Is it worth taking off shoes at a party and wearing slippers offered by the owners? Bashny.Net

Should I take off my shoes at a party or not? The answer to this question is not obvious. The editors of the Site decided to dot all the "i" and clarify the situation. Today you will find out in which cases it is worth taking off street shoes in someone else’s house and whether the owner should give out home slippers to guests.



It is curious that the existing norms of etiquette in this matter are not universal. In some cases they work, in others they do not. Of course, it is best to immediately remove street shoes at a party, so as not to bring dust, dirt and debris into the apartment. This is especially important when there are animals and small children in the house.

When it is humid outside, you should not upset the owners with dirty divorces on the parquet (even if it was not very clean before). The wet floor is short-lived - both parquet and linoleum are rapidly destroyed due to moisture. And on the tile, you can even slip.



In the matter of “footwear” etiquette, the event to which you were invited is of great importance. If this is a friendly gathering, please take off your shoes. And if it is a festive evening, where do ladies come in evening dresses and men in elegant suits? Both will look extremely ridiculous barefoot, in socks or even in home slippers, especially if the shoes complement the image. In this case, guests should remain shoes. If it is wet outside, you should bring a change of shoes with you.



How did the custom of taking off shoes in the house come about? It turns out that the roots of this habit stretch back to the distant past. This is a direct consequence of the peasant way of life. Our ancestors used to spend a lot of time in the fields and doing farm work. Work like this all day in the mud, sand and dust, and then move home on the blurred dirt roads (asphalt and sidewalks will appear in the village very soon). In order not to bring a lump of dirt into their abode, people left their shoes behind the threshold.

Over the centuries, little has changed in Central and Eastern Europe. Shoes are also taken away in Asia and Arab countries. Moreover, if you ignore the etiquette and come to the house of a Japanese in street shoes, the owner has every right to quarrel with you to pieces.



At the other end of the world – in the United States – the attempt to take off your shoes in someone else’s house will be perceived as familiarity. In America, the streets are well washed so that the shoes remain clean and you can jump on the couch or bed on a large scale.

But in the countries of the British Commonwealth, like Australia or Canada, everything is individual. For example, in Australia, many guests are hesitant to leave street shoes outside the doorstep so that poisonous spiders do not creep in. Canada has French, British and Canadian cultures that define etiquette. Someone will offer you to wear slippers so as not to get cold feet, and somewhere you can easily spend the whole evening barefoot or in socks.



In our latitudes, it is really customary to immediately remove street shoes when you enter the house. As a rule, guests can not worry about walking on the cold floors: in most families you will immediately be offered a cozy pair of slippers.

But if you are visiting for the first time and do not know what to do with shoes, focus on the owner of the house. If you are immediately offered to go to the house, most likely, you do not need to take off your shoes. But if the owner eloquently gazes at your sneakers, take off your shoes still worth it. In addition, you can always go ahead and ask what slippers you can wear.



How do you greet guests? Do you have several pairs of slippers for friends and acquaintances on duty or do you find it unhygienic? Tell us about your family in the comments.