Wearing shoes indoors

[crosses]

I was talking to a family that doesn't allow anyone to wear shoes indoors. I considered it a cultural thing until they explained that they do it to save time and money. Carpets and floors last longer, they don't need to lean as much, etc. I'm thinking of making the switch. Does anyone have experience with this?

[amomof4]

We don't usually wear shoes in the house. We have tan carpet & live in the country. It's hard enough keeping clean without the additional dirt from shoes. I have one dd who doesn't like to take her shoes off. She frequesnt spot cleans her messes.

The people at my church don't wear shoes in the house either. I think it's also cultural for them. They also have a tendency to build the front door in the back & the back door in the front. This way one enters from the kitchen so as not to dirty carpet. They also have a place to put shoes & hank jackets.

[MrsChambers]

yeah.. my house.. shoes off at the door... make a mess.. guess what, YOUR cleaning it up.
Despite all that... the carpets are still trashed. But I do belive that this keeps down the dirt and what-not.
)

[miclason]

we use tile floors here, so it's just a matter of mopping....we keep our shoes on when it's cold, but love going barefoot on the cold floor when it's hot!

[Momtwo]

I have never worn shoes in any of my houses. It keeps the carpeting so much cleaner. I have white wall-wall carpeting and I wouldn't want to be cleaning it every week.

[akaivyleaf]

I'm ambivolent about shoes. I would never ask company to take off their shoes but I walk around barefoot, or in houseslippers or socks when I'm here.

Now for me the cultural perspective is different. Seeing folks crusty feet is a big turn off to me, I would rather people keep ugly feet covered, so when I go places where they are walking around on hooves, it bothers me.

[amomof4]

I had to giggle at your reply to "crusty feet". At my church, we take off our shoes, but leave our socks on. No crusty feet!.

I continue to wear my socks if they have a hole in the heal or ball of foot. Sometimes I'll even wear mismatched if I'm wearing boots. When I first started going to my church, I didn't know about the custom of taking shoes off, and needless to say that is when I wore socks with holes. I left my shoes on. We don't ask anyone to remove their shoes. Fortunately form me on that day.

[akaivyleaf]

Shoes are my weakness. If I had to take my shoes off at church, I bet I could save a ton of money. I buy some shoes just to wear to church.

I have over 315 pair and counting. They are my one vice. They are mostly high heeled, dress shoes and boots. I own one pair of tennis shoes and wear them so rarely, people are sure to comment about what's wrong if I have them on. Consequently I don't own too many pair of socks and long since stopped mating them up. I have a sock drawer, and since I always buy the same brand and style, they all match each other.

[FrugalTexan75]

I have never really liked wearing shoes, so I tend to take them off whenever possible. If I could get away with it at work, I would definately go stocking footed - but my students probably wouldn't think it very fair since I don't let them take their shoes off. The first thing I do when I walk in my door is kick my shoes off! At most of my friends homes I also always take my shoes off when I walk in the door. I've never been told that I have too, its just been obvious due to the pile of shoes in the entryway.

Keeping It Frugal in Texas,
Laura

[amomof4]

Going bare foot causes wide feet & wide spread toes, especially in children. My girls have ugly feet.

My adult dd keeps on dislocating her baby toe. She could stop it if she put on her shoes.

Also, wearing shoes prevents slivers, cut feet, and stubbed toes.

Just a thought.

[PrincessPerky]

umm, the kind of shoe makes a huge difference in weather it helps or hurts. proper support for running is nice, confining feet is bad.

Why are wide feet ugly?

I will agree that splinters and such can be prevented, also some broken toes and whatnot.

And really good support is needed in some buildings, concrete covered with lenolium is bad for your legs.

However small children learn to walk faster without shoes, though they then need to learn how to walk with cages on their feet.

In support of barefeet (didn't write these nor do I support everything in them, just googled them) (also I wear shoes outside of my house, don't want to step in something a dog left behind!)

http://www.barefooters.org/faq/

http://www.runningbarefoot.org/

http://members.tripod.com/~a_spring/barefoot5.html

http://www.unshod.org/pfbc/swc1.htm

[asrai]

We don't wear our shoes in the house in Canada. Very few people I know do this.

I have a pair of shoes that I wear inside. It keeps me going instead of just sitting on the computer or on the couch. (Flylady.net). A nice pair of lace up shoes.

[PrincessPerky]

heh, maybe if I had my lace ups on I might have something done by now

[marla]

I don't wear shoes indoors and it saves me a lot of time in cleaning. The carpets and rugs don't get near as dirty or dirty near as fast. I have a warm pair of fuzzy socks that keep my feet as warm as any pair of shoes would that I wear around the house. What they really need to do is invent a pair of socks or slippers that would clean your floors when you wear them.

[Dawnathon]

Originally Posted by amomof4

Going bare foot causes wide feet & wide spread toes, especially in children. My girls have ugly feet.

My adult dd keeps on dislocating her baby toe. She could stop it if she put on her shoes.

Also, wearing shoes prevents slivers, cut feet, and stubbed toes.

Just a thought.

I have just reconsidered my habit of walking around in stocking feet or barefoot in the house as I was walking normally and caught the corner of my pinky toe on the corner of wall and broke my toe. It's been three weeks and it still hurts to touch it or walk normally.

I don't like the idea of tracking dirt in the house either but I don't EVER want to go through this AGAIN!

[kashi]

I broke my pinky toe once too, and it hurt like hell (foot turned black and everything), but I still don't wear shoes in the house. I'm just more careful. I prefer soft, fuzzy socks.

[flowergirl]

I wear sandals inside.

[leewill72]

Originally Posted by asrai

We don't wear our shoes in the house in Canada. Very few people I know do this.

I have a pair of shoes that I wear inside. It keeps me going instead of just sitting on the computer or on the couch. (Flylady.net). A nice pair of lace up shoes.

I 'do' flylady also. I am a SAHM, but i get a lot more work done around the house with my 'lace up' shoes on than barefeet or slippers.

[MargaretKur]

Another FlyBaby here:

Yes, I understand the carpet dilemma and wish we could go barefoot in the house. Personally, if I owned the house I'd rip up all the wall-to-wall and use area rugs.

I do wear shoes in the house, but once it's warm (shhhh!) I switch to sandals to keep my feet protected but dry. I wear slippers otherwise, when appropriate, and in the winter I wear socks. Since I always have powder on my feet to keep the areas between my toes dry, the floors would be a mess from powder every morning, LOL, but nothing that a quick vacuuming couldn't handle.

When you're diabetic you're not supposed to go barefoot. I have flat feet also, so I need arch support. Even with just socks, it can be dangerous, though. Several years ago, I fractured my right 3rd toe by stubbing my foot on a box. A few months ago, I believe I fractured my right 5th toe by stubbing it on a flattened box that dh (my husband) had stored under our bed.

So, if your floors are safe, I'd say to "go for it" but if you're diabetic listen to your doctor and do *not* go barefoot unless you're in bed or taking a bath.

Another thing: it's best not to let children play barefoot outside because they could injure their feet easily. Here in Florida we have a lot of ants, especially fire ants, to which people can be highly allergic. Even in NJ, my mother stepped on a bee with her bare foot as a child. Outdoors, play with shoes or sandals on.

Oh, for summertime and some bamboo mats...<sigh>

(FYI Flybabies: Venice, FL member of "floridababies" group)