion. Stinky feet (if you are not a teenager) are not ok. People wouldn’t say something to your face though (only if they know you very well). Thinking about it: Theoretically you could bring a fresh pair and wash your feet in the bathroom after arriving. It probably wouldn’t be noticed anyway.

[tabitha2]

I don’t wear shoes in the house. I go strictly bare feet but Like wearing socks to bed though . Go figure

As far as I am concerned bra’s are strictly for being in public because I am self conscious about my headlights showing. The girls must swing free at home.

 

[Bad Wolf]

I knit socks for Mr. Wolf. He just persuaded me to darn a pair with holes. I would have thrown them away. So Mr. Wolf and his inelegantly darned socks would not be welcome in some of your homes? Ha. No wine or cookies for you. ?

[SassyPants]

Also, I hate going to a no shoes home in fancy or dress pants. I am short and always wear heels so I don’t need to hem my pants. In a no shoes home my pants are dragging on the ground or need to be rolled up... not a pleasant look. 

[MargaretElliott]

As another Raynaud's sufferer, socks and slippers are a necessity September through April. I can't be put on blood pressure medication or anything, so I have a pair of nice thick woolen slippers, and a hot water bottle. I also live in an urban area, so who knows what kind of gross stuff you're dragging in on your shoes - the shoe pile at parties is a common occurrence among my friends. I find that wearing shoes less often actually helps with foot odor - I wear exclusively cotton/wool socks and slippers, so the natural fibers let my feet breathe, and they're not stuck in a tight, dark, damp environment. 

[lumpentheologie]

3 hours ago, SassyPants said:

I loathe slippers because most of the slippers I see people wearing could likely qualify as germ warfare. How do people keep slippers clean?  I’m also anti -robe. Yes, I’m a weirdo.

It depends on the kind of slippers.  Lots of them can go in a washing machine, and if they can't, I put them in the freezer if they start to smell.  But I try to only wear slippers with socks, and I would definitely wear socks in someone else's guest slippers. 

I love robes.  I have a fleece winter robe I'm still wearing, but next month I'll probably transition to my silk spring/fall robe. 

Bras are basically the devil though.  I just wore one for the first time since October, but I hated it and I think they're probably gone from my wardrobe for good.  

[dharmapunk]

6 hours ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Do the no shoes in the house people not entertain at home? Would everyone at a dinner party be sitting around in nice clothes but barefoot? If Queen Elizabeth invites you to Buckingham Palace, are you going to kick off your shoes? 

I have never given a formal dinner party. When I have friends over they do indeed sit around barefoot or in socks. I offer them guest slippers, but to be honest who wants to wear slippers that have been worn by an unknown number of strangers before!  If I did have a dinner party where people dress up in nice clothes ,I guess I would accept shoes and just clean all my floors the next day. Unlikely to happen, though - I can't think of anything worse than hosting an event like that! I'm an introvert and tend to be socially awkward. Having two or three friends over for lunch is fine, but anything more than that....just no!

Edited April 10, 2019 by dharmapunk