[Audi_z]

Ha-ha-ha...amusing samples of comments . Mr. Mat, no need to worry of me ever darkening your doors , mind you I am not so much against taking my shoes off, before entering someone`s home, (Though floors in some homes are dirtier than soles of my shoes) if I am wearing shoes that come off & on easily, but if I am wearing gymshoes with laces and it takes me several minutes to take them off...I might as well talk to you from out side. As Mr.Farangin Patch (hope I got the name right) pointed out very accurately, if you`re wearing no socks, only bare feet, then your feet are no cleaner than outside of your slippers, and yes, fungus does get left on the floors. And you risk losing your shoes-if they are expensive-to shoe nappers . As to public spas and saunas.hmmmmm....I definitely would not wear my shoes in those places, but hip-high rubber boots ....Well thank you all Gentlemen for your interresting comments

[ManituIKOL]

I can imagine your indignation walking away from public spas and swimming pools when they demand you to take your shoes off, utterly disrespecting your person and your freedom to wear shoes anytime, anywhere ;-)...

[Audi_z]

Once when I was entering my sweethearts home, she reprimended me; "Aren`t you gona respect my home, and take your shoes off?", because I came in with my shoes on, (so I obliged, and took off my shoes). While in Thailand I saw that this is common practice, as is throughout all Asia.Here in Chicago also you can tell Asiatic family, by their shoes in front of their doors. This habit is not limited to Asiatics only, lot of Europeans do likewise-including my self but I would never leave my shoes outside, but take them inside, after taking them off-and we - of European ancestry- do it for cleanliness reasons, as much as to show respect. When I would come to someone`s home, I would offer to take my shoues off, to show my respect to my host, but then my host would reciprocrate and show respect to me as his guest, and say, No, it`s o.k. don`t take your shoes off, just come in, I am happy to see you, and that you came.This is TRUE, hearty, respect. . But, when someone demands from me to take my shoes off, before I can enter their place, either their home, or some public place like I saw in Bkk. (Sleeping Buddha, and other tourist exibits) I would just as well not go in, then to have respect forced upon me, like I was an ignorant boor.

[DownloadMan]

I feel the same way about business places and shops down town, Pile of shoes so high you need climbing gear to get over them, that is after you have made it over the pile of motorcycles parked on the sidewalk right up again the building.

I do not care for peoples bare, fungus infected feet on my floors in my home, take your shoes off outside if you want to, even tho there is a sign in Thai telling you not to, and my dog will wear your shoes while you are inside, and she is tough on shoes, but there is no need for a Thai because their go aheads have more dirt inside than on the bottoms anyway, so what is the advantage.
I China I didn't mind so bad as there was a rack for your shoes and a clean pair of slippers in the rack so you were not bare foot on their floors.

Here half the time I wear my shoes into a business and my wife will leave her shoes outside, and someone steals her shoes, and she ends up with a raggedy pair of go aheads to walk back to the car,, 555

Kids take off shoes at classrooms and every day during wet season our daughter ruins another pair of white socks running around in the mud and water and ruins the insides of her good shoes with the wet filthy socks.

Personally I think it us a very stupid and unsanitary custom, if they want to do it then there should be a place to put up your shoes instead of a wet pile of shoes in front of the door, and have slippers there to wear inside..

So if you come here, keep your shoes on, we do not observe that custom.

[valiumcheepval]

It is good manners to take ones shoes off before entering someone elses and indeed ones own home.If somebody would not take their shoes off when visiting our home they would not get past the front door.